Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-04-01


cious illusions Of no newspaper scriopief can
ever tarnish But there is something more ~
This rabid article than a mere harmless phnlPllc
upon the venerable Editor OF the Richmond En-
aurer There is another attempt mace 70 o,'ns
do,cn The Heterick votes TO the lo'r tctet OF those
which have been manufactured in Hampshire lor
rho nurnose Of .ubiec,ing that patriotic and De-
mocratic county 10 The bllghtinS ana OBSTRUCTIVE
sway OF Federal Whggcry.
Those votes which have 50 recently passed
through lhe ordeal Of Wing scrutiny, ana come
out unscathed, are again assailed by The wriier;
and. although he offers mel a parfictc u PROOF 10
sustain The disparaging impuaion he mas cast
mon them, he has The efirontery, in the very
teeth of The evidence coniradicting II, TO de-
nounce them as SPURIOUS. We do mol IN
tend, in a brief editorial notice, to enter INTO
an elaborate defence OF their validity. ouiice
ii for the present TO say, that their eohssu,o
ai,y and legality have been FULLY establish
ed by WING TESTIMONY in the controversy
growing oul OF the election Of last Spring, ana
Mr.. Richie's nerves would therefore be in no
danger of shock, even 'f some indiscreet sub
ice, siould whisper into his "KNGIY EARS Inc
story of their creation Let The writer OF that ari-
Gle DARE TO impeach their validity by a tormafde-
clayation of the ground upon which ne anecls 70
base his opinions and wc shall immediately con-
front him with the testimony 10 which we re-
fer. In The meantime We shall make use oil Inc
baseiess charge which he has venlured 10 relterate
abroad, simply for The purpose OF showing Wnat
opinion he seems himself 10 entertain Of The Nc
Donald manufacture. ThepOsnlate assumed IS,
thai The Helerick votes are sparions, and upon
that assumption The writer undertakes 10 JUSTIFY
the outrage which has been attempted upon the
rights of the people of Hampshire. "The truth
is (says he) Mcdonald and his Federal colleagues
have learned to fight The d. with fire, and they
have RgAT him throwing Goals" The plain Eng
lish of this is, that as the acting executor OF no
bert Heierick, deceased, manufactured suihcleh'
number of spurious votes in Frederick 10 rescue
that county from the blight OF Federalism, II IS
perfectly unsuitable in Mcdonald and his Fede-
raj colleagues 10 resort TO the use OF means equal
IN base to effect similar purpose IN Hampshire,
and having thus beaien the acting executor oil tie-
lerick at his own game0f fraud, they have thereby
entitled themselves to the everlasting gratitude OF
coonery. The bare statement ofhis system OF Wing
ethics relieves Us from the necessity o; comment
ing upon the hish-toaicd morality which it incul-
Gates and we pass by, with simply requesting Inc
reader 10 note the very important concession
which is deducible from it. Here, il will be OBJ
served, is a VIRTUAL admission, that The McDo-
maid Deeds are rRAUpuLENT and although il has
been unriHlnelu made hy one who sets himself
Up as their apoiQgistie delcnder, we trust that The
Supcrinlehdenis OF election, disregaTdin9 his ad-
monition, will dare 10 be honest and promptly re-
jecl erery uote that is founded upon them.
But apart from all comparisons, how are these
votes 10 be justified when they are subjected 10
the test by which the writer processes 10 be so
willing 20 try them.
The old Constitution and the new which re-
cognizes the same principle, in requiring qua
LITIGATION of fifty acres OF unimproved land, TO
entc citizen To exercise the right of suffrage,
evidently contemplated, whether The land possess
ed any intrinsic value or moi, that al least The title
10 it should I've perfect, legal iona Gde title.
Now, this is the very point in dispute in the case
under consideration. Mr.. Richie does no, con-
tend, as The writer would have US suppose, that the
Constitution requires that The fifty acres OF un'm-
prorcd land should be intrinsically valuable; but
that the TITLE to the same should be above
suspicion, and he cites The fact of the reservation
in those deeds merely for The purpose of show
Ing that they were made in fraud of that cons,i.
iulional requirement. Is not The argument o.
NJ Richie both legitimate and conclusive
The Constitution, in requiring the voter to have
eehold lille To given quantity OF land, meat
OF course that spchtle should be iegalnnd bo,a
fd6 tile "A bana fdc means conveyance made n
good faith, BY which one man derives from another
a right-a substantial right 10 the full and perfect
enjoyment of the land conveyed. How will the
DEEDS Of RESERVATION lately manrtac-
tured in Hampshire, answer to This plain and just
definition Of bona fife conveyance 1Heydo not
divest from The granlor any adrantagc which he
enioyed as the Opner OF the land before a0minQlly
parting with the title OF the same; and Of course
they do not confer upon the party, who in this in
stance is made 10 occupythe position OF grantee,
any beneficial interest whatever. In view OF lhis
undeniabe fact, is not the inference perfectly le-
climate that the whole transaction savors Gas
Mr. Richie charges) most strongly OF fraud? But
the Legislature OF Virginia has not leil US 10
crnpe in the dark, as 10 Tic construction which is
to be given 10 that provision OF the Constitution
which requires citizen 10 possess freehold
title 10 fifty acres Of unmproved land, before he
is entitled 10 exercise the right OF suffrage. The
very point involved in the Mcdonald manutac-
,ure came up for investigation before that tribu-
nal some years ago; and The judgment which was
pronounced in that case leaves no room for doubt
or speculation as 10 the right Of certain citizens OF
Hardy to vote and control The elections OF Hamp-
shire under the deeds in question. The princi-
pie substantially established in the case referred 10,
is that where n0 beneficial interest is vested in
the grantee by The deed, purporting 10 convey the
required quantity Of land, that fact OF itself is
deemed sufficient evidence Of fraud 10 viiale the
transaction, and il is therefore adjudsed, that no
political right whatever accrues TO The claimant
under it, This seems TO meet the case OF the
Mcdonald deeds exactly, and TO scllle the point
beyond all dispute as TO the RICH. Of the Hardy
Federalsts TO vote in the county of Hampshire.
Should the Superiniendens Of Election, however,
determine 10 disregard the Constitution, ana the
county Of Hampshire is lost to the Democracy by
means Of these spurious votes, the remedy is
plain one. and we trust that our friends in that
county viii not be so remiss in their duty TO the
country as 10 fail 10 apply it. Bring the subject
again before the Legislature, ard if lis former de-
cison i. to be disresarded, why, The law can be
50 amended, as TO prevent The recurrence Of
similar evil in the future