Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-17

have given us up as past PRAYING for) Laughter. He
prayed that our alma might be higher and moro expand
cd noted it down at the time rs proper to be re.
nemberod aud not unsuitable to be introduced into
s de6atc under the strong conviction that above eve
cry thing cse most neede, enlargement OF views and
aims, IN considering tho important and exciting subject
now before u.s.
Arc we as members of this body, to wrap ourselves
up In that state of excusveness incucnlhted by the
distinguished gentleman from Halifax, (Mr EDNuSns)
which forhlds US to know any or to consider any
thing, save and except our immediate constituents and
their exclusive interests aud wsheSl Is this the true
doctrine; tho full measure Of duty! mat gentle
man, II understoodhm rightly declared that IN framing
tho organic law for tho whole commonwealth of Fir-
gnia, he would know nobody but his own constituents
and be governed exclusively by their wishes With
great Difference lmuat be permitted say that my
OF duty rs member of this Convention leads mo far
beyond this point cannot fail to remember that while
my first duty is to my immediate constituents and their
ascerta'ned wishes to DO dscgarded yet that
am charged with the high and responsible duty ol con-
structlng system Of government moi alone u thatSen-
tlcnans constituents for my constituents, but for
the whole broad commonwealth of Virginia and how
can perform that duty, how the gentleman from
Halifax perform it, il know nobody but our rcsrec
tive constituents Tn word maintain SIR, that the
true Wow on that subject is this: primarily We are
bound to look to tho interests of those who havo honor
cd with seats upon this floor, but our duty stops not
here part are bound to represent, or at least in
tue spirit Of compromise and mutual concession, t" look
to tho interests and honor Of the whole commonwealth
The contrary view, permit me to say, without meaning
offence 10 any one is in my apprehension selfish I'M.
practicable and unstatcsmanikc AMI directly opposed
to tho spirit of our whole republican system, system
which could never have been established but upon br"
and liberal principles of comprsnisc
Looking then, beyond the districts which We re
spectively represent ask, is there not something
wrong in the condition of our glorious Old common
nj Ill, .fl.,lI
back in the wake of human progress becoInsmorc anu
Insignificant i'll relative political power ut the end
of every decadel Are not in word behind the age
Laggards and loiterers in the Legitimate and natural
progress of modern cvilizatons For one, think 20,
and submit that it becomes duty nn% rs members
Of this important body, to wake up from our slu'rrs,
agreeable they are the glorious traditions which
cluster around the past history of tho State 1" cultivate
higher aims, to look ut every subject more according to
its practical bearings and not waste our time and
strength in these unworthy squahles about the amount
of taxes paid by the respective portions OF the State
these fierce contests Ia where lies the boundary be-
tween Tide water and Piedmont, the diverse interests
Of the Valley and the Trans Allegheny, with other kin
drcd subjects well calculated to excite and keep up
mere local and sectional jealousics
was greatly surprised ut the position assumed the
other day by the gentleman from MeckrnbnrS (Air.
GooDE) in his attempt tn reproduce upon this floor tn,
exploded hcresy of Elwoo1 Fisher. In proof Of our
prosperous condition he gravely called the attention OF
tho committee to the fact, that while even in New York
the Empire state the amount OF real estate did not aver
age more than two hundred and forty dollars to each
whlto nhabtnt i'll Virginia the average exceeded three
hundred dollars, and thercupon he rlumriantly asked
us why draw such melancholy pictures OF the decay
and retrogresson of this old commonwealth Now, sir is
there any gentleman upon this floor, who did not at the
moment perceive the obvious and conclusive answer 4"
this argument. moderate aggregate Of wealth divided
among few, will give larger average To each, than
To illustrate the subject take of lower c"lniic
say the county OF York and suppnsc it contained but
twenty families who owned all the SOIL with ample
number OF slaves to work it, the average wealth there
would DO very high On the other hand take the county
of Jefferson with five times the wealth Of York; but con
tanning, instead OF twenty five hundred families, the
average wealth of each individual i'll Jefferson would
DO much lower than in York yet which would be deem
ed the more prosperous, and which would add more
to the strength and general prosperity of the State
apply this Illustration to the commonwealth ut large
and what would be tho RESULT Individually We
would be one Of the richest people in the world per
haps We are, while ut the same time az 4 community
We would be far in tho of many of sister states
Such i'll truth is the real condition of Virginia
while rich individually, she yet does not occupy the
position nature Intended for her and entertaining ~ do
the firm conviction that this is the result Of mistaken
constitutional policy, long adhered to- for one am
disposed to look above and beyond these narrow Sec
tonal interests these unworthy ealousios aud lend my
best efforts to restore her far possible, to the
proud relative position she occupied This only
can be done by enlarged craftsmanship by Incorporating
into the constitution such provisions arc best adapted
to awaken the dormant energies of the people. The
political pool is stagnaAit requires agitation to pm
rify the waters and make them wholesome and how
can this be effected better than by restoring the people
i'll every part OF the state to state If perfect political
equality, leaving them free from any depressing sense
of degradation to press in the race of physical and
intellectual developments But will not prosecute this
inquiry further
Entertaining opinions differing from many of my west.
friends, it is proper should define my position in
regard question that has occupied large space in the
Of this debate Irefer to the JUS aors rs it is
called, or in other words, the supposed right of the
majority to govern the minority. Sir am no be-
lever in this rs Il natural right Nature, in nv iulc.
mplant within the social instinct While it has been
the pleasure of Divine Wisdom t. read us lessons from
tho book of nature, as guide in respect to most of
other duties and relations i'll regard to the frame
work of government man has been left 10 work ont his
own temporal salvation. Every government in nv
Judgment is purely conventional it is strictly an arti
fetal being. 1t is the work Of man. have referred to
the social instinct. This impos into society Il plainly
indicates to u.s. that we cannot develop our faculties
either moral intellectual and perhaps even our ply
scal strength except IN social condition but nature
leaves us to work out the problem for ourselves
far the social compact government is concerned
Yeti am very far from contendng that there fun
damenta principles of government. On the contrary eve
~ civilized nation on the earth has its fundamental pnc
Piles The autocracy OF Russia the despoli-ms of Austria
and Turkey the revolutionary government of France
hierarchy of Rome, each rests upon certain hlnam
tai principles though widely differing and especially in
regard to that interesting country from which w derive
our origin, magma chdrta and the revolution of l6SS
laid deep and broad the prnc Plies Of civil liberty and
made large advances towards establishing Just and
liberal political institutions Coming down to our own
country and the period of our revolution We have but
little difficulty i'll discovering the principles then cnn4e
Grated by fathers and sealed with their best blood
say then consecrated and established but not for the
first time recognized by them. The tree of liberty wa
tered by their blood amidst the dark and trying scenes
of the revolution not then planted It had taken
root firmly in the soil Of this Western world more thu,
century and half before; then, rs perhaps may be
properly said for the FIRST time it was made to blossom
and bear fruit
These principles it becomes us to study and examine
thoroughly There they lie, deeper than what is termed
the constitution itself They constitute the very base
of the basement To illustrate the subject as applied to
ourselves, by familiar example The superstructrre
above ground Of brick-work or other materials, d,
vdcd into convenient compartments, to accolnmo
date the varying wants of the community is repre-.
scented by the body of statute laws then comes the
constitution the foundation proper Of hcwn granite
but below these lie the Bill of Rights, the solid
k