Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-04-29


t6 hc an advocate Of property 70 except the sa,
therity Of EpMusp BURKE. He stands, by the
universal consent OF the world, as the bead and
front OF that school Of political philosophy which
maintains the expedency or giving to property
an active and controlling influence in govern
mens. He has his disciples both In this ccan-
try and Earope MIR. Leigh and MIR Randolph
were both proud to acknowledge him as their
MqaaRs .dpotio in politics, and perhaps my
friend from Luudcun also gfcries in being rcgar~
ded as one Of his disciples. beg him, then, to
hearken 10 terms IN which this illustrious cham
pion Of property speaks Of the mixed basis prin.
cipie--to listen TO the cogtrt reasoning md The
whitening sarcasm with which Ne exposes fts
hollow pretensions to be regarded ~ scheme
for the protection Of property.
The French builders rested their Legislature
on three bases--onc Geometriesi, enc arithmeti-
cal. ard the other hnaneial---the FIRST Of whitE
they called the basis Of territory: the second the
basis u pcpsi,sion; and the third, the 5sas #
cpnfrftmion, or taxes. For tho accomplishment
CT the first Of thess purposes, they divided tho
area Of their country into cighty-shrcc pieces,
regularly squire, Of eighteen Leagues by eighteen
These divisions they called Dspayfnstsss, WITH
this basis OF territory we have nothing to do in
Virginia as presume our mixed basis frsends
here are not disposed to carry their imitation Of
the French model to the extent Of nnnihllating
our existing county lines, ana Oh tntf3l0cinE0
system Of geometrical squares,
Mr. Burke, having examined the two basis Of
territory and population, proceeds to the third
basis: ax3
When they came to their third bas;s--that Of
contribution, or taxes--we find that they have
more completely lost sight Of the rights 81 men.
This last basis rests entirely on property.
principle totally different from the equality OF
man, and utterly irreconoilable to IL, il thereby
al, ttnl hat 10 svfa Al
mitsed than it is subverted; and il lie not Sub.
vertcd las we shall presently see) onpproximatS
the inequality of riches TO the level Of nature
The additional share in the third portion Of
representation is made to regard The district onp
and not the adiridaais in II who pay. Il Is easy
to perceive, by the course Of their reasonings,
how much they were embarrassed by their con.
Trajectory ideas OF the rights ssf men and tbs
privileges Of riches. The committee Of constitu-
ton do as good as admit that they are wholly
irreconcilable. Here the principle Of contribu.
ton, as taken between man and man Is reproba.ed
as null, and destructive to equality; and as per-
nicious, too becanseit leads to the establishment
of an afistocracy of the rich. However, it must
not be abandoned. And the way Of getting rid
of the difficulty is to establish the inequality
as between department and department, leaving
all the individuals in each department upon an
exact par. Nor does it seem matter Of great
importance whether the equality Of men be in
iured by masses or individually. An individual
is not Of the same Importance in mass repre-
scnseu OK iew' ~ IA mass Ispreseh'oa y
many ~ Nou1i ~ IVY ai'uen y W imam, les-
ivus ~ h.s elu"'y, su''s w 'a.s'0F mug s1'o
the same iranehise VINO votes iof thiee memptEs
as he who votes for ten,
Now take it in the other point Of view, and
let us suppose their principle misrepresentation
according to contribution, that il according 10
riches, to be we'll imagined, and TO be q necesss-
ny OASIS iof .he,r rspuoiie :,
inthis tnelr thlru uasis they assume thht ilchss
ooght 10 ne respeetea, anu 'bss justice ana pom
cy require that they snouio en'itic men, ~ some
mode or ether 70 q larger snare in Tue admins
tration Of public affairs 1t Is now 10 be seen
how the assembly provides Tor the pre- emincncs
or even for the security OF the rich, hy confer
ring, IN virtue other opalence' that larger iner-
sure Of power to Their a,sfrtef which is denied 70
them personality readily admit lay
it down as fundamental prnciple--thtai IN q re-
publican government, which has democratic
basis the rich dc require an additional security
above what is necessary to them in monarchiys
They are subject to envy; and through envy, to
oppression On the present scheme i is mros-
sibleto deSine what advantage they derive fron
the afistocratc preference upon which TIE un-
equal representation 81 the masscs u founded -
The rish cdnnot feel II, either as support TO
dignity or as a security TO fortune; Tor the aris
toeIatir hass y EFhSln'eu iiNih purity uchpcrss-
principles; aud the prevalence gwen TO II IN the
general representation has no sort Of reference
70 or connection With, the persons. upon account
OF whose property this superiority OF the macs
is established
IF the contr!yers OF this scheme meant any
sort Of favor to the rich in consequence Of sheiF
contribution, they ought 70 have conferred 'hs
privilege either on the Individual rieh, or en
some class formed Of itch persons, az his'orinns
represent Seryius Tullies 70 have done IN ths
early constitution Of Rune
"l.ct us suppose one man IN district az = an
easy sappositipnl TO contribute asmuch as nun
dred Of bis neighbofs against these he has ous
onesyote; ifthere we're bpt one representative
for the mass, his neigiibois would out vote him,
BY hundred 10 one, icr that single representa-
tive Bad enough but amends are 70 DC mace
him. How The d'srtc, IN virtne Of ms
wsi3ih, Is to choose, sly ten members, instead
OF one taat - te say, by paying very large
cont ribut'on he has the happiness OF being oat-
voted, hundred to one, oy those not having
properly, for ten representatives, instead Of CO.
ing eat-soiei eAac.iy IN 'ne sa"o Pfoporlon
for single number"
There ls'a good deal more IN this work Illus
tratiyeof the same views, which have not timeto
read, but which commend TO the careful peru.
sal of my friend from Londoun.
Having read these views OF Mr. Burke on the