Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-15
rOpnnaxed from Fourth Page


favor of the white suffrage basis in defiance Of a INC
pretensons of aristocracy know, sir that the cas-.
hiss her giants in intellect here and they nave oeen
faithful to her; vet their strongest arguments ~
Of the mixed basis consists in the often repeater
alton that they have majority Of members IN LIZ
That 10 the only reasoning that hear les, si, 's
a question in which eastern gentlemen aaaiis 'att
feel yery much interested and YET Ihey q" wy
Witnesses in it; they argue It, ana 9s,ois '.t.u
ssly.. too, and they decide it; an ana more, .ney
decide under positive W % what do
think the decaon will bel livery much fear SIR tina
thsv viii pain the case and remain satisfied that we ar
wrong and they right but have no Tears thaI the
viii satisfy any one else of that fact But Mr.. Char
man the best view Of NIL ia that their decision is no
final thew have to appear before the people the demo
cratic people, thank God) before final judgment Ell
tered And Mr. Chairman. my people did not send M
here to quarrel with any one nor to be quarresa
But must in few words notice the strange cou' ::
that has been resorted to here, for ehee., no
asssulting the western character indirectly os Tue
of some very classical figures that have oeei use
eastern gentlemen, very much to their own hnuseuet
suppose, and very much to Inc disgust a h .ar,
of every man who ia at all acquainted Win tue
people The west has been indirectly Al VaI'"u
Gnaa here and b. various speakers compared u
"bands Of robbers" hungry hies menaleaneS' o"'
aide h,rbaraus" &C. de- merely because they haVeini
aeiped aud so expressed that they ghtt TO
in the government of themselves. This Is the soe
:
be allowed to say that have regarded them either
mere idle rant or conclusive proof that eastern gen
tlemen are wholly ignorant OF the western cna''ete
One or the other of these conclusions Is cef!ahs
And let gentlemen remember lnat these tnlns w y
re.sllected and properly appreciated by the West nav
no donht And would saw moreover, that II easter
gentlemen have any aspirations In future oetoiu Tue
bounds of their own counties, they had oetlsr oe oi
particular how they make speeches here loI oune
There is large buncumb west OF the Blue NiuSe ah
e ,a fnryN OF 1.Af
eastern men in Convention of ls99-sO. who' were q
fine mental ability and of great worth, destroyed 'he'i
f,urs as political men, and justly by their un
iu,t oppression Of the west, then III minority IN tina
body But the is the long end OF the lever OF
Az now and Is to remain so in future and will probably
rason. snch s,,suts Mr. Chairman, as understand TN
ons,tion the friends Of the white basis as 1t Is calico
for basis is synonymous advocate the princlpe
~ the true one because 1t represents majority oi Tue
people of the Commonwealth; and the friends OF ths
mixed basis proposition, that Is one-hal the
ON white population al the other halt OIL the taxes
the State advocate it as the principle, because Il
represents majority Of interests the State AMI thefe
frs il the tru, republican basis. This and one othe
ground has been assumed TO justify the mixed basis
that s the absolute necessity OF protection TO property
which intend to notice hereafter
Now air admitting the proposition to be true that
majority Of interests 10 the State ought be the bas
of representation in the government, yet deny ina
such majority would be represented BY tins mixed LA
sis Yes sir admit tho principle, and yetlt does no
sustain this mixed basis This may be fairly tested b.
ascertanng in what the strength Of community con
ssts or in other words BY nscerainiug that intercs
which is Of more Importance to the community than IN,
or even all others together This interest as TIE whlt
basis party contends is the free population OF the Stat
upon the wisdom virtue, aud enterprise OF which tn
whole machine Of State for its veal or Its woe
And the mixed basis party contends that one.hai %
this interest is the property of the State and the "the
half of this is the free population OF the State
Sir let not be said that the property OF the State lie
proes lands and all. contributes to the existence ;'
we'll being OF the same IN as great ueEree rs tue
toas of the free people Of the State Sir it isnpo tn
mental and manual labors ofthe free white people OF Ia
State that every thing dear and valuable TO nun depends
Property in its most extensive aud useful sense, Is OH
means Of happiness given to man; surely matter
secondary Importance TO mau hlusel-the mere crea
ture of man-and only intended for his and bene
At And Danish all property from the communt.
