Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-11

-" "rdaln and establish this constitution II
IN h'tr States of America" There is the dcc!aratio
OF the object. What were the means they a.optcI I
secure the accomplishment oi the obiccti Did they I,
smta Inc numerical majority of the pcnpc and dsrcgar
III "'her lncrcstsf Did they regard the white basis
a"c "iH S'pcrstrncture upon which republican COY
e.iei,' could be rcare,l No, the means they adop;e
'c 10 he found IN another clause of this work and her
IL Is Representatives AMI direct taxes shall hc appol
.'oe' annfls the several States which may be include
within this tiun according to their respective number
which shall bc detamilcd'-nct by counting the whit
!'oPc hohc-lot by throwing overheard seven eight
.o"liole population and taking, legal alnnc-'rh
De determined bv adding the whole number of free per
sons including those bound to serve for term Of wear
''o excluding IDIOTS not taxed thrccifths Of all ohc
PerS9ls That IS the prnc pie upon which Ibis Uni"
was Dlse and that Is the principle upon which it nov
stahls. Strike out this and the union cannot rxs
twcty-iour hours and whichever it shall fall the ber
es 81 this country, civil, political aud religious will b.
buried in The ruins
Another "Liecti,n has been urged and confess tina
Is one that i:- hcd my mind with little a-oni-h
iielt am bound, however 10 believe that gentlemen
entertain II, because they say they do 1t is this thai
| II degradcs our western brethren How degrade them
Drc;tuse under It's operation the white freemen in til,
west VIII hot always and under all circumstances cycr
e ~ inc legislature the same amount of power that il
exercised by white MAJ. living east of the Blue Ridge
10 not gentlemen that this is not scheme that r..
eSzes either east or west That it operates alike all
over The commonwealth that it applies to counties W.
ing east of the rdge we'll rs to counties west of il
"'c Affects them all alike; one has larger population
ana pays less taxes the other has smaller population
ana pays more tax'~ Is not Il county east Of the Blue
luse compared with another Of the ridge As much
ueSraued as the county the side if there be any
desr edaiion in the Nv respected colleague told
US le "lhcr day that he al di-tress upon this sub
Jcc' because when of his constituents went from the
county OF Louduun to the county of Harrison he s u
I" ms sovereignty If there is any one of them
'i "enu mo "hose imagination such all idea has ever
Iu'eieo' hPc IN our return ms colleague will intro
uc' 10 me h'h should like cultivate his acqual-
'"icc' lherc have gone from nv cotintv since 100
people enough 10 have made with their descendants \
state larger than Delaware if not a. large 4, RhmI. L.
l;N. ana they have most of them gone To the free
SIh'es where they lose much greater proportion of
.htH political sovereignty; but not Of the tens Of
thousands ever return 10 liz On that account Was 10
sab Quincy degraded bv sitting in the house Of r.nrc
Ss'i'es hr the side Of John Randolph? or 20 reverse
M picture and compare the lilt. State -, Delaware
WIN inc great STATE Of Nrgina-was VIM s. Giles de-
graded By sitting i'll the Senate side bv side with James
=. n'Hi,ru' NJ" Let lis go into the subject further
w"aih lhc gentleman from Barbour Mr CApLurl il he
should be elected the ncxt Congress feel himself de-
Str by sitting IN the house of representatives Of the
cIite states along side Of the gentleman from Hclrico
.lr' Bolts: lapprchcnI not And vet it must be so,
'n' argument IL entitled 10 any considerations With
a." possible respect and Difference for my friends can
sce very Well how an argument of that nav mis-
iel The Judgment bv intamng the passions but cannot
enlighci the understanding
am gong little further into this subject can
reason with man here, hear him reason when h"
e"l%''ors t" Convince me that for Virginia a4 she Eow
H. 'his white basis of representation would give Us &.
SOUND, sale practical administration Of the government
can H. Ell I" his reasoning bat when this vein of eun.
