Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-06
THost,aued from, First Pace. |


majority it has greatly diminished IN strength luz
east at this dav We referred 70 the Noflo.A as
trct to the Loudouu district to the
and to the Patrick district but what Is the VI
things there now 1t is no part OF m! uul
in the relations between members ana tel
but all must acknowledge that the baslso numbers mas
not that strong hold in these several districts which
we were adnlonishedit had IN 1929 ihe people GER
tanlv have not sent up the majority here now, Which
Il ia said they did send up here in 1929 cannot stat
+bs nrec;sa majority which claimed BY the gentle
from Botetout but It ugh to be decisive ei
the action of that Convention But wha Is the conol'
ton of things now We have now here, elected by
the voice of the people, majority Of pine. The cause
of truth is progressing the principle of property rep
resentaton pervades the east The mixed bassis sren
ger now than in 1929. And have reason to tehcta1
myself that the Blue Ridge Of mountains does not con
sti,ute inseperabe barrier to the progress OF '
principle on this question. fatter myself there y
region of counties in which the mixed basis MS 1t l.
termed, has many friends where in 1920, il had Ter
hups none In the Valley of Virginia SO aoly' 50 s;'i
cientlv represented BY their members here 1t WI "
conceded that there is respectable minority a iS"s
not in one County. not in the district OF single
ton merely, but presume might, with confidence
appeal TO tn united Valley delegation TO testify 'h'
there is such minority extending itself throughout M
Valley. who advocate the principle advocated " ~
east here and wo prefer that the basis OF pGpni;c"
and taxation should prevail.
But we have been told that the case was adcd!caten
toson exteut bv the action of the Convention III ls
and 80 We are told that the great men VINO cons"
tuted the giory Of that body, most ol whom Fave p
ed 10 the world of spirits, had this subject tVef c
sderu,ion and voted for the principle OF the "ntc oa
sis in that body. It Is true, that IL me Coinhtttce
rho who'll there was majority of them in It's favor,
do not remember wie the time the distinguishes
member from Norfolk had retired from MS seat Du1 my
impression is that lie had not and was present whei
that vote was taken in Committee. Ii he had repre-
sested the voice Of his constituents there would hv
been equality in the vote And it's an historical truth
known TO members this BODY and known to the STATE
By indisputabe testimony, that Nr Madison althous'
he voted for the basis Of white population in Commit
tee of the Whole did prefer another basis, not brough
in competition ut tile lime Mir. Madison in speech de
livered in Convention has testified that he preierre'
the basis of federal numbers If 1t could have been or
tanned If mis- vote be taken from that OF the alo'
in the Committee and added 10 the minority, the cas-
ern majority then, would have been against the "ht'
ba sis in the Committee of the Whole. But we are toll
,har by the adoption Of what is known as the Gord'
proposition that Convention committed ltsell to tn
principle of the white basis according to the ehnera
ton OF 1920 If the members o! that Convention dc
signed to adopt any such principle or 10 give counter
ence tp that ass ertion sustained BY most sing
lar vote The strength Of the party who voted for tia
proposition and BY whose votes it obtained Il peace II
The constitution was derived from the eastern deega
lion who had voted against the principle OF the whit
basis, aud it was resisted ana opposed oy e wole u
esa,ion of the west with the exception OF these WIZ
were sgallzed as black spots on The yer
tai robe for abandoning aud deserving the west Is
NOT strange that the whole body OF the advocates /"
the white basis should be found voting against IN
nr;ncip und the whole BODY Of the friends Of the mix
cd basis should be found sustaining that principlei
RELY upon it rs proof that there was no design or nen
ton on the part of those who carried that proposition
to give any sanction countenanee at i 10 the o$
which is claimed to be sanctioned by their authority
may be that the dratsman of that proposition III INA
kim the superintendent did refer to the tables of poru
lation Of $50 Il was long autecedcnt d:t.-lQ ye!r
besore-takcn Al time when the population OF t''
commonwealth had greatly increased and Wh'1 II ".
