Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-24

/ ID
agsn looking up to the galleries for applause: in the
,e If tbsr arguments and have even heard them aP'
aar n the spectators to know whether certain con-
strapcies would tolerate the opinions arowed BY the
oher nortr and have heard those galleries responding
~ tbs call could not but remember the national as
| soh1- ~ France when the mountain called upon the
- - ocerpower the conservative portion OF that DO
could almost fancy myself Oh the eve of those days
when neither life, liberty property nor the pursuit o,
hann;nsss found any protection from government An
~ nsrica aority, to which you tell me- Goo gave
n.raI right to rule, then perpetrated crimes Wnich
ELL tb hoe earth with their horror 1t used II. SOW
tv 70 massacre the wretched victims IN lis prisons
nJ;cotsd its authority by covering the rivers 0,
9 W ~ The bodies Of her murd red women and
children ,; d., ,,oo- .,
lila contrv believe that their interests are directly OPP
nse to those Of the rch and that they are oppressed
H. tronncal alistocracy of shareholders once tole
a., 10 nr;nriple TINT the numerical majority to
dinoe nj its pleasure of all the interests OF society
I III the RIGHTS of Individuals that it is to be the sole
rdgp of the xtent Of its own powers and IS TO be re-
strained in the qualification of It; passions only y It's
sense Of justi'e, anu LUG "Hoio i"ote "a So"i ~
ton is undermined
I, i true that the federal government may exert a
restraining influence and the State may be reduced to
the shame of calling on foreign power to save her
from ANARCHY. 1t was so in Rhode ISLAND anu II may
shorty be So in New York. New York adopted what
i. The same in effect with the blss Of white population
in 1886 and its principles had long before been ackno"
.,!y,i bv her public sentiment and illustrated IN her
notifies What have been the consequences! A genie
m corruption of political morals-I had almost sad Of
social norals-throughout the whole community There
is NOT at this State III the Union where poli'l-
ca morality is at q lower cbb. The caucus system
rccs supreme for this prctence OF giving the govern
lcrlt over the numerical ma orty always ends III
wrr. ting power from the people, and concentrating It
in ;he hands Of few active nprincipled demagogues.
yIey regard guarantees and limitations Why, theT
are ercn now passing bill in New York appropratlns
nine millions Of dollars to the canal in direct opposition
10 lie provisions of their constitution 1t is true that
there were found of her lawyers who have justified
dis measure by their peculiar construction OF the con!
si;ution bit such lawyers always to be onnd anu
plant courts dependent for their Office on the vote OF The
numerical majority. always ready to decide IN lie
favor.
Norris this a If YOU look back to the history Il" the
ancient commonwealth Of Athens what it4 expert
ruce! The gentleman from Accomnc Mr. WIsE) toid Us
la. il uristocracy but where he got his in'"ma'
lion cannot imagine unless he spoke in reference To her
.aves. That government was pure democracy rs
the world and yet from the unanlmou: teal
n..nv of all her writers the property -holders = the
lch and wealthy rlasses-were pcrpetanlly and just!
: complaining OF the cxhorbaut and yramca srstel;
| al pinl"r prlctsed upon them Theatrical anusements
Ir which appropriations were made there, as they ar
Scr informal improvements lorr, were Kept up and SUP
Irc, BY eryIng taxes exclusively upon the rich. There
grievances they could bear than tl.c yt"r-
:;u1 the actually suffered from this ma orty "l Num-
Irrs iicnre there grew up in the minds OF I'll" prop.
sryhoders deeply rooted enmty to the character ana
operation u" their form Of government, an, they
looking Constantly for relief to foreign powers.
ljurI:, the eoponesian there party anxious
ia. Sparta should conquer, that they might havehcr pro
lection inr "rier and good morals In the time Of De
1"-lh"ne they were anxious for Macedon to interfere
ana relieve them from the expressions and exacto'ls
cy suffered. And il has been with all the govern
OF mere numbers In revolutionary France there
MAS party willing and DESTROYS for the First Alliance
Ia conquer. and there still larger party who re-
:lrcd the advent of Napoleon ~ the greatest blessing
tat could be ruurnsnfcd them Even in our country,
may observe that in those States where this govern
e:t OF numbers most prevails and such of course
the Northern States the tendency to federal poll
,'. l. strongest For the of property despairngo OF
protection home look abroad for security ard seek I"
rerSthen the federal authority at the expense Of the
STATE power, which is welded by mere numbers II
:ou wish to change ;he ancient States Rights faith OF
Virginia and bind her captive to the car Of the federal
j.! partr, you could not do it more certainly than by
al'pin-, the principle of this white basis.