c'i"h lhilged III, and INDUCED in BY men who have
thrown "ver-brd have said before every solitary
one OF those great ginal doctrines of the rights man
WI" have down and taken tler places along eide of
n nf. uud., Ill
crc,"n say. when hear these dcn,nriatolls INDUCED
III want |" know how far they Us Where
are they TO stopi If this white basi. he the only one
lhat can ind lis foundation the ctcrn, and immll-
table principles OF justice" if all other governments be
republican and odous docs ii stop at MasUns and
Dixons nei Is it bounded BY the Ohio rv"rl Cannot it
cross water! There WAS petition presented to the Sch
ate OF the United State. during the first session Of the
last Congress setting forth that the free CITY and county
OF Ihllaie phla contained many white people the
slave State nt South Carolina and that while the free
city and county hid four representatives only upon the
floor Of Congress the slave State had nine and they en-
tered their protest against the admission Of any
slave territory in the United States or the admission
of any slave State into the Union until that article
OF the constitution, which have just reud TO you was
abrogatcd
If that be- principle founded upon eternal Justice
what answers are You going to make to Your
corded declaration, III these debates, when PROPOSE
ton t" you change that feature in the con
siltutI"nf What are You going to say to that AIN
not talking 10 gentlemen about their arguments Ia
prove that the whit" basis Is Il sound and safe
concedc your right and insis; upon nv right to make
for the State OF Virginia ust such constitution as We
please to make, whether upon white any other
ba:' body else has Alright complain Of lis or call
IN account for 1t. You have warned us To beware
aud YOU have done it in spirit of kindness. ! warn
you When you INDUCING in these denunciations 10
beware of the consequences that may result 10 YOU II
is curious how it will work Carried out TO its
fnll extent it would give to New York seven senators
it would give to Pennsylvania six. and to Ohio five.
know very well that the constitution of the United
States gives to each State two senators, but know too
that il your dcnuncatios well founded, and Ia
be carried 10 their legitimate results the constitution ot
the United States trampcs under foot tins principle o
eternal and immutabe Justice that proclaimed
in this hall rs the only proper foundation for our action
1t gives to the free States urtvwo senator's and I" the
slave States twenty. They stand now upon the foun
dation Of this derded and abused principle that is in
corporatcd in the constitution thirty to thirytw Anc
in the House Of Representatives the majority Of thu
free Srtcs already prepondcratng enormously will b.
strengthened by the number of eighteen twenty votes
anticipated the answer to be given TO this view of thu
subject The government OF the United States is con
federation, it is said, and shall have books quotct
here have doubt from the days of Locke and Sid
nev down to Burke and Mcintosh to prove to lis thai
doctrines applicable, and fairly applicable to confede
ration do not apply to Il government which Is UNI
like that of Virginia. Neither Locke Sidney eve
dreamed Of such government that of the unltet
States; did Burke or Mcintosh, learned and wise ~
admit they were, know in truth and in fact much more
about its operation, and its interior structure than TIN
widest Camanche Indian that roans the western
prurca. agree with James Madison that this constl
tuition of the United States is the work of the people
the United States, acting by their respective Stat
soyerc gntes. do not agree that it is the work OF tn
aggregate people Of the United States taken whole
But what is it, that it il madcl Until ls changes
iu the mode prescribed By its provisions, it i.
government which makes one people, one people TO-
war people for peace. people for trade and
mercc people as to authorize any one, even t
humblcs citizen of this commonwealth, apply TO
for redress against any epos aro law, or law impair
ing the obligations of contract that own Legislature
NAV pass affecting his lights. 1t is government which
by its fat although every member of Congress you may
send there may vote against the act cam by declaring
war against any power EARTH convert every citlzen
Virginia into hostile foe every subject OF that gov
eminent against which the war is declared. lts gov
ernment which can, by the exercise of its power agais
the vote OF both the that You may send there
convert those bcigercns into friends and make then
at peace again. 1t is unlike any other confederation Tia
ever existed upon the face Of the earth and would no
rive you arsh for all the authorities that ca pe bfough
into this hail. rcan authorities written ny foreigner
of DAYS a. far back rs Edmund Burke and sir Jane
Mcintosh to tell of the relations in which we stan
to that government and Of the principles which may
fairly applicable to it, and inapplcable to people Tx