Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-04-18
RICHMOND, VA.
Er,d.y MORNING, April 1s, 1915.
The Manufactured Votes IN Hampshire County
.Tue sERrs OF ANGUS MCDONALD"

established in the county of Hampshire, to fab
rica,e spurious votes to operate upon our coming
elections. We could no, feel otherwise than IN
diqnant, that any citizen Of this old Common
wealth should attempt 10 corrupt the eieclive
franchise, and, by so doing, aid in polln'ing Inc
very fountain of liberty. We expressed our
deep-sealed modification, that any freeman shouia
attempt 10 give a vote, thus made oy designing
nartizans for party ends against the spirit OF our
Sons,itution and laws. We will not believe,
Iba, our hardy mountaineers, who have Dreamed
The pure atmosphere Of their own lofty hills, and
have imbbed the elevated, manly Thoughts, and
the ennoblng principles OF their iree-ooIn sizes,
will crouch al the bidding Of any man VINO may
be ambitious 10 become the iorger OIL iaeir CHAINS,
nor can we conceive, that Virginia VIII cohsen'
merely 10 utter the words of anothers tongue,
dictated by the right acquired over their persons
and minds by an instrument, which while II at
Temps 10 adhere to the letter OF The law, violates
its shirt in every essential, and grants nolnins
bu, an ideality conceived in fraud and piousn.
forward in iniquity. They are made oi s'erhel
.tpff than this amounts TO- There are SOUS 10
Hampshire of nobler mould, who will scorn Inc
pi,ifui bribe, and spurn from them those VINO III
sult them By offering it. We VIII not oeiieVe,
Ina, such an attempt TO carry an election, by such
means can succeed. We hope, sincerely, mat II
will meet with The reprohation il merits ana re-
coil upon its authors. ).
We shall not turn aside from our duty, or Dig
nify BY an answer the attempt Of one II. ~ lhe
Richmond Wing, copied as it has been INTO inc
Romney In,e!lsencer, to bring himself into no'lce
by bespauering u.s. We would leave him as we
would a goose in puddle, uundlins with the
2i-tv pool il lulters in. We have graver subjects
on hand, and shall proceed 10 dispatch them
We propose 10 give a brief consideration 10 The
question OF right on the part OF these manu'ac-
turvd voters 10 give their votes under Inc tue 9e
slowed upon them BY Angus Mcdonald. we
maintain that no such right exists, ana tnat none
such should be permitted 10 be exercised. ING
ease. as we understand il, is simply ms: Angus
Mcdonald undertakes 10 manufacture 1or Inc
,onn,v of Hampshire 2Y7 votes, 81 Of whom are
citizens of Hampshire, and 2lO citizens oil the
county of Hardy: and he intends, we presume,
10 pour The latter upon the county OF Hampshire,
whenever il shall suit his pleasure TO change The
complexion Of the representation OF the county.
In one deed which We have seen, land we under-
Stand all are alike) sixty-one persons are EN-
braced To all OF these is bargained and sold
large tract of sterile mountain land, being sufh-
Gent quantity TO allow fifty acres Tor each OF Inc
six,y-one persons. II is believed, thal not one Vi
the parties concerned ever bargained Tor, or pnr-
chased the land SO decided many Of them nellher
desired 10 purchase, nor were aware that any such
purchase was made for them and one Of these,
whose Card we have published, distinctly states,
tina, he "never barsained with Angus Mcdonald
Tor any land, nor did be receive as mucn as one
fauhipp from me, neither did know I'LL within
\ month or two, that was one OF the parties IN
This transaction" and, like honest man, ne re-
nounces all participation in the fraud. Inc
waole tract, so decided is sold for the great and
valuable consideration of one dollar, not cent OF
which was paid, though the receipl IS duiy acRhow
lodged. The grantor is aware, that The grantees
mus, have freehold, at least, 10 constitute them
voters under the old Constitution. RE, therefore,
nrrports TO convey the land TO the grantees, Tor
md dnrin, the lives OF Two persons in being, re-
serving the absolute estate 70 himself and ms
b.irs Afraid 10 trust his manufactured voters,
however. and 100 mean TO allow them The use or
endowment Of any thing, that by possibility might
ne derived from the life. estate thus created, ne
reserve. 10 himself during such liteestate every
thiny that is valuable on the land and an The land,
and ,ln.lsy end ADORE H. and then retains the right
Of entry al all times, and of ngress anu esress,
for aay and every purpose that he may desire
all tina, passes by the deed, being, IN lact, Inc
parchment or paper upon which It's wrii'en-
Now, common sense ana common honesty VIII
zach every man, that such a deed as This IS The
roeres, su5,eriuse 10 evadc the law and circup-
ven, Justice that j. ever entered into the brain oil
. deinazoeue 10 conceive and common sense
ard de-ency will never allow such votes, il given,
- be substan.iated.
