Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09
iCout;n,rl from First rGss. J

r II
ut.tvn huula Ue gwen l. The o.her puo c pro. erty
that his bceu paid for with the money from tho tre'e!-
~ Are ent emen ready to - out their own prncl'
pie and base representation the capi.ol square,
The peuitentarv canals, rail IS and mud tuinpikesi
IF the principle IS good II lie case They propose
tia equally good in these. Bu' would be rare sight,
think to see the money Of the sry and the canals
railroads and turnpkes engag hroagh iheir CHOSEN
representatives, II lise eh"elihe"' " ' "'"' - ''e
Tho various advocates of the mixed combined basis
IN +s iii css;on have very different positions
This however might readily have been expected from
the advocates Of proposition entirely at variance
with all our received notions Of the theory OF popular
government Some Of these gentlemen have said that
property entitled protection and ought therefore TO
Be Others have -rued that the true Prin
ciple Of representation population and taxation uni
ted The greater part of the able speech Of the gentle
men from Richmond city who last addressed U.S. (Mr
DAvs) directed to defence OF this position And
third class have taken the position that there is no
principle involved in the su6ect ut issue Of this last
Glass; believe both the gentlemen from the county
OF Fauquer (Mr ScorT and Mr. CHILroS) These gentle
men have argued that IL IS mere question OF eSpcd
encr in sett ing which, they to be governed by in
terest This principle of expectancy is universal one
nike applicable to all p!aces to ali and Nil Things
To day may be APPLICABLE to one state of Affairs and to-
morrow to the very opposite. And now the defenders
of the supposed peculiar property OF the east urging
in the defence oil that property the very thing that Ill
the legislature of lS3-32, was denounced by the a
yocates OF that property as IN unhsy means to
destroy the slave interests OF the commonwealth In
the of the slavery question: in the legislature
of 1881 S2 this doctrine OF expectancy was condemned
and think Justly condemned as dangerous eXpedleut
One that ought not to be- venturod upon In that
discussion Mr. Gholson said" But. gentlemen in pur-
suit of their favore theory, have advenured on the
boundsss ocean Of policy erpedeacy and specua
tom und as they have taken along with them board
my rights and property, hope shalt be excused if
pursue Them though the is rough and the voyage
dangerous 1t seems then that. upon that occasion,
expediency considered rough and dangerous
voyage upon which to launch the rights of property in
slaves But the especial advocates OF this same
kind Of property tell that expediency IS the vessel
in which successfully to ride the waves and buffet the
storms In the discussion in tho legislature ut the time
referred to- 1t was urged that the rights OF property
were sacred and should be protected and then the doc
triue of expedeucy repudated. 1t was considered
uusound and unsafe. But what Is eSpedlency Doubt
less there arc as kinds of expectancy III this COM
rnttee as there members of IL Expediency is the
law of tyrants and pundercrs 1t may be plead as an
excuse for any crime. however foul or Infamous. II
may be urged prcteNt for nj the crimes and cruel.
