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

COutfOi Oh tae masses uI soCfrtys you WIZ
impose such qualifications upon the right
as to limit lis exercise TO those who alone
can be safely entrusted with Il. II you
have confidence Ia the justice, the virtue
and the intelligence OF the peuple--in
their capacity TO comprehend the grea,
interests OF society and in their patriotism
10 mainisie those interests, you will en-.
large the right Of suffrage 10 its greatest
practicable limits. shall assume il for
granted, that no gentleman in this Con-
ven,ion is going 10 enlarge the area OF
suffrage from any personal considerations
connected with mere race for temporary
popularity---ihat he is not driven into that
reform from any outward pressure upon
his judgment and convictions--but that
he will do so, because his own knowledge
and observation CT our people satisfy him
that il can be safely and properly DONE
! say then that when you have Fixed suf.
irage you have given TO US your own SOL
emn conviction as statesmen as TO the
persons in whose hands the safety and
control OF all the deares, interests OF the
Stale may be safely deposited.
Having then asceIiained who are 10 be
clothed with the political power of The
State-who are to exercise the right of
suifrage--who. in the expressive language
of The bill Of rights. are the persons 'hav.
ing common interest with and attach
ment to The community" Il would seem
10 me that the subject of representation in
your general assembly is but corolary
flowing from the proposition thus deter
mined.
What is representation, and what is il
designed TO accomplish 1t is the mode
by which the people--here too numerous
and far scattered 10 meet in council after
the manner of The ancient Gauis and Ger
mans--depu,e their agents TO speak and
act for them 10 some common hall of de-
Liberation. The gentleman from Culpep-
er, (Mr. Barbour in his very able and
Interesting argument, referred to the re.
preventative system as the noblest achieve
meni of modern political science. I'M
qnestionably j, is. II he alludes 10 the per.
lection which that system has acquired in
modern times. But the representative
system was not unknown 10 the ancient
Greeks. II has been known for many
centuries in England and among the con-
tinen,al nations Of Europe, and the only
great improvement which modern polii
cal science has achieved. has been, to
make il conform more exactly 10 the source
from which il springs. TO make il the ex
press image Of that of which il is but the
subsiituie--ihe voice Of the qualified vo-
tiers at the polls.
Representation then in its purity. is the
collected surfaces OF the people. /, is
the impersonalion Of their viii in the leg
islative assembly. 1t is perfect or imper.
feet, lit accords with the purposes. Of its
institution, or departs from those purposes,
just as it is made TO convey faithfully or TO
conway falsely the aggregate Of those vol
ces which are spoken at the polls tits.
or il ought 10 be a perfect lens 10 collect
into one common focus, the scattered rays
of public sentiment throughout the State.
But if you so construc, the Instrument as
10 gather or even multiply the rays which
pass through one half Of its disc. and TO
repel those or portion Of those which
ought 10 pass through the other half, you
may succeed in throwing an image ofpub.
lie opinion into your legislative hall, but
j, will be an image erverted-disiorted
and deformed.
The plan submitted BY the sulIiage ba-
sis party. proposes TO give representation
that perfection TO which modern science
has brought it. II regards every voter 10
the commonwealth as standing upon the
same platform Of equal rights; as having
each and all an equal voice in determin.
ing the action and policy Of the govern
ment. AS il allows TO individual wealth,
no superior weight orinfluence al the polls,
SO il does not allow TO aggregate wealth
any superior weight or influence in our
halls OF legislation As il does mol gradu-
ale the intelligence and interest in the
community, Of any individual voter, by
the amount Of property which he holds,
neither does il graduate the intelligence
and patriotism Of counties and districts by
the property asceriained TO be within their
limits. The same equality which reigns
in the primary assemblies Of The people, is
transferred 20 your representative cham.
Der. tits in this mode. and in this mode
only, that your representative hall can be
what il ought TO be, a faithful mirror Of
the sentiments and opinions of the PEG.
Pile Of Virginia.
Precisely opposite 10 this ia lis effects,
is, the proposition contained in the scheme
OF the mixed basis party. Whilst il con-
cedes with us the equality of all the iEdi-
vidual voters at the polls, il utterly ami
hllates that equality, in transferring their
voices from the hustings 10 the halls of
legislation. BY that system the voice Of
the voters at the polls is one thing, and
their voice in the representative chamber
different and totally distinct thing. A
new process IS interposed between suf.
frsge and representation, and under its
magical operation vote in one section of
the State is multiplied so as TO coun, two.
and two votes in another section scaled so
as TO count one, This may be very in
genious piece Of political mechanism--it
may be admirably fitted 10 accomplish the
object for which il is designed, the per.
petuation OF power in one section o. the
State, at the expense of another-bnt !,
is difficult TO see, in what form il gives
protection to property. or reflects in its
results re voice oi the people Of Virginia.
trust this is no, that representative sys-
tpr which the uauti.roan fror.n C,I1o.o.