But independently Of Tue fraud upon The face OF
me whole transaction from its inception 10 lis ter.
m;na,ion, there is enough in the words OF the deed
;,,e,f 10 destroy The right, which, itmay have been
Imagined, was conferred. Tie right is prstend-
ed 70 he derived from the old Constitution and
laws, recognized by The provisions OF the new
Constitution Under the old regime, among other
qualifications, The right of suffrage was given 10
those "who are possessed, or whose tenant for
wears al vii, or al sufferance is possessed, Of tIy
ac,es OF unimproved land" such persons having
in s,ch land ian estate Of freehold at the least,
Nr. Finy acres TO each, then, is the quantity re-
CURED, and is the amount purported 10 De convey
ed. Now, one of the express provisions oil these
Mcdonald deeds is, that The granior reserves TO
himself she cleared lGnd and tcnen,cnts." ii,
then, any portion of the tract IS cleared lano,
The quantity granted is, Of course reduced by ex-
act,y that much If there be one acre, then The
voter is entitled 10 only foriy-nine acres, which IS
,ess than tie amount required, and his right 10
yo.e is DESTROYED II they are all joint tenants,
then The "ouanlity Of land, in case partition had
been made thereof must be sufficient 10 entle eve.
~ holder present 10 vote separately" But IL the
cleared land be reserved who is 10 ascertain what
is the residuum} For aueht that appears TO the
contrary. the greater portion or the whole OF the
rae, NAV be cleared" The uncertainty OF the
onan,Irv reserved, renders Il impossible 10 ascer-
lam what quantity is granted. How much oil the
land, too is occupied By the tenemeMs? For
ausht that appears in the deed, it may be shinged
over with lcnementS.
No, satisfied, however With Whaling his own
oran,. hy sesersns all the cleared land, this grant
or q, aaaiines reserves, also, the timber, and the
r;pb, 10 cut il al pleasure. II he does moi cut IL,
hen I, remains timber liable TO be CIT, and is re-
served as such, the grantee having no night 10
touch or use il: being, il he docs so, ife>pass-!
cnon the timber OF another. II the sraEior, how
ever cuts the timber. then The land becomes clear
ed land, and The lille OF the grantee, such as Il
was is by the removal OF the timber DESTROYED.
Then, what possible r:.a! exists! The ores, and
the minerals, and the quarries are expressly re-
,aiped: and, if they were not, he could pot dug
I,r ,hcm IN the cleared land, for that is anolhcrs
nor coo!d he mine or quarry tor them and The
timber, Tor lha, is anolher's also. How, them can
he be possessed of land, which he has no right in
any way 10 occupy, even il the quantity were
sufficient The Constitution and laws conlen,-
plate, that the grantee shall have bona Jds title
10 The requisite quantity of land and that he shall
be possessed Of it in good faith-possessed, moi
in imagination, not in ideaity, but actually, hav-
ing the right 10 exercise ownership ard control
over il. In these cases the grantees have no
tAine. The substantial ownership is still in the
erantor; the actual use and enjoyment are still IN
Rim. the posses.ion remains with him; he trans
Srs nothing but paper deed, and that deed will
serve for no other purpose, but as lasting record
Of an intended fraud upon the laws OF his coun-
nv, and a record to s,igma!ize those who are en-
gagged in concentrating and periec,ins the fraud.
I've hold up these deeds to the seorn OF our lsl-
low.citizens in every portion OF the State We
denous:c these manufacturers OF votes as sappers
and miners Of our Tree institutions. such al,
temps 10 pollu,e our franchises and corrup, and
demoralze our citizens, arc unworthy Of and
will nc: receive the coun,enance of the virtuous
su. the wise. No voter, who has respect for
himself, VITO has proper regard for public OPT
Mon, who wishes we'll TO the institutions OF his
country, and would perpe,uate them, will attempt
10 consummate such an outrage upon tecency
NJ RhFn