| Nv friend from Monroe (Alr. CArEnroN) referred Ia
ic Roman republic, government where power was
even 10 patrlcla arsocracy over the plebeas Dy IN
.:!raExinsa into classes which were entitled to IL mum.
hrT Ut Votes in proportion t. The amount OF their prop
":y think, with due deirreuce to him. that lie great
!" ri>conceves the example The patricans were not
!i>In. rhrd from the pebeians by their wealth. for
n~ny ii them very poor, and there prbcians
." Il: noble birth and great wealth As any patricisns
lie Later order was originally only that half Of the
ration who with their clients and slaves lived chiefly
ii the city, while the other half the plebeans com.
Iscd most of the country gentry and the population
ii the rur, districts. So long political power was
'nine 10 this city or patrcian order, the State
p1sfc weak and .n't 76y occnns free and pow
r:u by the institution of the Trbunate which gave
division of the people, the plebeians, veto OH the
hrr and thus established government of concurrent
moriticS To this institution the best historians Ma
.a@eli Nebuhr, Cicero himself attribute the great
ASS nf Rome Hcrccorth under laws, which We're the
,uicc Of iiI uut OF part she moved on with harmo
iin- majesty, in that of greatness, which filed
tr world with the glory Of her dominion. But .: later
,criuA when the two orders we're completely consolidated
Il" Tri:,nrs instead of being representatives of
rrat division Of the population, became the representa-
;vcs u! Tn" numerical majority "f the whole pee" de-
The Republic soon broken down by its excuses
;,rder the lead Of such men Codius and the rights
property am personal rights alike compelled to
s,r! protection in a military desPosn. And such be-
SIEVE 10 be the experience of all nations. The gentle
man from knnawha Dir. SuMMEEs) tells that it
he cid S:t principle that the ina orty should rule
and tia. ;lis principle was brought b. the Pilgrim faith
| ~ il; t,' MAY Flower to Plymouth rock. and planted
J., .gccetors a; jamestown. | read history very
4f,rtitiy Go bac. 10 the most remote Saxon anti
salty. and you will End the government commencing
with the family. with the fittings. and the hundreds so
tia; he political community WA bit the aggregate of
:i..-c different lncG units and interests. They
-. arranged according To numbers, but according
=. ii. ,!i.crs,es oil interests. The principle
,.@ryad-d the British constitution-the nriest work
man had ever achicvcdin political science until
.tmcrran constellation shone in the armament. Under
That constitution civil liberty attained its highest l've
o:r!c',t in the old world From beneath its protection
| .-@l. the AnglU-Snrnan who occupy this
country AMI WHOSE offspring be foInd wherever free
Institutions have obtained foothod. That constitution
a!anted in the minds of foreathers the germs of
:?!l and religious liberty which have ourished ms.
efficiently upon this soil What is that constitution
rom first to last. amid all its various reforms and
anges but attempt to represent the separate Inter
s: Ui The community-.o make the government the c%
,uen' Of all those interests and not of the voice Of any
.lg.l!"r one, that legislation might be impossible
.- based upon justice to nil In this feature has re-
He'd al its strength and its republican freedom.
Where there are seperae interests legislation by any
viii b. forts own benefit To the injury of the rest.
10 he us: and for the hcleiL of the whole it must h"
the OF ALL Now. in most countries there is
natural and necessary diversity of interests in the
parts resulting from geographical well social and
oer In Virginia and all the southern Atlantic
States such diversity grows out of the physical
structure. The Blue Ridge and the Allegheny noun
tias run pnral. to the coast and at considerable
distance from 1t in all these States and that geographic
~! fact createa a natural difference of interest
| Surrey your great State OF Virginia and all the