Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-02-20

! provided tha, organization and form OF cover
inent best attain those ends. Whiisl u'e' :"
down EQUALITY Of The natural rights o. uisn, 'nI
no where require you 10 ackno%ieose au sIu res,
" Of civil and political right. You are ea
rights unless thai equality will best promote "a !
niness and safety, and best secure Us agains. Va
dancers OF NAL administration. They organic
Goyer1men, with most unequal Iepr-se,"'ass' y;
and limited suffrage, in accordance WIN AZ AZ,
own Bill OF Rights. They who wlo'e an" ,h % r.
et The Eli &C Rights, certainly Iraiiieo ~. ~
ysrnment on lis principles different solu'io'
wnnld accuse those Luxurious statesmen
cross Inconsistency or the most s'uPiu =! y
norance. ! have 100 mucn reverence ~
their memory, and loo much g1a'l'u n., 10
| their services, 10 admit either. Inc Din
Rights furnishes US no guide in aPporlion
ms renresentation. II tells US for what pur
poses Government was Instituted, ana gives u
the mos, unbounded latitude in selecting Inc form
Ifrepfesentalion on taxation, on fedora NUMBERS
or counties, is bic oil producing The creates
degree of happiness and safety, ana is inos' e
feclually secured against Inc dangers VI lndi,au
ministraiion, then that organization IS ~ perez
accordance with the true spirit, Intent ana mean
Ing of the Bill OF Rights. The Governmen
which the trainers oflhe Bill OF fignts organ
lied, embraced most unequal representative ieia
tive 10 white persons. The recent CohVen'lol
which adopted The Bill OF Rights as part OF oal
Constitution, also distributed fePreseh.''on Mn
out any relation 10 Tree Wnie Peiso.s, "na ~.
people by vote of 26,055 for and 1868 against
rarc,;oned I'M, oruanizaton These repeated
actions. and The concurring precedents oil tne
Federal Government, and so many stale Govern
ments should settle The question as 10 The pes. iorh
Of Government.
The claim advanced BY the West can never
be granted We cannot give them the coN'loi "
nnr nroner,y and our slaves. We cannot sub
mi, 10 unlimited taxation and appropriation IN
such unequal ratio. We cannot, under any
circumstances recognize The white DasiS d.
The element of equal representation. Inc "es1
NAV with equal propriety require us 10 surIehoe'
orr representation of slaves 10 Congress: ana dP'
no,,ion members of Congress also on white popn-
i,,;on There is nothing in the Constitution OF
,be Tinted States 10 forbid such division, and
as il is subject Of Stale policy alone, the Stale
Constitution may be changed, and Will be chanS-
ed. if gentlemen carry out their principles. You
NAV in perfect sincerity, and you ought 10 con-
sistency, 10 demand from us majority Q! Inc
members Of Congress Tor the West. You nave
majority Of white persons-the Constitution OF
the United States does not distribute the nileeh
Virginia members in the State; but our slate
Constitution orders the basis for apportloDmen',
and Won may claim TO place these on Inc Whi'e
basis.
Ii the Northern States assent as Massachu'
sets has already declared that slave representa-
lion in Congress is anti-republican, and repuS-
nan, 10 The "selt-eviden. truths" OF IT," peclafa.
lion Of independence, and of your own Bill OF
Rioh,s are YOU prepared 10 surrender that repre-
senta,on? You lay down The unqualified pTin-
IL ,h,t froo ,t,hi
proper and safe element out of which Republic
can Government can be lormed-and the North
ern Abolitionsls Law down The identical doctrine
on slave representation in Congress. Will you
consent 10 abolish it?--or will you reply, that we
retain il there because it serves our interest and
gives us power, and we deny il in our Stale
because il deprives US OF power, and il serves
our in,efes, 10 dispense with il here? II It De a
correct principle there j, is u>! principle here
If il is anti-repubican here. il is equally SO
there. II you are the stern nniiinching advocates
of an equal representation OF free white persons,
Won are hound 10 cooperate with those who de-
mand the same basis in The House Of Represen-
a,ives. The inconsistencies TO which Inc claim
leads, prove its incorrec;ness.
appeal 10 Western members ON this floor, so
berly and seriously 10 reflect on the situation of
Eastern Virginia, il the West had majority OF
members in the Legislature We have in The
East, white population OF three hundred and
sixty-uinc thousand, and slave population OF
three hundred and ninety-five thousand. II you
include free negroes, the majority Of colored FER
sons is six,y.eighi thousand over the whites
whilst in Inc West the whites are seven 10 one.
