Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-01-09

elections IN their counties as they should from time to
time deem necessary, prescribing for the government
OF these elections some general provisions
Mr. L. asked if in government of the people,
government that rested upon public sentiments 1t was
not desirable aud expedien, to afford every facility for
inc expression of the popular will! and how could
that will be well, and ehectually expressed as
at the polss AS many voters should be brought to
the polls possbe it was the duty of every man to
vote. Your Legislature had required that every man
should vote, and had prescribed penalty for the fail
u1e Was 1t not therefore just, well as polite. to
bring the place of election the home of the
voter as possible? To many of them it was inconve
nent, it not impossible to attend election their
Cour-ho,Ises. They could not spare the time to go
SO far-the money to pay expenses during their alb
sence-they could not lose the services of plough |
share at busy OF the year for days;
and 'fthey CHANGED to be without horse las
ters were) II would be hard TO require them under
penalty to walk to their Court houses perhaps 20 or
80 miles, land in some counties more) for the purpose
OF exercising their right of suffrage. 1t conve-
hent' It was right 1t was expedent land what the
voters had right to require at the hands OF the Lc
gisiature to bring home the elections nearly pos
sole to their own homes, at least to their respective
neighborloods
MIR. L. said, it was wiih him no little Recommended
ton to the system-that it approximation to
the plan of ward elections recommended to us by
that great apostle of human liberty the llustrious
Jenerson, whose wisdom and forecast, he now more
mighty appreciated than ever.
The gentleman from Stafford. (Ladge Coalter) had
objected to separate elections-that it deprived the
representative of the opportunity of res pondng all
his constituents, of rendering account of his stew
ardship of indicating his course and the measures
he had supported, and of answering charges, IF any
were preferred against him. He had objected also
mat they increased the power of dcmagogues, ena-
bling Them to WELD the democracy of the country to
their own purposes TO mSlead the people, whose nte-
rests they would betray and last thought not least,
these separate elections III the opinion Of the gentle
man. had broken up, and would break up the Schools
of political wisdom, which the good people of the
commonwealth annually attended, when they all as
senoled at their Courthouses, to hear the speeches
OF their candidates for election collection. To
support his first objection the gentleman had referred
to single case he case of his friend from Augusta
which he Mr. T.then hearifor the st tilne) which he
supposed had established the utility of general as
sembly of The county to enable representative to
Vndlcate his course. He doubted not that the sem
tence of approval then pronounced, was deserved
ana he as little doubted that it had been the same
whether the people, whom the gentleman from Au
gusta represented had been assembled at one or Sc
veral places. MIR. T. said there were other times
places and opportunities of vndcatien besides the
day and place OF county eecIion There was all
the Tune between the adjournment of the Legislature
r and the election There time and opportunity
enough allowed for personal communication between
the representative and constitnen-and more than ALL
III there was free press, which affords the very best
means OF defence agains. groundess accusation All
these were within the power of the representative,
and BESIDES he would always large portion of
ms constituents at the Courthouse the day of cleo
toh' no matter how many separate election districts
are established in the county.
AS to the argument of evil from the mower of do
magogues. Mr. I. said it was peculiarly gratuitous
and untounded He had supposed that the best mode
of enhancing the power of that class of not;cionS
was to assemble the people in large masses as
sloie. lie supposed it upon masses they opera
ted through the fundamentally of popular cant or
slang or eoquence, If you please, appealing to the
passions and preludces of men, which are told in
large assemblies are contagious. 1t had been said
, IN reference to the popular assemblies of Athens,
mat y erery atheniaa Soc,utes sill
eoery .1"'en'an '4SsembIy tooud be mob. 1t was
an argument against pure democracy in favour of re-
presentation, if there any truth in it. for anv
purpose Certainly for more. than to establish
the utility OF separate elections. Ifyou wish to tenn
per the fierce spirit ofdemocracy, this is precisely the
best mode. If you fear tumults, popular eycesses
RIOTS and all the infinite evils connected in the ina
ginatlons of some gentlemen, with elections this is
; the way to eschew them Mr. L, thought the sepa-
rate elections, IN their effects the political body
might without improperly be likened the Franklin
rods-the one disared the clouds of their destructive
elements, the other disarmed democracy of its tn.
muts, It's riots its and exctements and all
n those manifold horrors which present themselves ~
the imagDatlons of gentlemen who labour under the
y Pho6sa, II may speak of democracy
The last objections ofthe gentleman from Staff,rd
coming from him, struck him with the greatest sur
prize There was surely strange inconsistency no.
tween his argument to-day and his votes heretofore
Ii 1t were true that assemblies of the people were
such valuable schools for politics. when Tho neolo
assembled to elect members of Assembly ,vbv sboplJ
they be less so if the people were permitted To
sembe and elect their Governor and some other pub
, TIC iuhctioharles: why not open many schools
as possible to the political pupils, the peoolcS AZ
much as the gentleman seems to estimate these
schools tor political instruction. he has voted in this
p Convention to have few of them as possible -
There was an inconsistency i'm this which no could
not reconcile. He mad never before seen an ardent
TREND OF general instruction voting to reduce the
Der OF semlnaries, and diminish the means of nstrnc
tIon. Mr.. L repeated that the system of precinct
elections which had received the counennnce of The
Legislature, and which were becoming everv dav
more popular, as their benefcent operation and e
iects were more and moro developed by experience
IN! IN ms opinion deserved any thing at the hands Of
after an, II 1t were obnoxious TO the objections
urged by the gentleman and devoid of the paramount
considerations of advantage, which Justify its contn
IL Is not mt subject for the deliberations of
those who are deposited to frame code offpndsmen.
tal laws lie therefore rusted that the amendment