Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-09-15
yClIIln lplARSS
From the Western | itcrafy Messenger.
THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.

Fl RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.
Nay, Start not, gentle rcador-omincus MS they
may appear 10 you. the four words which We have
adopted as opponents OF our sd lect, shalt produce
no |iTeJuilclal effect upon your nervous system, II you
will read on ani keep col, Depend upon it, this shall
not prove to be ono of those illusions of patriotism,
which you have been wont TO meet viii, in p%arty-po-
lit,cal %JnunaIs, stretching their weary lengths to sat
iety and dro wslnes4, from THIS starting point.
U~ntrammclled by party discipline, uninhuenced by
patty p~rtjud,ces, nnintorcS.ed II, party successes or
partY failures, we can look Upon the stage and be.
mold the drama enlcting before Us, with no conirac.
ting, no mlgniiyIns, ~ ~rsc1dlac, no distortlng me-
,lun intervrning. We may therefore venture to
promise, ihtt, in what we havCt to olltr on this sihlec',
we shall not lnilcta lanS upon the most sensitive
partisan, whatever in " be his political sentiments.
The subject oi popular Suffrage has for SO many
ages, in 81 many countries, been the theme OF 81
many able peas, that he who wouli attempt, at this
day, to prove that all who are endowed by nature
with a competency of intelligence, are alike chiitlcd
70 voice in the councils by which they are governed,
might next be expected To prove that the earth turns
on It's axis, and r~cyulves il It's orbit the moral prop
osition may now be considered as well settled as the
uh ysical ouc ami it would be NJ less suprrcrosAto-
~ to 20 into An elaborate d.sqiisit!nn To prove the
one Than the other. In this country, with the eX,
ception ola few states, III whose attnospheres slill
Inner some of the oil! clouds of political pnrtl,llsin
AMI intolerance, the right Of suffrage, without restric'
ton or Modification, is the h!flh-right Of every male
'itzoa OF the white race. It's the richest otail Ten
roral blessings but II is grossly and sha'neiul,y
alilSel. ! cS, ItultI, we litN'l'''''pH - 'NNi'N.
ed rs by or patriotic fathers, the inheritance for
which they prayed, and starved, and fought and hied,
ami died, is rontina Nv outraged, desecrated, tramp
led upon, by thousands who thereby prove 'hem-
selves degenerate, corrupt, and worthy to wear the
d|tuaiinr livery of political slavery and religious IN.
tolerance, whcle the son Of ttcalnm shines not, ana.
thc prayers of The oppressed reaches not me car OF
writer has ~ any to Tie reader. '' ~ ""' '
', voc ne4i sail. that alitie abuses OF tho clec,i'o
rrv!''g-, at the effects oi party STRIFE; and that. to
purge our system Of popular Suffrage from prevailing
c)rruHtIons, party spirit must fiji ST be put down, and
MI parties merged ia ol!. As long as wo have pop
ulai elections, 81 long mast wehavc parties II oppo-
sit01 10 each other for even II all Np'e Of the same
opinion as to W3gslre- IN principles, there would be
tn. same Sr,fr between 1'uu lGlllrS that there ia no Y;
for persona. char1"t-r W '.'i 'lCu have 10 supply the
place OF Universe priacp'.s, as a subject of attack
But whist men remain rs diversified in sentiment
as they are n0S, (ind there IS very little hope ni much
more unity, I'LL the millenniun) there will never 10
wanting sufficient difference of opinion, upon which
10 found "A claim OF preference. TIL virtue relgns sl.
rrene in t,ehuman mindful patriotism is no Ion
ger raise in the balance of mems Affections, by the
prcponderaton of s,rdii self interest, and ambitious
desire of unmcrited d stinction, that watchfnlness
which is n leading characteristic OF party strife, will
he the greatest safeguard of the people, against the
dangerous passions of those in power. 1t will be nee
ceosarv, then, to look 10 some other source than that
ofmersing all parties in one, for the correction OF pre-.
yalling abuses.
Under a government like ours, which allows every
individual Ia use his ballot as his own fee choice d-
~ 's''F''' va ''N' 'iLN - f''''' ~ 49,
other, ana Independently Of every other person, Il IL
only necessary TINT each mini slolli be enlightened
ty sufficient information in the nifirs Of government,
to enable them TO act inteligCully, and there can
never be q t!nc when there is not sufficient virtue IN
the great mss OF The pcOple, to ensure a majority OF
them 10 act rightly. II every mln ii this country.
