Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-02-10

% 10 iatc ana honarchcal notions ofgovernnlent which
We Iiau inoi1ed and brought with us from our mother
(i-ngland) We took the British Constitution and
% government precedent to form and model orr
W., a"u one, 100 established by usurpaton-whosc
riy osh was fraud and corruption. The British Par
uuent IN lGSo imported and his wifi, from Iol
i az william and Mary, and made them King and Queen
vi EhSi1hd Having done this. the said Parliament
- Ia" !" convey the government Of the country to
nv helS OF IIanl and Mary, in the following words:
w. inc Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons
80 ~ = ,ihilc ot the people of England most humby
anu ai,hiuIy submit ourselves our heirs and postery
10 "iain and Mary their heirs and posierity for,
ever. And, IN subsequent law as onoted h. Ed
nund Burke, the said Parliament" in tho name c ,Lo
P'oPIe OF England then living, binds the said people
ana poSter to William and Mary their heirs
ana Pos'euty to the end of time. Yet Notwithstanding
al TINS SO strong were natural attachments to our
ola mother country and her form of Government th, IL
haiu' ana not to be expected immediately TO divest
sViVes oil tal Partially. But the time has at length
come, when the people Of this State (paricarlv The
Western part0 believe that the only true and pioper
iouhdation OF representative government cousty Of
rights They believe that an equal number of white ,n
cnted an equal portion ofrepresenation They
that every free-5orn male citizen of sane mind
hV age ca II years, ought to be entitled to a vote
'y believe that the white population is the true basis
Oh rcpresentation-no difference what mov he heir c
oua,io' no Inference what may be their standing in
'y-saving iugitivcs, &c-whethcr Kings Nabobs
or Feasans difference what NAV be their Possessions
whether they are rich the gold mines of Goconda
as poor as the beggar who begged for the crumbs that
eil from the banquet table-no difference what may be
cir claims to literary political precnsions-all all
ney DcI!eYc, have right to voice in n Representative
boasts OF its liberty and equal rights in dhisnq
IT'S blessings alike to ol-Thcy believe that all men
are ny nature equal-that the poor has no right
TO exclude the rci nor the rich exclude the poor
from voting; and wherever it is ATTEMPTED or pro.
posed, on either side, it is question Of force and
not OF right Entertaining those opinions therefore
the people of the West, went "cn o,asse for the
convention, for the purpose OF changing our Constitu
tion IN thus respect And what is the result: 1t is Sir
a' our constitution Is worse if possible, than it was be-
fore And what is the cause Oft? MIR Leigh. Sir. il
uc cause OF 1t, On very great dcgree). That noble
ing " ,.n ana patriotic man! who is filling
tae vacuum IN the Senate of the United States occa.
stoned by the resignation of the Honorable William C.
YcS IN consequence of those instructions given TO him
ny the Virginia Legislature during its last session; He
IL is, VINO has given this Consttutio-and which has
been very properly chrs,cred .sLeghs Constitution
nat dd Alf Leigh say. while discussing this question:
Fermt me to repeat his language which will do 'peY
Oattta t htsTdtp. While discussing the following re-
ISOLATION, which reads in these words: Rcsoired That
IN the aPPoronmCn OF representation in the House of
'egis regard shall be had to the free white popula
uon, Exclusively there amendment offered to
tH resolution, which proposed TO strike the word
exclusively, and insert in lieu thereof "and taxation
confined In support Of this amendment Mr. Leigh
said that lhc resolution of the Legislative Committee
which is the resolutions above) nroisscs 10 rive r1I 70
presentation to te laborer Of the West with an exemp-
ton from taxation, while the lsborer of the East will be
sr+ject TO taxation witlSit representation" He then
the SUM- some there must be who labor their daily
eer ny S6sEec w or subsection to others,
ri ri t t, part of this State
rborsrs of aveholding States of this Union.
