Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-04

other way than BY strict adherence 70 inc eti ~
the Constitutions the narrowest possible exercise VI
Federal powers, the broadcast securiy o. cti.e
;, mn, the most sacred observance OF the coma.
90 ono, which this Government was established,
mut ever feel M highest duty TO sustain Tue aI'
Will. have only the right and the iecins 10 aefi"s
and lament the former. Whenever II IS the eAprcseu
wisI, of the people Of the District ot Soino, 10 49,
~ o verv within its limits, ii will CRAFTY the ihost
o, faeling of NV heart do my part to carry out
,h, ,,sb Init until then, believe we have ABOUT d
. robt to interfere with slavery here as we nave 10
eo;sla,e on the miserable condition ana siavs oohu
are of the serfs of Russia, or the Doors Of pehi'a
7ycs sir. the causes that give rise 10 the watchiu
lousv Of the South, in relation to the workings OF
modern Abolitionsm, illustrates the medium through
bcb the elective franchise, throughout this Union,
has been wounded By the stab given by Gov Penning
ton and his Privy Council:
Rns softly. gentlemen of the South-you of the mo-
,y Wbip order Your hurricanes on the introduction
oc Abol;tionism must down to gentle winds and
oft showers Your late Harrisburg Federal National
Republican Wing Convention has imposed on you, u
M, nm abolition candidate for The next Presidency,
candidate of the 3bo''o" party ana WIN .'e' you are
ranked to fight shoulder and elbow 50, 1T is your de-
sire 10 conquer you must be moderate and yielding
with your nen jrtends.
Mr.. Speaker ours is Government of the people
That is TO saw the people govern. They govern by
tboir renresentative their judicial their ministerial, and
,h;r cxecutiye officers The officers Of these different
classes arc bat the political and public servants OF The
,eope. and the people their sovereign principals
or political masters. Prior to tlr establishment OF nr
Government the capacity of man to govern HIMSELF IN
political sense, was great problem "hch hau never
been fairly and fully solved The Republics, as they
were called, of Carthage, of Greece, OF Rome, and
some others of the old world, were, IN q republican
sense of but limited character.
The right of suffrage not enjoyed TO ITS full cx-
tent There were various despotic and arisocratc
| hook nd hnllncpS thrown
,coren in all their political institutions; incompatible
with free government of the people, Under Tue 60
vernmens of the old world, there were no people who
maintained longer their free institutions such as they
were than did the Carthaginans. None were better
balanced and secured with checks than were the poti-
cal institutions of that Republic. Yet their consiitu
TONS customs and laws contained within themselves
the seeds of destruction and the principal OF these were
the restraints upon the freedom othe elective franchise
and the crcumscrbed right of the people to hold Offices
The possession Of property constituted the qualifications
in both cases.
The consequence was that patriotism, talents and
virtue were dsrrgardcd overlooked which was SUI
cent of itself seduce and corrupt the whole COM
munitv and PROSTATE whatever national freedom they
enjoyed 1t the abuse OF the elective franchise,
and the restraints thrown around it, that finally subvert-
ed the Government. II the same restraints, and
the same abuse which enabled the overgrown mobiles to
Cypress the public liberty of Athens, Syracuse, Co.
rnth Thebes and overthrow Rome itself, under Sya
| and Caesar Rome long struggled with thc powers OF
wealth. bribery and corruption practiscd by the patri-
Clans and those in power and those striving TO obtain
power But at last by reckless ambition, and regard
less violation of that palladium of liberty, the elective
| franchise she was overcome and sacrificed at their
| shrine. Her death struggle survived four hundred
gears What must have been her strength in her vgor
of health Our gallant and brave ancestors who
| founded this Government upon their own victories,
Gained on fields OF blood not ignorant of the his
tory Of the world of man. and of the subvcrson and
downfall of all the Republics that had ever existed be-
| fore them They were familiar with The melancholy
alc that disclosed the fatal effects Of limited suffrage
and the abuses of the elective franchise by the bound
less and reckless ambition OF those IN power and those
| in pursuit of power.
They established free government of the people, with
a trembling hand and fearful upprehens;ons. Hence,
the apostolic, paternal and patriotic care with which our
political fabric is framed; hence, the jealous care with
which all its parts are guarded; and none were intended
to be guarded with so much vigilance that of suffrage
and the free exercise Of the elective fanchsc-know
ing as they did, and as experience will prove, that
the duration of the work of their hands, and the per-
peuty Of thshuman liberty they had purchased with
their blood and toll must depend upon the sacred and
nyioatc preservation of that franchise in IFS pristine
purity Sir due Tor the Revolutionary spl
rt that walks (though unscen) amongst us-a reve.
renee for the memory Of the patriots of that Revolution
which overthrow the and broke the crosier that
/ cnslaycd the body and imprisoned the soul--a pro-
per regard interests, and above all, that
sacred obligation that rests upon us to transmit to
those who to come after us uncontamInatrd the
| boon which has been transmitted TO us-impcrlousy
demand that we should suffer violence to that most
sacred of all institutions, the elective francSe
But Sir in the face of these obligations, which
havc no power to cancel at our will, we have seen
fearful and alarming innovations well upol the do
mains of the Constitution upon the freedom of the
elective franchise. Sir, we have seen this Government
shaken with earthquake violence, from its centre TO its
circumference and free institutions reel and otcr
| like drunken man, by reckless disregard of the
sanctitv Of the Constitutions and violating the freedom
of the right of suffrage Avarice, ambition, and love
of power-whlch in their nature are reckless as to
every other interest except their own--have been the
instruments by which all Republics that have gone
before us have been Frustrated and consigned 10 the
dust
Sir at the formation Of our Government, there was
party who denied to the people the integrity nelli
rence stability and virtue necessary Tor selfgovern-
mcnt Sir, such denial is SANDER upon the human
family, and degrading TO him who mahes it; but such
was The fact. And the party have, from the com.
mencemcn of national career TO this time, been
unsparing in their efforts to carry out in principle,
what the had no. the power to establish in practice,
viz any thing but Republican Government free in
stitutions and equal rights. 1t said by the same
party that all the Republics had been overthrown by
the scdtons of the people, and ours would share the
same fa,e and such would be the fate of every Co
vernment Of the many Not so, sir; they have all been
overthrow By the ambitions avarce and love of power
of the ew-for want Of sufficient portion Of the
troll of Government in the hands Of the many. Sir,
that same astocratic spirit which has character
lied want Of confidence in the virtue and ntelli-
gence of the people, and disregard for their political
rights has been boldly manifested in this contest in the
unexamplpd and desperate effort TO secure seats in this
Congress, to the members of Governor Pennington,
and his Priyy Council, 10 the exclusion of the nlem-
bers of the sovereign people Of New Jersey.
Mr. Speaker, am advocate for capital punish
ment. have been disposed TO doubt the right of any
Government, or any political human establishment or
assoc ntion, to inct it. have been induced to give
much weight and character 10 that dixt of the Al:
mighty, by the mouth of his prophet, that :"
eeance is nina" But if there is any crime of which
man is capable for which death ongt to be inflicted,
it is that of treason against his Government and il
there is any grade comparison in treason, il seems to
me that wful and corrupt violation of the elective
franchise is saperia1c treason. If there is any one
crime against the Government involving principle Of
treason more alarming and dangerous than another,
il is such violation. Iftere is any crime of rea-
son that deserves the curse of Cod and the uni
versa execration of main, than another, is the
reasonable crime of violating the purity the elective