You would take from Us the power TO pass even
police laws Tor the government OF our c"iofed
population. They would be managed and Con-
trollei BY laws which you would pass, who own
50 few ina, you must OF necessity be ignorant Of
those measures necessary for our protection. we
should be completely a, you. mercy. IL is Eeed-
less 10 tell me, you would exercise your power
discreeily, YOU would consult our wishes, you
would hearken to our suggestions. would MOI
trust the purest man that ever breahed with such
power over my life and my property. We re-
member 100 well the proceedings oil lhs House,
which followed the Southampton tragedy. We
know TOO we'll The fatal effects of enthusiasm and
fanaticism, when once they seize upon the public
mind. Our safety would be endangered But
turn from this view TO others more agreeable.
Mr. Speaker, this question has been discussed,
as though personal rights were the sole objects
OF governmental protection. This IS great
mistake. Government is Instituted as well ioT
The protection Of property as of persons. Pro-
perry and persons are the great objects ON which
governments, acts. Security from violence, op..
preston and punder, are social rights acquired
by the Formation of government In some form
or shape you must represent both; otherwise
persons acting by mere numerical majority
will always Cypress property. The experience
OF the whole world has proven the assertion-
Why do ynn institute government, establish YOU
judiciary, pass your penal code, il persons VII
no, lrespass upon property2 Why do you adop
a written Constiiu,ion-de6ne line powers OF 60
vernment if there be no danger from numeri
cal MAJORITY Why do you separate the lesls
lative, executive and judicial functions, II you
have no Tears of the improper exercise OF power
BIZ a malori;y1 The separation OF the depart
mepts OF government Restraints the MAJORITY
the representation Of great interests OIL ta1auon
the grant Of the veto power, the prohioi'ion .
the exercise Of certain specific powers, are al
adop,ed 10 curb and restrain The numerical ma
ioriiy. There would be no need Tor ~rliler
Constitution no necessity for defining The power
of government, if the majority OF voices was ON
nipo,ent.
Its obvious 10 all, Mr.. Speaker, that remark
able state of parties on this question IS inuna u
The LEGISLATURE. With few exceptions, the enlirt
Yves, come forward demanding Convention
10 change The basis OF representation and 10 &C
cure sufficient power to control the Legislature
They will not be satisfied with any plan excep
the white basis. On the other side, many OIL I'M
Eastern memoirs are lne ctN OcdtlS ~ q Ooii
venlion, not for the purpose of changing The ba
sis OF representation, but 10 remedy other defects
Some desire change in the judiciary; other
wish The County Courts abolished; some de
sire the enlargement of the popular voice il
The election of ministerial Offices all desire
clearer definition of the RICH, OF suffrage. Thes
are trivial, perfectly Insignificant, when compared
with The great question of political power; ltlh
West shall stand GU and slernly resist the orga
nization of The Convention on fair and Just prin
eiples if they shall count upon faligning US int
| compliance with their demands, BY refusing a
lesser reforms, j trust they will find themselve
mistaken in their expectation. trust there
no, one Eastern member, who is willing 10 sacri
| flee the immense interests Of The East TO obla
The small advantages he asks. | have alread
shown, that, according 10 all The principles OF
Representative Government, 10 the precedent
furnished us in a majority OF The old States, /
the analogy exhibited in the Federal Government
--on every basis oil representation, except whit
persons alone-lhey have now fair and fu
share OF representation. They have more than
full share on the basis OF population, fedora
numbers, taxation, or while persons and taxation
combined. We cannot with safely grant more
The gentleman from Wy,he (Mr. Lehwich,
4 ro;red novol and extraordinary objection 10 III