Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-06

hifg To tchife populations; so that the Convention
shooih consist OF 100 members Mr.. NJ stated tina,
thc only difference between bis proposition an,
trat o. Nr DUadsiige, related to details; the prp.
! ciPie was The same, representation in the Con.
.ention based upon white population. lie said he
preferred Mr.. DIS. arnchdIhent; but offered the
one he had prepared that the committee might Sc.
lect that which was most acceptable to them. Tn.
! hrst section IN the original bill, he said, wa.
based upon representation by Congressional Dis.
fricts, which Carried with il repre- sentation moi
loniy OF white population, but three fths OF the
slave population. He contendcd that the Conyen-
hon ought to represent only those i'm whom the DO.
iitica power OF the State was vested and no other
portion OF the population-Whist he regretted his
inability to do justice to this great subject and tina,
II had not fallen into ADLER hands he would not
shrink from the duty which had devolved upon
| him.
hat was asked Of the legislature: That that
portion OF the people in whom the sovereign pow
er resided, should be enabled BY means of tn. es
isung government TO 60 into Convention, and re-
iorin their social compact. And this, he considered
had been demanded by the people. The original
o' ne insisted, did not comply with this demand;
out on the contrary, that they should go into Con-
vehtion, ciogged, embarrassed and restricted by
those whs were never recognized az part
OF the political com munty-He thought that both
his and Mr.. Doddridge's propositions were true in
principle, and demonstrable in argument, unless,
indeed, gentlemen were disposed to abandon the
fundamental principles Of our free insti,u-
tons. Those principles proclaimed in the
Bill OF Rights Ii was decared-''all power is vested
on, and consequently derived from the people, that
magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at
all times anenable to them" And that when
any government shall be found inadequate or con-
trary to these purposes, majority of the commu
nifty hath an indubitable, unalienabe and inde-
feasible right to reform, alter or abolish it,&c"
Should he be told, that these doctrines were po-
itical abstraction and speculation; when in truth
they were proclaimed at period at which the
political views and forecast of men, seem TO have
been dictated almost by inspiration? Mr. Nj then
read the date, June, 1916, at which the Bin of
Rights was adopted, and the quotation above made
The principle here laid down, he took the foun-
dafion of that part of his argument Do gentlemen,
said he, deny "btat all pO,Uer is uested in and
consequently derived from, the people?' If they
do, then they must be prepared to declare to the
world, that the substraun Of popular government
as we have understood and practsed it, for more
than nifty years, IS mockery-that the acknowl-
edgment that "aii power is vested in the peo-
pfe, was mere deSlaration intended to delude
and deceive them, that they might part with
their power. And, being once in possession of
II, when asked to restore it to its Just owners,
with what grace could it be withheld. TIL
great fathers OF our country had advised a fire..
quent recurrence TO fundamental PRINCIPLES a
recurrence TO them is now abou, to be made and is
IT possible, that there are any who are prepared to
a'Jure them, as mere distractions? Ii the cgisa.
ture were to organize Cow ntion upon any prin-
ciple which did not recognize tile supremacy Of
majority of the people, they would reject them
They would recognize the principle YOU had nut
aside. The sanction of the peoples tciH, was The
physical force to carry il into execution
Was it not the consciousness of this that had
always induced the acQuescence of the minority:
i he whole doctrine, he conended, was based upon
TINS great compound principle oil justice and pilysi-
cal power. Ii the majority are kept OUT of their
just rights, they are driven TO a resort to force
MIR. Nj. said it was far from him to make or even
intimate a threat. He only reasoned upon gene
raj principles. He knew no friend of Conven-
uon that was disposed to make threat. All of
them, he trusted, wished TO arrange this matter
upon just and liberal principles ii the members
OF the Convention were made to come, in part
from persons who ought not to be represented il
would be source OF dissatisfaction among the peo.
pie, and there little hope of their ratfyinp any
constitution that might be framed upon so UNEQUAL
basis In the present Case, the legislature were
called on to give effect to the expressed will of the
people; and he could not presume that they would
undertake to throw any restriction whatever in
compatible with the great principles of our insti
tutions, upon the full and unrestrained exercise
of that will. Mr.. NJ. said frankly, tina, the OH
Ject OF the amendment was to restore the majority
TO their rights, under the fundamental pripcnles
OF the government, and TO deprive the minority of
that portion OF power to which they were not en-
titled. The proposition which he submitted was
that the representation in the Convention should
De based upon white population. And on this
SUBJECT there we're two repellant principles: po,p
CT and pr0peTfyj the was inherent i'm the
majority OF the people; the other in the few-in
those who possessed the property. Every wise
people, he thought, ought to guard boil, the rights
OF properly anu OF persons-snd there could be no
question, but that this would be done in the Conyen
ton. But gentlemen asked that it should be done ly
the legislature.
This, he endeovoured TO prove, was not praeti.
cable, and went into statement to shew that with
white population of 900 900, the reprcsentatives
oil % counties and or towns all of which contain
but IT'S, 900 whites dictate 20 and control ,hc
representatives of I24 900 whites The basis nj
the representation in the Convention was TO he
hxedby that House, thus unequally organized. If
they liked that basis upon any thing like the scale
oil power then exercised, did they expect that the
people would he satisfied with it? At present. the
machine OF government was in the hands of
the minority, whose interests were TO retain
their power, and who would act like all 9TH
ers before them; endeavor TO retain it, II the
Convention should be formed upon the same
basis, was it not natural TO supposa d.,
the constitution they would produce. would
partake OF the same characteristics? If This
should be the case, would not the neorI.
REJECT the Constitution with distlain and. per
haps, with reprehens.on' In such an even,
what would be the state of the Commonwealth;
Alter conflict OF years, the poor boon of express
ing the public sentiment had been extortei: the
public excitement had, in degree, abated: YOU
were expected TO give effect to the pablic ,yill
upon the known and recognized principles oi-free
institutions And, ii, after all this Won ay,iled
yourselves OF the possession Of power to defeat the
declared will of the people, what would he fine re
sulH For himself, lie declared that he depricated
1t. Say that you 20 into Convention upon these
pnequai principles, what can be the issue
The great principles contended for ,,v t,c Giends
OF Convention must, from the nature of things he
oisregarded. Will not the majority who have de-
handed this Convention, reject your Cons,i,u,io,
as that which they did not ask tor! viii tbey not
next be compelled TO resort 10 the exerci.5
OF The power which belongs TO the rua;ori.v;