Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-07
DEBATE on tue CONVENTION.
SPEECH OF AIR. SOUTHALL,
fCsRelu4c9.

TIgNiS NO uldttet what tue COnulllOn OIL iile III
dividuas, from The pauper 10 the wealthiesf, they
ale equally iree-afe entitled, and should have Sc
cured 10 them precisely the same protection OF
pe!son, Tue same safeguards against inlushce CT
oppression, and be subject, in The same degree "a
ike duties and services. Bnt, when poatica
power is about 10 be disiributed-when The great
iounda ions Of society re abuu, TO be lald-when
You are building not for day, but Tor long and
distant future, willis, you place, as you should
each, and every man, upon an exact equality as
To his civil personal rights, all ages, and every
people, in the erection OF Government, ifee OF
Otherwise have, some more, and some 10 less e
tent looked in the foundation OF the system anu
:, the basis OF representation, 10 comoinaioh VI
persons and properly. They are. as mas prem
sal the right and left hand pillars on Whcn me
fabric OF society can with any safety, rest. Show
me. said Mr. s, a Government, called by any
name you please, which discards property, and
erecs its political superstruciue on the other pill
lar alone, and IN The fitness Of time, in us opera
ton, he would show yuu te>po'sm-a despo-
,i3m of one class over ano,her--a despolism with
no sympalhies for those ii would orpiess-bear-
ing no burdens it Inflicted. and restrained in no
exaclions oil property il denanded-but ny lis
own will On the other hand, show me 90.
vefnment, BY any name which excludes persons,
and is based alone on property, and II would re-
qnire but lille intellect 10 iuresec the most dees-
able arslocracy--one Of The most ndlous and
grinding forms Of human Government-a 60
vsrDment whose power would be exercised with
pi,iiess policy over The puor-reduced, as they
soon would be, 10 The condition oil vassals unless
as probably would be The result sense OF their
wrongs and oppression reused them. with arms:
10 assert their Just and inherent rights, and 70
seek amidst the storms Of Revolution, recovery
OF their liberty. Il becomes Us, Then, IN LOOKING
into this question: in building Tor ourselves and
poslerity, 10 avoid each Of these extremes. Ex-
perience The history OF the past, The fate OF other
Republics recommend 10 us TO mingie each Of
those elements into The body polc--Io discard
Deilher-lo infuse both into your systemic have
proper checks and balances 10 secure each from
The oppression Of the other Do this, and you
will have secured the plan best adapted 10 insure
good Government. 10 nro,eci individual ana poll
,ical rights, and advance The happiness OF those
over whom IL is established.
Now, Mr. S. said, The substitute submitted BY
The gentleman from Wybe. comes boldly up,
rides over these views aud principles, and Sub
mis-, without disguise, the naked and unqualified
proposition 10 base your government upon The
E:ajority OF numbers, irrespective 0! property
And, whilst he, Mr. S.. was examining the CUES
ZION under discussion, upon piinclp'e without,
for moment, looking TO i, he hoped, with sec
rioDai feeIings-yet h. coulG not discard ifcm his
mind the fact, that whilst a small maJ0iiy 81
numbers was 10 he wesi, a very large majority Of
the property OF The Safe was in the east, nor The
fact that the west pays about tenhs, and he
east about seyen-eaths Of the lakes And wilhlhe
avowa that has been frankly made during t5c
progress Of this debate that The west wants money,
and TO ge. il, they mus, have power, We are asked
10 remodel the government, or 10 upfoot II from
its foundations aud 81 Q rebase it-thai IS, upon
a ma orty of numbers--as 10 place the minority
In The east along with scven-ienhs ofthe proper
" OF The State a; The mercy and disposition OF our
,ransmon,are friends. a request SO unreasonable,
so Inconsistent with the plainest dictates ot piu-
dence and justice must, M,. 5. said, strike every
impartial man as novel and unprecedented IN
modern times. What was sound he said, npri-
vate life, in The private affairs oi men, ought 70
be equally so in the com7ac, Of society. And ne
would submit il 10 the gentleman from WyIhe and
the other advocates Of his doctrine, whether he'T
are prepared 10 tesl the principle Tor which they
contend b. Introducing il into The private asso-
Citations Of men? Are they, is any one Of them rea
dy 10 form cD2artns,d,p, requiring capital, me !
terms Of which shall provije, that me en'We capl
,a or ers,l tcnis Of it, shall b. subscr bel o. ore OF
them, and that the ohe- members Of tae nm, III Us
appropriation and in all the business q ne con |
Germ, though paying in n0,tiag, or bG! n'es-tsfMs
of the whole, Shall have each greater OF an equ1
voice with him who bears al Of seven.ien:hs o! |
the burden? Does the gentleman from Wyihe |
base his private transactions uron sucha principle!