who possesses the right to use the suffrage ballot,
would use II honestly according to the hest knowledge
he possesses or can obtain, the republic would not
on stand as lonaas the earth remains, but this hap
by land would continue To be the home Of political
nnl religious liberty, he asylum of the oppressed of
uinatonS and til. scene of the highest degree of hi
n,a1 h1ppin.s5, ill hlnln life $40 I'D lhrnnr from
the Atlantic to the pnriilr, and from he frigId to the
harnIng zone.-Tla' infinite VARIETY, which seems 10
have been n part of The grand plan ofthe Creator, and
whicl, is evident in every part of the visi' lie universe,
must necessarily produce as general, II notasextren,c
tirplrity in intellectual as IN physical beng. In obe-
dionce 10 this universal Law, nature endows some men
with vastly more intellectual power than others. II
may, not he denied, that a majority OF the active
mind busted with the affairs of oar government, WI
control! that government, and rue the people un"eI
IL though such minority of nlnd be possessed by q
small majority Of The people. In our government.
the numerical majority OF the people are said to rule
and SO they ostensbly do but every one who has
the capacity to look any deeper han the mere surface
Of things, will see aud ack knowledge that this nnmerl
cal majority is moved by an impulse, the machinery
OF witc!, IS as mut!a! !. mystery y 10 iiien as mat o'
TIC !Lembat i theiff 'tjjuiyas IN Their functions.
-TaH reader may as, can il be that there is sich a
deoi rattle pnurijy of mal in III. great majority OF
'' NDt' s'A' ''''tS't ''A' a''cv '''b'Aot u
the Impulse by which they are governed, or by which
they are mld4 - giyi:a themselves! The answer
10 this Question is No. Nature was never more beau,
,ful 10 any people under heaven, in the gift of mind
th1h 10 ours but there are 80 MANY objects that en-.
gross the mind Of men, that state affairs are too much
neglected by the mass Of the people land government
Is lett to the care Of that small minority. who seet
wealth and distinction BY making it their study ant
ihcir field Of enterprise. These possess the great ma
j,ri,y ofactive minis directed to the affairs OF govern
ineni, and, by their influences, govern the nation
The passion for accunulaling wealth. which so Strong
ly characteristics every class of people in this counlr,
rs 10 almost amount to monomanla, so absorbs TN
general mind, that the majority OF men are with diff
Guilty aroused from II once in a year, to exercise thel
right Of sI.l are and, being unprepnreG 10 net hv tn
light IA lthsir own mials, they are liable /, be imposed
upon by any Of the tribe of dishonest political prowl
era, who may he allowed to pour into their cars, OF
the eve Of ~ election, those carefully conncd lesson
ofillnsiJie iisiugenu3nsDess, whlcl! are especially pre-
pared for the purpose.
iii $ not, perhaps, necessary to the general ~happines
that all men should make the nris and sciences zen
crafty u part Of !hcr study. There are min s enoug
always engaged n i, whose bent AMI capacity S
adapt them IN the pursuit, as TO insure Their success
and sarire to the n7'ion n the advantages that en-
be derived from i. Bat such Is not the case VIII, tn
science and practice Of government. No man can /
too well Informed on tbs subject; nor should an
man, who sc;s any value upon the liberal institution
or his country, NEGLECT to acquire Il Sufficient know
elge Of Estate affairs, to enable hun to exercise tn
highly important share OF original a thorliy, 10 walc
tcls a natural heir, and which the constitution an
laws # The country sanction, with tina, Intelligent
md circInspec,inn. whiol, so important n rlnclio
d~prn1nds, and whicl, n one can afford permanent 81
cIrIty to the enjoyment cf those rjql, . and privilege
w!lrn are the boast uf oar country, and tht spnrC
a our n,iionil ami indS .deal prosperity and ha
p,aess.
ith1s already been suggested, that tho existence
antagonist parties, !, not a source OF 50 much dang
70 he general welfn'o, as it i. frcqreatlv represcnit
IN be, by men of extreme nervous temperament. r.
frical naries, IN their Efforts ~ snperccie each 9th
in power, will watch cach other with the utmost viz
lClcr, and Il ought %! corruption or delinquency mi
b. discovered be the '~tnrpest Inspector, It will n
IA. 10 he ragged forth - l!I't, ma held up to pub
gn-h, with Mt least all II, real defurmiucs exposed
puAiic repro alton, in this there is n great incasl
OF safely; hut il $ 81 iprt 10 muses. which es entail
lessen its beneficial tendency. In the absence of 1t
partial evil, nccSo Of inonpacir, drtel elton of duty,
ahus2 Of powrr, men ~ opposing ~ tics, who's are n
reetrained by rha.e sc-rH rI conscience wIl'fh ke
moral .nrn wittiG TIE !at1,' Of truth, too often sci
upon those trivia errors v''rl the hest men are ST.
Ect 10, and magnify tIra lutI Deliberate acts Of wa
ton s%trocity. And in tho a! scnoc Of any inst cause
complaint, such men will not hesitate to iahrica'e al
rircrluir any f1Isehnod, whirl, for the time being "
tend N the injury Of their opponents, and ailort ten
pnrary aid 10 the accomplishment nt their own INN
dicic objects. In this lies nll The danger that there
10 he feared from party strife and against thi'. It
necessary that nj! honest men Of all parties shor