Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-07-02

ia lied to give to the people a republican form o
government, and established an OLIGARCHY over
them. The opponents OF the white basis seek to
commit The same error aud folly again. | am
sure your idea Of a republican government is a
Government Of the People, that is, a government
in which a majority of the people of any State or
community prescribe its laws and policy, "and
exercise all the functions of legislative suprema-
cy." Such is not the case, as you we'll know,
under existing laws, and such will not be the
case under the 1a;rsa basis in any shape or phase
that it can be m4de to assume. But you need
not confue yoursftf to the edious theory of the
minority power or mixed basis for you can see
at a mere glanceelhat the practical administers
ton of yonr Stdtegpyernment is now andzmust
always continue q oesT9ittIUut a eltatrgs, HFHteS
rally and vitality I&duenced In all OF its depart
ments by the vicious principles upon which its
political power is based. Any practical mind,
not clouded and blunted by selfish and sectional
. preiudices, will at once faBten upon the vicious
influence OF this minority power, and proclaim 1t
as a main cause why Virginia has declined in
wealth, population, power and influence, and in
stead Of being the first, has sunk TO the fourth
State of the Union. We are now engaged in a
great movement, and it is wrong to shut our eyes
to the truth, or stnShornly 10 refuse the light be.
cause it may blaZon our inconsistency. call
upon the friends OF the white basis to stand firm
Il respectfully ask the friends of the mixed ba-
sis, ifthev consider our views ofthe influence OF
the minority power to be correct, TO come over
and Join the standard of the white basis. An eio'
quent writer has most truly saId-"ls it not the
very nature of a minority to look TO themselves
before the common weal-to prefer their sectional
and peculiar interests before those of the COM
monwealth at large? For half a century the
energies of Virginia have been chained, locked
up, paralyzed by this minority power" Is this
not true? ave every word and letter oft. Has
it not crushed the State ? has it not failed TO con-
struct a single leading improvement to connect
the Eastern and Western waters? Has it not
been the fruitful mother Of the disgraceful " log
rolling which has saddted the State with a debt
of fifteen or twenty millions ofdOllars, and a sys-
tenn Of worthless mud turnpikes ? but shall take
occasion 10 argue this question more fully before
you, and to demonstrate TO you satisfactorily q
hope) that the white basis is not only the most
Just and republican foundation of government,
but that all sections and interests OF the State
will be more fully and amply secured under It's
protection than that ofany other. The advocates
| ofthe mixed basis, in my humble judgment, great
Iy mistake the soundness and strength of the pro.
lection they seek in sectional maJorities. 1t Is
the most sandy Of all foundations. Safety alone
resides in the strong arms, the stout hearts, the
honor and patriotism OF the whole society, stand
ing upon a common platform and resting under
tho broad Ggis off common constitution. Iheie
it is to be found, and not in the laws which Gre
ate odious distinctions among the people. can
see no reason why the power oil the STATE
should be sought TO be placed in the Eastern
pOpuldllOlS SClldllly l"O
of Eastern Virginia cannot claim any such
distinction. Its population has been constantly
dwindlipg-the whole Taco ot-the-countfF
NATURALLY as fair an one as ever the light OF llea'
ven shone upon9 under a want OF energy indus"
try, and prosperity, has sunk into decay. lfthey
have not the energy to prevent their own decay,
they certainly cannot be expected to impart that
prosperity to this beautiful Valley which it SO
much needs-tO grasp hold of our trans AiIegha.
ny country, rich in all the elements OF power ana
. ooA 1rinr - fOrN,or III IN tho u q OE tho
world-fll its rich and fertile lands with q hardy
and virtuous population, deVelope its vast agrl-
cultural, mineral, commercial and manufacture
ing resources, and cause its rivers and streams
to become alive with the music OF the loom and
the spindle. We must not think that we are to
act alone for the present; we must look TO the
future, and survey our State in all its vast pro-
portions and form our constitution accordingly.
Place power in the hands of those 10 whom 1t
r~ightfully belongs; and not only Western Vlr-
ginia, but Eastern Virginia herself, will feel the
change in her increased prosperity, and her near
and new relations with her more thrifty and per-
severing brethren Ofthe West. When the "(irand
Divisions are broken down, and the Eastern
Virginian can sec the "Atlantic wave rush up
through the gorges of our mountains and MIN
CLING itself with the bright waters OF the beautI-
full Ohio" then they will feel how unjust the
minority power has been TO the prosperity oil the
State at large. They will stand astounded at
the immense public debt which the vicious sys-
TEN under which we live has produced without
any great corresponding good. But with all this,
had the East the power of numbers, l would most
unhesitalingly say, give her the majority ofrep-
resentatives; but as we of the West have a ma
iority of many thousands, | ask in the name OF
Justice, by what rule we can be expected to sur
render the power and welfare OF the State INTO
The hands Of a minority whose own country and
condition, under their management, are clothed
in premature rags and decay?
But vet while | maintain the free tChAe p6putG-
lion to be the only true basis of Representations yet
should you honor me with a seat in the Conyen-
ton, l shall cheerfully vote to give to the East
any adequate guarantees which they may require
against any interference with, or unequal or OPP
pressive taxation of their slave property. L am
willing to give the East these guarantees, not
that | believe that she has a right to demand
them, but because she seems to think that they
are necessary to her protection. | do not think
so for the reasons which | have already stated
to you.
cessarily and odiously trammelled, and ought to
be amended. In fact /" the qualification and pri-
vilege of voters" as they stand incorporated in
our laws, are outrages upon the rights of the PEG.
pie of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to the principles of
free government, and justly the ridicule of the
whole country. In factthey are obnoxious to all
the objections urged against the old extensive
freehold qualifications, and in many respects
much more offensive. The people, at least nine
tentnS OF LneE1Sd Ie uSLha4uAuS ILI0l Oto
ton from the constitution and laws of the State.
They are I" uncertain, capricious, difficult in their
application, and variant in different portions of
the State" They are the source of all The frau
dnlent voting deeds which now disfgure many of
the records OF our courts, the false assessments
procured. the greatnumber ofcontested elections
with which the Legislature is annually bothered,
at a cost Of thousands of dollars annually to the
Treasury. and an undue interference with the
ordinary legislation necessary for the good of the
COMMONWEALTH atlarge. understand that there
will be some s or z cases Ct contested elections
am in favor Of abolishipg all properly qualf
cations and extending the right Of sutfrage t to every
White male citizen Of Virginia of the age of q
years and upwards, who shall have resided in the
State for one year, and in the county in which ne
proposes to vote Tor 3 months next PTecedtng =