No, he would largh aithe simplicity OF 2 man WIT
would approach hun with such a suggestion. ltr
fruits OF his toll the earnings OK his labor, "oot
never with his consent, be eubala ed in 50 une-
DUAL concern. Partnership OF government line
ine partnership OF Individuals, needs capital
Money is one OF lis most important sineWs
When wanted il is drawn from he pockets OF ,ae |
people. AMI when Justice woui require eQnali-
" OF voice with equality OF contribution, an
equal power with an equal taxation, can l. De
right that the part Of the State paying hG, three
.enlhs of the contributions towards lis support, |
should not only have an equal voice with ha
which PAYS seven ,eEhs, but The important pow
er conferred upon il, TO declare bow lhey shsl tc
levied, upon via, subjects they shall De ralsed
and in what manner, and 10 wha, object they,
shall be Appropriated Does the gentleman from |
Wythe fnd the lneamen,s of snch govern
men Swallowed forth in he first article OF our Bill
Of Rights Are It's outlines 10 be discovered in any
par, ot lha, Instrument Is il 10 be searched ioT
in the hearts Of men, or traced upon the records
of civilized communilies2
Mr.. Soulhall said he would like. Tor the expert
menls sake, 10 see hundred OF The white basis
gentlemen, by some casually, thrown apart from
other communities, and induced, in self defence 10
organize themselves into litile Republic. sup
posing rs oflhem 10 have each the sum OF slOU,
and The rest unfortunately pennyess: if the gen
and the government they proposed creating need
ed. as all governments do need, money, and money
mainly 10 be appropriated for The benefit oi The 10
he (Mr. S. )felt curious 10 know when the pfopo-
si,ion should bs submied by Toe majority 81
numbers 10 base The government upon them, 10
put the $500 at their disposal for The good OF
The whole how The gentleman and Pa conpeers
popld entertain that "posuta.s"- which would be
precisely what the gentleman laid down as his
great .spos,ulate" that all Tree governments
should be based upon Inc majority oi numbers.
Would The nlleman think such government
equal ana Just Would he think The money q The
25 ought 10 be placed, not merely a, the at5'raIv
will and pleasure of the Is, but in fact al the ae.
solule control oil 81 OF Them -ior, tne result ol
the basis iaimed would be 10 Put The entire pro.
ner,y OF This small society a. The supreme and
pnljmied control OF a bare majority Of the one
hundred and though The cxaclions mish' DC IN
inst and oporessiye in The extreme, and though
"a al The Bon-pruoerty holders, seeing iher enor.
unity. and wiling 10 avsrtil, might unlie with Inc
IS ior their protection yer, an unrelentins nialo-
rily Of 81. acting out or rather acting upon, The
principle con,endsd for by The substitute lor The
bill. could bear down a.! resistance, aud smile at
the complaints Of The oppressed. And when Inc
ayowa, is frankly made in advance, as II is made
here Thar chang. is sought in your existing 60
vernmsnt in order 10 lake, as IS said The "sceP-
fr. from Judah and the aw-g liver from between
ne, feet" 10 pass them TO Tn. West-lha' the %.
;ect OF The power for which this struggle is made
is mainly 10 obtain money, and The money Of The
Eas, 10 be expended in The West, can gentlemen
suppose that the Eastern delegates on this ioor
can so Tar forget the relations they hold 10 their
constituency, the duties as del: gates, which they
.. 70 yield an assent 10 measure which, i. il
" wa. $ no, though Mr.. S. was inclined 10 think i,
beyond their legislative authority, would be, he
feared, so disastrous TO the Eastern portion CT the
Commonwealth
Blu, Mr.. Sou,hail said he was not YET done with
the Bill Of Rights. He was willing in this dis
cussion 10 stand by ii. The gentleman IRON
Wythe had introduced ii, and upon i had relied 70
sustain the principle Of Inc white basis: SO Mr.
8 said he had, and would again, call II 10 ms ad,
-. ponSe Would Indpe