in he power Of that Conrenlion I" ascertain "lthin
fractIon what WAS the true population of the SAT-"
they had designed 70 give their sanction 20 TIL pi"c
ns ,hev would have adopted this calculation 90; wou.'
nave inserted in the constitution an aPpoftl', eht
representation founded apon tue white population .
the state Their action may be considered rs conctu
sre nroof that they do intend TO adopt any s.cl
principle
1basa think are all The authorities on winch gen
t'sme insist that III ir principle has been maintained
Thes. are not however. the only arguments on Whic!
th-y r.ly To sustain their claims. lhey refer To III
Pl of Ri,-hts AMI strange my mini. they seem !
deau i ,rTeirarb!e proofs that the principle oi TIC
nercsl majority is asserted in that instrument i
not necessary to read the document the words are !"
niliur to US " at is the rcatnS winch tiieF Sl''
to the clause 'ail are By nature equaiy lfee AN
intependenti I" dHmen--nut plrt-a are frce ana al
are independent Independent means exemption iron
control yhrn ali exempt from control and no oh
part has right 10 control another et according "
the reading these sentl~men all are Tree ana n4cPth
dent therefore majority OF one. can speak the law
minority: all are free from control therefore tour" ar
s,h;ect to the n solute dominion of fve3 ! coufcs
this does not sound like logic Space is filled wit
individual entities of perfect equality Equality Is IN
Inheritance the property of;il that equality when
exempt from ali control; aud set men assemble to
gether without the consent Of each OF any ana lr"
some indescr;bable operation OF the laws of nature
some right is assumed by part to speak the law
another part 1t is impossible this right attacl
and the dominion OF the majority be established with
ont DESTROYING that equality which IS the postuiae
gentlemen in this debate. Majority implies comblna
ZION combination is society aud society is the soca
state as contradistingrished from the naturt state
Hence results that tho right Of the majority orue
canuot exist in state OF nature, because the soco
state must lie introduced before there can be an asce
tanment vi the majority
Ii We would learn the true meanlnS-the real import
of this clause We must consider it III counexlon viii
the orl of things which existed ut the date OF 1t
adoption. IL refers to the relations then about 10 %
dssvcl which had existed between our ancestors ans
tie British government The clause " All men are D,
nature ea,iy free and independent refers To the polit:
o. sv.t.In which obtained in Great Britain and III!
counfry t' that eventtui era tv the British system
of governneu the inequality Oh individuals WAS ord;
ed and established The supremacy of the King, the
Hereditary right of nobies-were sustained 1t til,
,prnosa of our ancestors overthrow these established
orders and by employing this clause these few word
in the Declaration OF lights of the people OF irgna
they designed to give the negative 10 the principle
roya hereditary power, asserted in the British system
OF government The clause employed TO deny til
hereditary superiority and supremacy of kings an
lords aud to establish the perfect eraaiy of ndiv'u
sls and the words cannot bv any rule of construction
or interpretation, be Interpreted or perverted to or
duu or establish the superiority aud dominion OF an
part Of the community any other part OF The com
nnlun;ty But the construction which is placed upo
them By the west, in asserting the doctrine Of n'mbers-
the Inherent right of the majority to rule-does es
sab!ish the inequality OF individuals; the superiority
the supremacy, the dominion Of part, with the lnerl
ority, dependence and subsection OF another part |,
does establish the absolute right of part TO command
and the ooiisa ion OF another part ahecy to obeyf
repeat, the words susceptible of such an III
depreciation.
III. second clause Of the bill OF rights has been
ferred TO az sustaining the Inherent right OF the aori-
to rule Let US devote to it brief consideration. Th
words are that al power vested in and consequent
" derived from tho people that magistrates thc
trustees and servants, aud at all times amenable II
them
We shall be assisted 10 the Interpretation OF this
clause ALSO By referring TO the then existing order
things and the obccss OF the patriots By whom it was
adopted By the theory OF the British government al