ties that darken the world And yet this principle Of
exneicncy 90 much dreaded am, condemned in the leg
islature in 1872 that upon which the slave inter
est was in danger of being spwrecked is now urged
pre,eXt Tor tic present atlemp. to violate the great
American doctrine of the equality and sovereignty OF
man Expediency the law Of Caligua and Nero aii
other tvrunts who have drkened the world with tier
crimes and ieluged the earth with human gore Ner"
thought it was expedent to fire the city OF Rome; the
bloody Hayaau thought it expeicnt TO butcher the IN
fortunate Huugarihls who fell n.o his hands and Ben
eaicr Arnold unht, thought IL exIetiient TO bera,
his country. Expedcncy when controlled by that 9th
er principle Of gentemen-interest. mag do anything
And 1eg of them TO remember thai
when aelf the waverng balance shake
It's rarely right adjusted
But who is to decide upon the exoediencv of this thing
IF gentlemen agreed to submit it 10 the voters at
the polls to decide whether it IS cxpeent adopt The
mixed or suffrage basis am willing. For | am ever
ready to bow to the majesty o! the people But no
they are not willing to do that The mouths OF the
people must be stopped AMI gentlemen here must decide
Tor the people what it is expedient to do Then indeed
.rs upon rough in dangerous voyage, TO
be driven on through midnight gloom, deeper and black
Egyptian darkness without knowing whittier We
are going. We arc to be tossed upon the waves with
out star, left to the guidance of mariners who know
no rule Of action Du, interest. Expedlcncy then is to
be the foundation upon which to base the machinery of
government in this great State And then afterwards
it will be the lever bv which the machinery itself viii
be moved. What power ia tits to be welded hy an
interested governmental majority. What may they
nor do hereafter Expedenry IS to be the guide aad
interest the controlling influence Where then are our
rght,l II they should at any time hereafter, find II
their interest t" tranpe upon rights plundc
the west they will do it, If they should any time
find it expedient their interest to mash down the
rights ami liberties of the people the principle here
avowed would aulh,rsc them TO d. 1t. Aud lie this
the principle upon which have been called here aud
By which the assembled wisdom of the State is to BE-
guided in the re construction Of the organic law ::
Do the liberties Of people and the hopes of the
world rest upon such foundation hope not. for
there is nothing uncertain and ndeGnable eXpec
cy. There is principle in it, indeed it expressly
pudiates all principle by taking the place OF it. And
in realty there such thing expediency none
whatever. 1t is but the machinaton of designing
TO excuse crime or to perpetrate unjust and unholv
powers. And in this instance it is the derner resort
Of gentlemen with which to prop up the sinking
tunes OF the present governmental majority
We have been appealed To- By several gentlemen i'll
this discussion TO know why do not show some b.
iections the practical operation of the mixed basis
Wny it. they ask that invariably connc ourselves
the discussion of the abstract principle, instead OF
showing objections to the practical workings of that
principle And my friend from Spots lvauia, who
addressed the committee time since MIR CoSw,Y)
pressed this inquiry with much earnestness. And he
asked with much apparent confidence, thought, why
western gentlemen did no: attempt to show that the
practical workings Of the principle wheu carried out
would produce bad result, have obicc ,ion-
BILE tendency: | shall cndcavor TO meet that inquiry
of my friend, although had not before thought; nor do
now think, ought TO be required 20 show any thing
Of that kind. For it is think inconrovertihc truth
that bad principle will not aud cannot produce good
results. An impure fountain never did and never will
send forth Wholesome waters And had thought there
FORE that only necessary for to demonstrate
that principle itself bad and that then the prac
tical opera would be understood corresponding
tbeew I'll Like use, Ike effect. 1t has always been
ize th, power, aud burdens of the government This
WAS clearly exhibited by them in 1916, when they nvo
Gated the call Of convention TO cquaze representation
taxation and suffrage aluong the free white population
of the State. Then they the loserS Of political
power by an equalization Of representation but they
willingly laid it upon the alter of their country veal
They willing to lay down power for the sake a"
principle. Aud an proud to know that the principles,
ior which they willing to lay down political power
are the same for which arc here Intending now.
Thus showing the good effects Of right principle upon
chem in producing willingness to surrender power for
right, and at tho time exhibiting here to-day the
opposite effect produceI upon opponents by bad
principle in ntucing the to hold to power regard
less Of right The gentleman from Richmond City (Nr
DAVIS seemed 10 ce somewhat the force of this idea:
For he entered into lahored argument last night TO
prove that the principle Of the mixed basis adopted
in 1916 Although that gentleman me!Ecr of the
legislature Mt that time he informed us. ncverthe
less think he is mistaken in his recollection of the onss
of that body For feel very confident TINT the BODY
of which he then member, did declare in favor Of
eoualizng the representation among the free white in
nab.ants OF the commonwealth and also OF cqualzing
the taxation among the And not only was the