Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-05


| THURSDAY, Nov. IL
MIR. JOHNSON'S SPEECH.-( Continued
why then will you persist in con,enjing for tia,
which isso hazardous to possess, impossible To re-
tam Better, tar better is IL, my humble opinion 10
turn your tenion 10 that which is practicable, safe
endnsi ny and efectuai--to the prudent limitation OF
the right OF suffrage: This is ground which we
could meet and confer together should hone. with
some prospect OF settling at once the basic OF political
power, as tho mode Of appo tioning it, Let the Quail.
hcailons oil suifage be judciousy Defined and the 6a
us o. representation be the ratio Of qualified voters
have shewn yo hsw such provision accorls with the
principles oil our government. how mildly il would OPP.
crate ia the distribution of rower.--how perfectly
| cure II would leave our rights OF property.
IL 10 TO the qualifications Of sniTa age, Mr. Chairman
that must look for the essential character of our
government, for the security of all rights and es-
pecal'y Tor the protection OF our property--uod in
steady view the word and the spirit OF the bin OF rights
admit TO the enjoyment Of political power, those,
and II possible those only, who shave sufficient evil
dence oil permanent, common interest with and attach
ment to. the comInuDity'-and you have the best
curity that we devise for the protection of pro-
periy and our rights;you have the bond which gem
tlert'eu have demanded, founded in sefntcrest and
seliove. am not so v,onary to suppose, that hui
man wisdom can devise rule Of suffrage, which would
include all, who have, and exclude ALL who have not,
the requisite interest in the community and at
tachment TO IT, Bat there can be doubt, by
careful attention TO the circumstances, which in
dicaie pcrmoachcy OF interest, community Of in
terest, attachment 10 the country, much might be
done, to exclude the unworthy and to commit the po.
ucai power, to the great body OF the people, who
must look to the good government and property of the
country, for the prosperity and of
individually, their families and their postery Let your
qualification of property be fixed with view to
tocrac pride and nction;--iet il he fixed so low,
that the industrious of all classes sons and CALI
ngs, may acquire il in few years OF perssvering la
hor; and high to be out OF the reach of the hab
ually idle, who in all stations of life, are habi,uaily
worthless Whether il be of real or personal property
real should preeret il be certain, simple easy to
understand and convenientin practice. Such safe
guard for property, as this, would be permanent; II,
would NOT array the great districts Of your State against
each olher and could not produce any serious dscoa
tent. What excluded class would oppose liz Not or
slaves-their masters will keep them better employ
ed; children; the discipline of the rod will se-
cure their allegiance: not daughters; heaven
bless their maienly moesty they would not for the
world be suspected Of desiring power; wives,
who would be perfectly ccntente, that their usbans
should give their votes for them; yet those who
are no longer wives; for they will have been in
Heavens best school, the vanity Of human power and
the necessity OF seeking iu devotion No other
classes, but the aliens and free cooured are excluded
and from nobody has any apprehension. All best
who are excluded, are individuals belonging to all cas-
es, who are for the time without the requisite q,Iali
CATION The industrious young man, whether a cult
va'or OF the soil, merchant mechanic, whether
lawyer DOCTOR or divine, who is engaged in laying the
foundations OF his fortune, and who looks with CONT
dence-as every Industrious man, in this community
may-to the time when he shall have acquired com.
Portable suhs5tence for himself and his family, and
with II the qualification of sufragecan he
plain that he must for few years submit to that
clusion which has been deemed necessary TO secure
him the profits OF his own absr, the Of the
property he is endeavouring TO acquire The Of
sreehod-rs, who have yet come 10 the of
the estates which their oreathers have in ping for
them, and have earned none of their own-they sure
y cannot complain, that they depend upon their ia
theirs for property, they should depend on them also for
government Can the imprudeni or the unfortunate,
who have lost their property, and with 1t their right Of
suffrage complain that they not permitted to par
tciPa0 in the of public affairs whe N they
have been 80 unsuccessful In the conduct Of their rri
va'e e',aiesas TO be wthou The qualification oea
ter With still less reason, could the idle man, whe,h-
err young or old, who had acquired property and
pursuing no means to acquire any, complain that he
was not permitted 10 share in the government of that
society," 10 which ha contributed nothing better than
the evil example oil his bad habits II IL very manifest.
that among all these various DESCRIPTIONS of excluded
per'ens there could be no bond Of sympathy union
oil acon--and that from their dsconenis If they had
no raiying point OF real grevances organized corps
oil dissatisfied voters 10 conduct their opposition soce-
ty would have nothing TO apPrchend.
There is but single point of view in which the
nexicn ofthe basis representation with the OF suf-
rage az have suggested, would threaten mis-
cief III the qualified in the districts were
made the standard OF their power the extension OF the
right OF suffrage, az would probably vary the ratio o
qualified voters, might become question Of power be
tween the different districts have been fully aware
OF this consequence, and il induced me to hesitIts in
proposing the connexoa. Bn, have been enconra gcd
to hope that this very expedcnt may be made the
means OF settling he que ton Of suffrage here moro
satisfactorily than IL could otherwise be settled. And
IT adjusted here to the satisfaction Of both parties
should have no fears Of future consequence No gem
eral discon,ent could possibly be excited among
the people upon this subject at least not for
years ta come. The influence Of the extension OF the
right oil suffrage upon the relative power of the several
districts, will diminish hereafter, In the exact proper
ton, that the slave population shall become more
equally distributed through the State--and IL am
right in my calculations upon this subject, the ex
tension OF The ~ It OF suffrage, question Of ative
power. will he very day Icing its interest should
hope then, sir. that this question would engage the
rious attention OF GENT amen on both sides
Another subj'et, on which gentlemen express great
approximations OF danger, from transferring the power
OF tho to the ,jority 10 that Of internal
improvements They fear that expensivs schemes OF
Improvement will be adopted; in which The die
rcts have little II any interest and which If success.
FIJI. will he Principally beneficial to the west, while
the expense will be chiefly betrayed from lakes We'd
in the east.
IT, considering this question: Mr.. Chairman + 10 mol,
iee myself al all called Upon 10 vindicae the western
people rom any i'm puiaon upon their motives or cha
racter II shy such had been made, Il would have
been so entirely graiuoss, that IL could not have re-.
quired an answer. But such has been made -
Gentlemen have explicitly dlsclamed all personal dis
trust OF the western peope-all impuiaton Upon them
They have fedsooed from the known character Of man.
rom the ordinary motives and influences Of human
ion. Tic correctness Of their reasoning alone con
trovert its candof and beralily cheeffnv admit
nor do think that if did, II would be avoided by the
means proposed
DO not hesitate, in the outset 10 avow myself de-
eided friend Of the policy Of internal nprove ment -
no.. sir system Of internal nnroycmenl forced upon
us by the government Of the United States without
our consent, and without our auiho va system less
suited pcih for making roads aud canals, than for
making Presidents and Secretates-less used for the
irpose Of facilitating transportation from one part of
tho Al. q