Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-01

ariStocyacy and monarchy-but now Burke, Filme,
una fi0bbes Judging from their arguments have be
come the text books of sur Statesmen.
Mr. Chairman, have spoken of psli,ical faith an
P1ical chiirchlt recalls to my mini an obserVatio
nave often made, aud no doubt has often occurre
TO me mind OF every member of this Committee--an
Is tue great sinilnttty IN The csnduct of the
tafaes OF religion and politics. In these DAYS you fip
no atheist and few protested dcsts, but how man,
Practlcal ones? mon who whilst they Weld sort o
historical belief or assent to divine truths live in tb,
open and daily disregard OF them aud utterly ref
all practical obedience. They cannot irnpnse upo,
themselves that forbearance selfdei,ial and hu,n
ty enoineh by the author of that relidianthcr pride
una ther manhood Ievots at that text, which informs
!hen that they must emulate. the simplicity of infao
innocence ere they can enter tie kingdem of Hcavrn
49, Mt Chairman, with large class of our po,t ci-
ans who, whilst they nave NOT tho bold daring 10 de
ssv the great principles of e political faith Wills,
tlcal obedIence they say the theory Is very good
but the pride Of intellect and wealth that inherent
iq2c o aisctioa IN man that Overweening selfslove
and that pharasaeai spirit which induces ffnil man 10
plume himself his own supposed perections and -
congratulate himself on the infirmtics of his fellow
man-rcvoit at trlt political equality taught us hy
Inc PreeePts and practice of forcfathers like
not their theoretical republ:canism | care not for
prof ssons unless the precept and the practice cor
responds will Judge the tree by its fruit, as will
Judge the cllrstian by his works. SO win Judge the
professor of rcpublcapsul by his practice
Let us now, Mr.. Chairman, return TO the subject
immediately under consideration-tle right of suf.
fragc shall hestow but little time upon the con-
sderaslon OF the question, whether it natural So
ca cvil or political right-tor the inquiry is rather
curious than useful. What boots il if it be valuable
right whether 1t be the one or the other Nor shall
like other gentlemen have DOME resort to any abori-
GUS inquryin the question, whether state of ma
ture ever in iact existed? leave this task where
those gentlemen have left it, who have endeayored
by most meta physical arguments to prove it crea-
ture OF abStraction This, however I will saw that
whether 1t ever did or could exist not it is as fair
anu necessaryto suppose It's existence and to assume
/! as postulate on whchto bottom political deduc-
ton as tor the 1athcmatcian to suppose the
OF straight line or point, postuaie on which TO
iound iis demonstrations; nor maxims in politics
less useful IN practical results to the statesman than
are the axonata 1ad pcstula,a TO the practical geo.
u,erlcan.
What then is the right Of sutffage7 Not what een-
uemen seem to understand it, III It's technical and con-
fled sense, the light to vote for public funotiunarcs
only In regular organized governInent--in its en-
larged sense it is the right by which mum first sgn-
mes ms VIII to become member of government or
the social compaci-the means by which that same
man gives expression to his will in the formation OF
that compact, his consent to, his veto upon neu-
sures OF the governments legislation in pure de-
mocracy, as at Atken, and in others OF the ancient
republics and some of the modern the right of vo
tug for pubic functionaies us above mentioned in
representative democracy such as ears, where the
people do by their agents what they could not conve
niently or even possibly do IN person. This being it
definition then, Is il a Datural right? understand
natural rightsto mean such appertain to man in
state nf natures this appertained to him in state
nature for It vas by its exercise in that state that be
agreed to renqiish the natural state and enter into
society-bul, say the gentlemen, such stale never
existed-the consequences is that man has no natura
rights if my definition of natural right be correct
but the gentlemen admit he has natural rights, life
liberty the pursuit OF happiness, and the means of
curing and enjoying property-suHrage is the sub
stratum, the paramount right upon which all these
rest for protection preservation, and safety This
right, as has been very properly said has its origin in
every human being, when he arrives the age of dis
cretion: it is inherent, and appertains to hun in right
OF his existence; his person the title Decd unless
be those whom the nat ural law has pronoun-
ced judgment of disability or those who have forfeit
ed 1T by crime prohIgacy and one other class in
this country who must be the victims ofnecessty that
can never be urged example for DISTINGUISHING
the white man. 1t is said not to be natural right,
because curtall, restrict, aud conne it, before
sad that it is forieable, and that our exceptions in
cude tan our rule. Life, liberty, &c. are cur
tailed restricted a3d forfeitabe and subjected to ex-
ceptions yet they admitted to be natural rights.
Natural rights may be transplanted into the social
civil, and political state, yet they still natural
rights distinguished statesman has informed us
that most Of civil rights have natural rights to rest
upon do think should be far wrong, were
TO assert that al our important rights, whether civil
Social or political, are, properly speaking, natural
rights. FlIe exceptions, all admit to the univer-
saiity of the right by which the gentlemen endeayol
to overthrow the fule ITSELF shall notice little far
Their on. But suppose IT be not natural right, il
must De one OF the Inree, ana not
why should minority offreehoders have it in ex
clusion ola majority Of non ftceholders If the non
freeboders consulted, and upon the score of e
pedency voluntarily made the surrender there woulc
be no cause of complaint on their part--but it is
claimed of them right. Have they ever beer
consulted No. Do you purpose to consult them
No. Then it comes to this tlrat minority of ont
class have taken possession 10 the exclusion of ma
jorty, not by the consent of that majority, but b,
consent among themselves or by accident or by J,o;
duine suppose, and now claim to hold the possession
against the right. Have not the majority as mucl
right 20 exclude the minority as the minority the ma
jority! Yea, more. But we claim for the poor nj
rgtto exclude the rich for the many no right OK
cl1de the few; Claim only equality (which is equi
w for all, and deny the right of any arbitrarily T.
exclude The rest. These claims and these dcnials
stated in the beginning. founded them upon reason
and common sense, upon our declaration of rights
which is plain and simple deduction Ct principle
from that paramount source right reason, upon expe
rieBce, aud expedency, the genlemeD's grounds