Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-18
SATURDAY. Ee6ru@ys Continued
pvpo,,r1vE DEPARTMENT.

WATTS. of Norfolk county, III 'ne ane report
of the Committee on the 'A''' VI 'i'e
Government .ho ,n.st;on to he on tho frat sac.
Inc ~ e., article of the report and the amend
ments pending upon th ;naulpenca Of the con,m;,teo
ar. n.y. -, moments for investigation of the prn-
iT Il .h ,1 in the subject now under consideration
ciPie n,rself almost entirely to the principle ITSELF
sha M mind there ia but very little of practical i'm
Tor ~ IN the matter. But do think that there is
pr;ncpa Of deep and vital Importance IN the subject
fcnn.ideratioa-a principle that lies at tho very
ia,iou OF institutions and that the decision of
b. question must settle the prncp pie bv which, in all
nroabli,v we shall be governed in most, if not all
Subjects that shall be presented for consideration
While we are assembled here come to this Convention
with desire and determination my humble eff
forts TO promote great princines and in the consdera
ZION m the organic law Of thu State 80 to construct 1t "a
10 .ap it nearly possible to the great end and OBJ
-c had in view BY fathers when they land the fou
d,.;o, Of our government. shall not stop to inquire
whether il is the design of this Convention to conform
20 that great principle shall stop to inquire what
i the desire OF the people of this Commonwealth IN re-
ference thereto take it for granted tha all will con
cele the fact that the people of this Commonwealth de-
sire our Constitution to conform to the principles estat
Tb.l bv our forefithers-no, not established but re-
c,.oxei and declared by them that Is that all power
is inherent in and originally derived from the people
and that magistrates their agents and servants ana
at nil times a.nenabe them. Now, understand the
lar.d in that section Of our Bill Of Rights Tor it ia sim
,v shall we in the formation Of the organic law OF this
State aaut il to the principle recognized therein, that
all power belongs the people. do not, cannot give
INV assent to the proposition 30 frequently ald down.
so urgently impressed pcrtnacously adhered TO- d
ring ,he disc,ssion-long protracted it has been
that the people when they enter the social compact 10
"a of right d proprety surrender parts or the whole oil
their Inherent rights That regard as the prcpie III
violence i'll the question here Is II eoniPetent-is II
~ A.. r,c III,
great principles of to restrict themselves
In the formation of the organic law 1t has been assert
ed aud and again asserted here .hat the PEG
pls d., restrict themselves-that 1T is perfectly coss
tent with that principle for the people to restrict them
solved and that the object Of the Constitution Ill the Ian
ouage of the gentleman from Pittsy ID to restrict
The people To that proposition intend to address my
se,t here 1t is one with which cannot accord do
acknowledge the proposition that man. when he en-
tiers the social compact surrenders all amy part of his
inhereu; sovereignty which are taught belongs to
him ] assert the proposition-l may be peculiar in 1t,
bat assert it-that man, by entering theisocla
compact; surrenlers none-no, not one partcleof his
Inherent right On tie contrary think shall show,
that so far from surrender restriction of his irhe
rent rights they strengthened and supported BY
that compact What understood By the natural rights
or sovereignty OF mans What is the condition of in
diyilua and the political condition of people in the
natural state If understand it, his position is that
vi the sovereign aud subject combined in the per
son-soyeresn in that he is master of his own destiny
arth subject i'll that he subject to the control of
his own will and his reason. That understand is
what is meant by the natural sovereignty of man. Then
the question ariaes, does surrender any of these
,ghtsf What are the natural rights oi man. his in
herent rghts understand the inherent rights of man
be- the right life OF liberty and the pursuits of hap
pness All other rights inferior and sutservieut to
these. Then PROFOUND the question does man. BY en-
ering the social compact surrender ALL or any OF his
aatural rights nay, he surrender them Can he
Surrender the right of fel If he does he is guilty of
suicide aud amenaie the Divine law for its infringe
.nent Can he surrender the right OF liberty: II he
doe. he ceases be man, he becomes mere automa
ton mot a freeman-not man-but a mere machine,
rned at the will Of him who works the machinery by
which lie is governed Can he surrender his right to the
pursuits of happiness understand the great design of
mas creation the pursuit OF happiness, and II he
r,nIers tue right that pursuit he destroys the OBJ
~, ii his own creation the design OF his existence
and renders himself amenable to the Divine law, by
rendering that for which alone he was placed on earth
70 seek-sternal happiness. Now ask the gentleman
is consistent with the nature of to surrender these
s natural rights acknowled to be such ALI the other
y;, Of men are merged subservient 10 the rights
nave mentioned
Now for u very few moments propose to investigate
the arguments urged by gentlemen upon the subject
Nv position that this proposition or argument that
man srrenders his rights contrary first tn all authority
upon the subject will repeat it lost should be mis-
,nderstood-ths principle that man docs surrender
portion of his natural rights by entering the compact Is
contrary to all authority upon the subject Gentlemen
have been extremely prolific in authorities and wonder
hot thew have not brought the authority of of the
writer's on this subject sustain them IN their position
What elementary writer has been referred tO-who
has been quoted to sustain that position hazard the
assertion can be procured II there can be- never
ay. seen it, grant you that authority eau be procured
10 sustain them IN one part Of their position that man
does surrender his authority. All writer's on that
subject aprea that he can surrender it, but assert
that man does surrender it when he enters the social
compact il popular government AT least nave seen
,.oe Bat this proposition Is not only contrary 10 all
authors and To nature but it is contrary, in my humble
Judgment TO 1t is acknowledged on all hands
that the natural state IS sovereign but they say
that that sovereignty surrendered by entering the go
cia compact The design of the Constitution itself says
,le gentleman from Pttsyvana is to restrict the peo
pie when fney enter the social compact Now have al
WAYS understood only from authority but from
humble reasoning this subject that mans sovereignty is
ar from being surrendered by entering the compact
According to the authority Baanich the sovereignty
nj each is merged in that OF the whole The will the con-
science the Judgment of ALL becomes that of cach all of
which i. set forth BY the decision OF the majority The will
aud conscience the individual in the natural gov
4rn, hi. action He IL the subject of that will The
Judgment the weight of consideration operating upon the
mind matchmaking way the other, control the nc.
ton Of thean So arguing Baamlchi says and 50 think
tina, whcu ev social compact the sovereignty oil
Zach beinJ united i'll that Of the whole each one there
ly strengthened just cord is strengthened by ITS
nninn with multitude-and then the will Judgment and
conscience of the majority predominatng way or the
o,bo deciees the question BY which all are to be gov
OF .d-the opinions and considerations of the minority
ysingto the superior judgment of the majority just as
the me,loniuance of the will conscience with the IN
.yilua himself.
have said all intend upon the subject. 1t was not
my design to Ietan the committee for any length Of
,.me all desired to do was to define my own position
aud that the belief all power belongs to the people
aud further tina, the opinion here expressed is contrary
" the principle upon which our institutions rs. That
n. zion say is violation OF the fundamental ground
upon which our whole fabric 1t is antdemocrat-
10, monarchca What is the reas oning by which
all tho advocates Of monarchy claim the right OF the
monarch rul-l Is upon the ground that man
does surrender, Is it not in the language OF the same
author upon the very ground that all the the
power originally inherent in the sovereign people, ana
thar 1t transferred according to this very argument
Urged sad pressed by surrender Of the people know
81 hone TIA: argues any other consideration And hence
say that j: is only antidemocratc but monarch
cal Thar is the ground upon which they build their
argument. 1t is that which has reared the proudest
;oe Ina, stood upon the earth 1t is that which
has placed upon il the worst tyrant that ever welded