The dcnser That population the more numerous vii, Tia,
& Even IN TIE present state OF the Population be-
yond the Allegheny, there be some peasantry and
as the country fills up, they will scarcely have more
tAt b. men who tend the herds and dig the soil who
nave neither real nor personal capital of their own
ana who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow
these ny tins scheme (meanng the scheme pronosed
10y The above rcsoiution0 are all to be represented
Out none OF cur sayes-and yet, in political eco
Monty the latter fills tho same place" Such sir are
Mr. LcIghs views of a Republican form of Government
such his sound and orthodox doctrines that we have
pr.u foo fb,t,l
mitigation OF such erisocrac dcspotic doctrines as
these more properly belongs 10 the Anocrat of Russia
or the Dcy OF Turkey, than TO American citizen
pies of his Constitution WHAT to say beconse Tho
yeomanry and day-laborcr of the West have On Mr.
ieIsh own lahSuigc) to I'll the land and dig the SOIL
and who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow
tiat teTc5Ie they not good Mr. Lcigh or anv
other Eastern nabob, (%ho by some f,ruitous crcm,
stance, may have accumulated certain portion of this
world goods) and therefore m not to be allowed 10
vote rs they ought to have had better luck than to be
poor! whoever heard of such doctrine preached by
a man who proicsgsd to be a Republican before the
days of MIR Leigh Saving the adoption of the old Con
sttuton the reasons for which | have given)-ttat
because man s poor, or has To labor for his bread
therefore he ought not 20 be allowed vote or 10
meddle in politics, as that is business which more
properly and exclusively belongs to the erich eastern
favored few. Quotation from different authorsl Docs
not MIR. Leigh know, that wealth no proof OF moral
character or political Dt2gritynor poverty sign Of
either On the contrary wealth is often the prcsumpye
evidence OF dIshonesty--and poverty the negative evil
dencc of innocence If, therefore, property whether lii
Tie or much be made criterion, the means by which
that property has been acquired ought to be made cr
terion also. And was this the case? have but little
doubt but very large majority of the wealthy aris
tocratic ndbobs Of country who are crying ont
against the principles Of equalization of Representa-
ton in proportion 70 the white population would be
excluded from this right of voting. And doubt very
much, whether the right Of suffrage would be extended
to Mr. Leigh himself, as understand that he commenced
the world poor man, If now very wealthy and has
made and accunulaed1t by the practice of The lazy
MIR Leigh might wei have said the pcasantry and
day lubocr of the West Mouniancer and day.l3borer
OF the Vest mean all you who have to till The land
and Dig the soil, and who yoat bread by the
sweat Of Your brOw--though we recognize YOU ma
citizens q this Commonwealth, men who have TO
pay a poll tax, though you do not own one cents
worth OF real or personal property, who have
to do as much work roads, and very often
great deal than the wcathcst of for il we have
two negroes That cxcmpis from working more than
twO hands, and If you have dozen sons you must all
work, though you have not cart, nor even boof 10
travel tuough you have 10 perform military duty and
The main pillar and defenders Of our country from To-
rtigu Invasion and domestic insurrection-thouob wa
youramies po0r, and standing in much need Of your
daily ab,Ur for subsistence they may be and 20 into
distant country with your knapsacks on your backs
and your guns your shoulders Ia settle with your
blood and ynur lives tic family quargcs and chickering's
and national fuds. raised AID carried on hv tbc rich
gentry and nobility n power in this and those in another
country it shall be unable TO clcc, war by IA
nhy cu3s and chickering's, the prcdgay Of fhe peo-
Pies treasure. still have the night ransuck the re.
cords Of nations, tos c purpose Of finding and setting
refuse 10 rcnQui8h their eight then have the right 10
call upon YOU TO take is ior by the laws Of nnOns
by conqHcst 49, services, yeomanry, and day
lJborers, Of o. =. have a right 10 demand of
you, poor oud AySu may be-. And yet you
ought net 70 <TC'Te privilege to say by what laws