Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-09


ssran the face or this vuse.to be- told BIZ oneNes
tern gentleman thai the majority here pTaeiics
oppression on the West, and by another, iha
they are a prescribed race, but sshewers o.
wood and drawers OF water" for the East is q;
unfounded IN fact as this vote Is remarkable ii
character. Let the West then after this demon
stration, cease TO talk Of Eastern oppression.
Natural rights. then, are one thing. eqEa
with ali; embracing the human family Of al
ages. sexes and denominations Social rights
are another thing. dependent upon the com
pact which the members Of society prescribe
National rights are antagonists to social rights
As 10 the first, man has no law but his con
science no security but the will OF the weak
ness Of others. Ind as he soon finds that the
claims Of natures moral code are TOO weak Ia
shield him against the cupldity and power Of
others. and rs the rights and possessions 81 al
are TOO insecure, held BY such tenure, all.
fol the protection Of each, seek their general
safety in surrrpndering portion Of the natural
rights Of each. and form for the protection q
lie. liberty and properly, the social Of political
compact The original parties to thus com
pact mutually agree 10 the fundamental pnnrl-
& pies UPON which the society shal. behasea and
organized Those who afterwards enter il
give their assent and declare their allegiance
10 IT, When the ediiee is complete, and the
machinery within is put into operation, the
rights, privileges and immunties, as well as
the limitations and disabilities Of all, are iully
declared. Such society have nothing more
to do with natural rights. So far as the uleIn-
bers may have reserved and secured to them
selves, under the compact. auy portion Of their
natural rights, such rights are merged in and
become a part Of the social or political rights.
And thus. as is declared in the frs, article Of
the Bill of Rights, whilst all men, by nature,
are equally free and independent; yet, when
they pass from that state into the body polite,
a different condition OF thingsis brought about,
and this with the consent Of ALL Inequality
Of rights, arising from age, sex and properly,
are established.
Such being what is understood by the social
compact, il Is obvious, in looking into the ear
il history Of nations, as well as from the oFdi-
Bary pursuits OF men, that the origin of gov
errment IS 10 be ascribed. not so much 10 the
protection Of personal right as to secure the
. means Of acquiring and possessing property"
In every condition Of life, savage or civilized,
in state OF nature or society, men more or less
seek the acquisition Of the latter. The savage
roams for his game, the mariner ploughs the
deep for his wealth, the agreulturist the earth
for her fruits. And since the fiat went forth,
in the sweat Of thy face shalt thou eat bread y
man, whilst doomed 10 toll, became desirous
TO secure against invasion the earnings Of his
labor-to protect them from thai danger and
tina; disorder,
When he might take who had the power,
And he might hold who could.
Hence men were first driven, in the early sta
ges Of the world, 10 form, for the mutual de-
fence and security of their possessions, politi-
cal associations. Rude as these associations
may originally have been, they give us the
first glimpse Of the social compact, and were
evidently, in the main, erected or the prciec-
ten Of property. The security Of the person.
Of life and liberty, soon followed as a par; Of
the object in view. The rule which was 10
govern, which was 10 restrain one man from
capturing what an other had appropriated to
his own use, and which protected him in the
possession Of his hut, became at once, as a nat
ural consequence. TO be extended 10 his person
against violence and outrage.
If such be the origin Of society, and Mr.. s.
said he supposed it would be conceded and
as man in his nature is now what he has ever
been, aud as We are now asceliaining what
the true basis Of society should be, ii follows
that its two great columns are persons and prop-
eyfg Upon such, all civilized society must
be erected. They constitute the great clements
that alone drive men from a state of nature
INTO political associations. that induce them to
.congrcgaic 20 secure the rights Of persons and
the rights OF things. Without due regard to
each. a perfect security TO both, government
cannot exist, or cannot answer the great ends
OF It's creation, ''the enjoyment OF Life and lib
er'y, with the means Of acquiring and posses
sing property, and pursuing and obtaining
happiness and safety" If men. passing from
a state OF nature into society surrendered only
their personal natural rights--if the sole object
Of government was to shield and protect the
persons of its citizens--if property formed no
element in such government, and was TO be
wholly excluded from its control or power,
then ii might be proper that numbers, and
numbers alone. should constitute its basis as
well as the basis Of representation. If num-
Der OF men Were all without property, or all
equally possessed Of il, having nothing but
personal rights TO secure, no difficulty would
exists IN accepting the basls Of government
and representation, contended for by the ad
yocates OF the substitute. But such is not the
condition of things with us--we have persons
and Propety-the latter most unoqually diyi-
ded-divided not so much among classes. but
divided, as is our population, geographically
a majority Of the people being West Of the
Blue Ridge and large majority Of the prop
erty in the East.
Now. Mr. s. SAID, the substitute submitted
BY thegenHeman from Wythe comes boldly up,
rides over these views and principles, and sub
mits, without disguise, the naked and unquali-
fled proposition 10 base your government upon
the majority Of number, irrespective Of proper
tv. And whilst he Mr.. S., was examining the
question uuderdiscusson upon principle, with
out for a moment, oking to II, he hoped,
with onalieelings-yet he could notdlscara
from his mind, the fact, that, whilst small
majority OF numbers was in the West, a very
large majority Of the property ofthe State was
in the East: nor the fact. that the West pays
about three tenths, and the Fast about seven
tenths Of the taxes, And with the avoWal
that has been frankly made during tie Prog
ress ofths debate, that the West wants money,
and to get it they must have power, we are as
ked to remodel The government, or to upYoot il
from ITS foundation, and so to rebase it--that
is, upon . majority or numbers--as 10 place the
minority in the East, along with sevea-tenths
of the proputy of the State, at the mercy and
disposition Of our uansmontane friends A