The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-10-16
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s,nn Of many of our best eilzcns, who
iiavc personsl property enough To qualify |
themselves in land, but whose interest
IN business Il is not purchase ut all, until
they can purchase great deal more than
is required to make voter. The mcn,-
ber from Newport has asked these men
why they do not Immediately qualify
themselves, il they are able, and where is
the hardship And they answer him sut-
fcicntly by saying, that it is UNJUST to
mako any ono kind of property, with no
proof of the necessity, the exclusive meas
ure of a political right. Such arc the
views Of the Convention Of FSbrnary 22d
concerning suffrage, and the valee OF
property qualification. And, let me ask,
is there anything in them inconsistent with
shc ,ruo spublican theory and practicc,or
which, aside from party rccoIlections, and
old-lashioned preJudices, would not COM
mend itself to the plain good sense, aud
% the right feelings of the members offhis
house? That such doctrines should meet
will, petulant opposition from the mem
Der from Newport is just whit We should
have reason to expect. lilo reasons upon
government and human rights as one
whose attachments still bound him TO the
institutions Of a country to which our own
was once an appendage. This londness
for antiauated abuses, this contempt for
the claims and feelings Of the minority Of
his fellow citizens, would not be unap-
prcciated or unrewarded in that country.
There, property is represented as such,
ior it's own sake, to strengthen the throne
and the aristocratic branch Of the lcgis-
lature, and TO keep all power in the hands
Of few. There, what arc called the
popular rights are the gracious grants
and concessions Of long line Of mon
archs, "ruling Iegiimately by the grace
of God" hope, Mr. Speaker, VIC shall
not suffer ourselves TO be deceived by any
reasoning or defamation applicable to n
state Of things totally different from our
own 10 monarchial institutions, and to
the modes Of thinking, TO habits and SER
timents of a people differing in so many
particulars from ourselves. But the
me,nber from Newport exclaims, "Frcc
Suffrage! "Universal Suffrage" (! and
repeats and reiteratcs them with every
variety Of tone and emphasis : ho charges
the Constitutionalists in the House with
a design to INTRODUCES "Uniycrsal Suf-
fragc :" and failing in the proof Of the
assertion, returns again 10 the cry Of "U-
nivcrsal Suffrage will venture to
prcdic. that, IL not exhausted, he will re-
peat those words twenty times more, be-
tore the conclusion OF Iis debate. And
what is universal Suffrage, as understood
and practiced in this country2 1t is the
total REIMBURSEMENT of any qualification
by property, or by tax upon property, az
a means OF raising the presumption Of
honesty and intelligence in the voter. In
fourteen OF these States, eight Of
them new States at tho West, the
possession of property to certain
amount, or the payment Of tax, has been
abandoned as requisite for voters, there
IL universal suffrage. However this
mode Of suffrage may be liked in other
States and whatever may be its operations
there, it will not do here. Ii is not ask
ed for il is not wanted Any desire
for its introduction has been disclaimed
in this House, dIsclaimcd by the Consti-
tutional Party, and negatived by their
resolutions and Address to the People,
And yet the member from Newport per-
ssts in his impotent attempt to iasten on
that Party the imputation Of design to
abolish oil limitations, and to make voting
entirely free to all who choose to present
themselves at the polls. flo seizes up
ON resolution passed at meeting in
Providence, which speaks of the power
and rights Of tho people in their original,
sovereign capacity; and because the
sovereignty OF the people, which has been
set at naugh, by the Legislature, who have
erected a new sovereignty Of their own,
is thus alluded to, the Imagination Of the
member at once conjures up to guilty
political conscience ull the tcrrors OF rev.
olntion and anarchy. Because the pco-
pie are sovereign, it is inferred that they
must want universal suffrage! The en-
expression, "physical force" in rcso-
luton proposed Ivy Mr. Weedcn and adop-
ted by the meeting Mt Newport, is also
drawn in ns part Of the proof Of the
members allegation. Any fair man will
see a, once, upon reading it, the meaning
oi the resolution, which Is, that there
ought TO be such an extension Of suffrage
as TO include n majority Of the citizens
Of full age in the State. But tho word
"force" was too good n one for the mem
hers purpose to be lost and he has used
ii as you have heard.
ITobe Continued