Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-19


e"h nun led upon such principle would not last lie,
years There would be rebellion. no civi
/ war, no-o'ood she'd The peaceful remedy is ir
! the hands of the people, and they viii einplov IT,
You do nut mean to disavow the doctrine. thai
the majority may reform the constitutions You
nave already 10y an unanimous vote, sanctioned
rms doctrine IN agreeing to the resolution that the
| DILL OF rights required no alteration Your new
constitution then Is TO be sent forth with nroscri,,-
lion against the majority. ana with an ilvi atirn 10
the majority to aEcr, refnrn or abolish VIII not
| th's INVITATION be most certainly accep,cd'-rhe
qualiied voters, with the Increased power which the
| extension of the right Of suffrage will give them
VIII make themselves heard at tn. polls and heard
IN your balls OF Legislation. Do moi iatter yourself
SIR that your najoriticS in The Ionisla,ura can resi-
the petitions of dreaded nas.ii; earnestly press
CD, and long persevered in. Your new voters will
aympathlsc with them and not with you--thev will
owe their power principally to the people Of the
west, ana they viii not regard your power as neces-
saty to their protection. If your own constituents
Go not take part against YOU nevertheless YOU willie
compelled 10 Yield the legislature his tnr,.totro
yielded to the force OF public orinlon-anl another
contention wiii be called 80 do that which you now
refuse 10 do. The surrender ef Your power NAV
then come too late TO allay the auiInostlcs which
the protTacted controversy will have infiarcd heal
t.iS<eh'on, soohe wounded feeling, inspire conf
tiencc, and cement the bond of ui,ion amopn the
people OF the commonwealth.
why Then VIII you persist i'll tontcnding ,lr that
winch 1t Is so hazardous possess so impossible To
retain: Better, for better is il IL my humble opn
io!i to turn your attention to Ina, winch is practca
be, safe, enduring and ciibctua-to the prudeut ,ni
taton ot the right of suffrage. This is a ground
on which we could meet and confer together |
should hope, with some prospect of seiln@ nj once
tue OASIS OF political power and the mode of appor-
ionlng It, Let the qualification. of suffrage be iu
dciousy defined, and the basis q representation b.,
the ratio of qualified voters. | have shewn YOU how
such provision accords with tls principles Of OH,
government, how mildly it wculd operate in the dis
tributlon Of power,--how perfectly secure it would
leave our rights of property.
II ito the qualifications ofsulfrage, Mr.. Chair
man, that we must look for the Essential character
OF our government, for the security of all our ruhs
and especially for the protection OF our propertv-
Hold unsteady view tie word and the shirt of the
OH OF rights;-adnit to the enjoyment of political
power, those, and if possible these only who shave
sufficient evidence Of permanent common interest
with and attachment TO The comlnunity"-and YOU
lave The best security that devise for the pro-
tecon OF your property and our rights Vol have
the bond which gentlemen have demanded founded
In sel:interest and self-love. ain not so ysjonnrv
as tn suppose, that human wisdom can devise n ru,a
oil suffrage, which would include ALL WHO have and
exclude all who have not, The requisite Interest in the
community and attachment 10 it. But there can be
no doubt, that by careful attention. the circun
stances, which indicate pe72rGnecy OF interest con-
0',fnHy OF interest, attachment to the country much
might be done, TO xclude1 the unworthy, and 10
commit the political power, the great BODY of The
people, who must look to the rond Government and
prosperity OF the country for he prosperity and hap
Plness Of themselves Individually their families and
theii posterlty LIE. your qualification of property
be liked with no view to aristocra;ic pride and dis
tinctlon; let it be fixed low, lha, the Industrious
OF all Classes professions and calling, may ACQUIRE
1t III few years of pcrsevcring labor and so HIGH as
to be ont OF the reach of tie habitually idle who in
all stations of life, hahuaIy worthless !Vhel-
or 1t be Of real personal property ---real should
prefer IT be certain, simple, easy to understand,
and convenient III practice. Such Il safeguard for
property as this, would he permanent: it would not
array the great districts of your State aralst each
other; and could not produce any serious discomfort
What excluded classes would oppose il? Not our
slaves their masters will keep them better employ
ed; nor cur children; the discipline of the rod viii Sc
cure their allegiance: not daughters; heaven
bless their maidenly modesty! they would not for
the world be suspected Of desiring power; nor our
wives, who would be perfectly contented that their
husbands should give their votes for them nor vet
those who arc longer wivc-; for they will
have been taught, IN heavens best school, the vanity
OF Thurman power, " the necessity OF seckinu ha pDnoss
i'll devotion. No other classes but the aliens and
free colored are eXclUded-and from them nobody
has any apprehension of complaint Al besides who
excluded individuals, belonging to all classes
who arc for the time without the requisite uualI-
cation. The Industrious Young man, WLe, her Il cul-
tvntUr Of the soil, merchant or mechanic whether
lawyer, doctor, divine, who is engaged in Iavino
the foundations OF his fortune, and who looks with
confidence--as every industrious man, in this com
muniy mayo the time when he shall have ac0ui-
red comfortable subsistence for Himself and his
fdnI =, and with it the qualification Of suGTfare-
can he now complain, that he must for few years
submit to that exclusion which has been deemed ne
cessary to him the profits of his own labor,
the protection Of the property lie is endeavourng to
acquire? The Of freeholdcrs, who have NOT vet
come to the possession of the estates which their
fathers have i'll keeping for them, and have earned
none of their own;-thcy surely cannot complain,
that while they depend upon their fathers for their
property, they should depend OH them also for lis
government. Can tho imprudent or the unfortunate,
who have lost their property, and with it their right
of suffrage, complain that they not permitted to
participate in the management Of public affairs when
they have been unsuccessful iii the conduct Of
their private estates, be left without the quail
icaion ola Voter' With still less reason could the
( idle man. whether young old, who had acquired
no property and was pursuing no means TO acquire
any complain that 10 was not permitted to share in
the government ofihat soce y, to which ne contrib
uted nothing better than the evil example his bad
I hn tlis II ls lanli..l tl.nt Iii d.