if YOU choose and mans mental aud manual eli
ergss would soon again rePienl.h lt-out on TN
contrary Danish mans influence, and all creation ia
mere waste 30 fur State government Ia conceruec
Let man rank in this world his Creator intended hin
TO rank 1.-The noblest work of God; and as SUCH le
nothing else whether natural or artificial, be compare
with him Sir it is for that I'LL human governmel
j. designed and but for his moral aud intellectual con
troll no government would be necessary. The weat
of every nation consists IN the manual aud menta
labor which that nation can command All propert
OF every kind only valuable to the extent that IL nj
command labor or the effects vi labor And without Ia
Dor man with al his property would soou perish, Or
any rate return his orig nal sta OF nature ony har
ing the comforts common to all animate M Sharnlai
labor is competency, is Independence 1t Is wealth AM
u,on the superstition that given quantum OF labor
absolutely necessary the very existence Of every
munty, | would ask if any community possessing sa.
five millions Of property cash, you choose is III an
better condition than the same community would Dc II
nossessing five millions Of labor within ltselfi miag
n. tina latter condition would be preferable to til
first SO far Independence is concerned And let IL b
r.eol,.cted that test this question fairly, that l.
wnether The majority OF interests III the connunty lie
in the free population OF tue State OR III the property
1he Common wealth, must keep the free populatio
of the entire State ana tne entire property there
If totally disconnected and compare we'll the init;
,c. and value of each with the other to the e.
;tance of the State at large in I'LL the bearings
of each But, slr although this controversy upon il
fac makes comparison Of population with property
order 70 find where the majority interest 49, yet n fac
and in truth this 10 a controversy between the whit
incubation of the State on the one hand, and the slave
on the other for this mixed basis Is only contend
I'D for here by the slave influence. Aud tairer IN
ba,t.r mode Of settling the question is by compmrin
the value tue State OF the 100000 free people Of til
SI.ts with the value OF 100000 slaves OF the State
far the slaves the peculiar property on account
which 40 much power is asked here Surrender the sav
nAnencs in this controversy, and the mixed basis wi
Gail .t once And in making the comparison, ehoul
in manual labor OF the slaves whilst the manual an
mental LABOR of the free population are both the propc
Nv of tina State Now, will Contend that the sbo
Of the saveo oeug only half the number Of the whites
"a equal n value the value of the free population
thu State None, surely 1t is to the free white pop
a,io. that the State looks to for her sense heutl
bonssty industry and economy, and also for tn
.r.stsr part of her valuable manual labor. 1t
% tho free white population the State looks 70
ali her moral and intellectual character, aud fu
ali her important improvements discoveries. an
Inventions. 1t is to tho free white population
hs S.ats looks for all her intellectual qualities til
vaIue of which in this world cannot be imagined
and who will be enough pretend to estimate tn
v,lne of them in a future statet And in word VIII
viii nrstend to Offset intellectual mind with propert,
mere matter, worthless Il ashf
Mr. Chairman, have eudeavored to show that tn
rnsrty Of the State canaot compare with the popua
Ron Of the State in point in interest. And say, 81,
# nroperty could compare with population The
q, mon property in Virginia would be the most
tain guide upon earth the value of that propert,
Faxes levied for the most part without regard t
the value Of the property vt all--and as it wer
nv mere accidents hckle and changeable in the!
character even a. the Legislature Of Virginia itself
are relied upon as exponent OF the value of the Stat
mon which to base her government just well Nigh
we base it upon the hoatng clouds of the storms Sue