Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09

will ;nhcr the power control the najorlty-te Gc
cnndants Of the cast will inherit the power to control
and govern the west and the descendants Of The wealthy
viii inherit the power to control the children Of tie
var AMI Ll amid The revolutions of the affairs Of
mon The IONS -nui squander the estates inherited from
,b.r fathers they WILL at the same time, squander the
noica power they had inherited from hat an
c.strv i beautiful system is this TO be recommended
to the adoption Of the poop OF Virginia But little
L,.r than the old English law of entails, by which es.
tatcs were transmitted through successive generations
without the power of alienation; this odious system
will transmit political power from generation gcner-
alton but with the power of alienation. And Is it true
that u system is to he introduced into Virginia by
which the political power of the Commonwealth may
be handed from generation 10 generation by inheritance
l. il true that We to incorporate principle in our
government under which, political power may DC nc.
Guired y inheritance from other parts of the world
There is Il family in eastern Virginia who seek
ing to obtain the estate left by lady Jane Grant of Scot
land They certainly the neu descendants, and, il
they obtain that estate amounting to several millions
of dollars The political power based thereon will be
brought 10 the east by of inheritance from for
cign country.
But further, this principle has llcnloruzing infu.
ence by the counenauce it gives to fraud and the Other
unhoy means of obtaining property 1t negccts honest
industry refuses protection to labor totally dlsregards
tho researches OF science has sympathy for morality
and religion and shuts its eyes against all efforts to ell
tighten the mind by education. 1t seems to know and
care for nothing but property All its energies put
forth the protection OF one interest only Property
property is iis continued its endless song, though
property the only great interest in the community
worthy of protection Protection to labor Is considered
by mixed basis gentlemen, altogether unworthy OF
notice, and science and religion morality and education
must give place TO property. And property and the
means of its requirement and use, must be considered
the only thing among great people worthy oprotecton
And this too without any regard to the means OF the
haaf al I,,,l :.
ocket or won at cards and though may have been OBJ
tanned by robbery and covered the hans and conscience
of its possessor with the blood of his slain fellow man.
still it must be rewarded with political power in order
SUPPOSE that it may aid in the enactment of laws for
the protection Of its ungody Infamous possessor in the
enjoyment of his unholy gains Lacedemon was
once tower of strength and her Spartan glories blzed
tho midst of the surrounding nations but her great
ness waned before the fires of her adversares when
wealth became the supreme object of her alteration and
regard Her citizens pure and patriotic and
were then invincble: but, when the love of wealth
usurped the throne, her people became vcna aud corr
rupt and ruin and diagracc followed in the train As
with SPARTA it will he with Virginia. for like causes
will produce like effects But mus, not be regarded
the enemy of wealth am not for consider proper
" one of the gifts of God to man, and ought to cher.
i-h and protect H. Bu. we must not forget that we
have been warned by inspiration against the iuorlinac
love Of it. And whilst would cherish and protect it
b. all proper means will not, dare not raise it
above the other blessed gifts Of heaven to et- will
not ceratc above man himself to an equality with
him To elevate it to equality with man bv giving
1T equal representation would have dcmoraiznr intu.
ence-a rilnous tendency that would soon tear down
he great institutions OF this mighty country and leave
them to slumbcr forever amid the departed gnrc-
OF all the ruined republics of earth. Thus believing
canno:, will not give my consent to it.
But beg the ADVOCATES of the mixed basis TO ren,m
Der that We are told by the book of books that rich
4
part of the world" They held BY no certain ten,
lre but are subject all the casualties of earth They
are here for awhile then vanish Is the morning dew
Sometimes the judgments of heaven are brought down
upon men for their inordnatc love Of money and the
unholy means of its requirement; and then, the
mighty oak Is shattered by the ghtniugs of heaven
riches shvered TO atoms by the wrath OF the Al
mighty and scattered to the ends of the EARTH What
then will become OF the political pocr based upon il
When riches take to themselves wings AMI nt away
from nation or community the political power based
thereon will mount upon the pnions and y away
to the ends Of the earth and be lost forever How
poor foundation is this upon which rest the nsti;u-
lions of great people! So fuctuatng. uncertain
that cannot tell what it is or where j, IS whc it viii
how long il will stay 1t is fleeing rs the
wind, ana unstable rs the ocean waves.
We have been frequently asked BY our opponents in
this discussion if we would be willing extend or prn-
cpcs TO the federal government AI, the inquiry has
been pressed with as much carncstne+s l5 though il pre-
scented real difficulty do not know what answer
would be satisfactory cnnSolat ionst; but As do
no. belong that school Of politicians shall erect my
answer to those who regard that government it is
ami what it intended 10 be- The federal govern
ment is compact of sovereign States and not IN ayre
gat Ell init OF tic whole people 1t is TO be Judged o Them
and the guide ri u :c:inn Is to be asceraincd III the
terms of the compact: and BY the original principles
Of government powers all delegated and hence
properly restricted Sovereignty cannot be- cicd
a. :
tho extent OF the restriction. nt delegated powers are
necessarily restricted and that by the terms Of the
nnt And then there principles OF action except
those in the covenant Itself! And the parties to the fed
cral compact entered into agreement such 20 them
seemed proper by which they, the sovereigrs agreed to
delegate the general government the exercise Of
tain specified powers And the nature ana cXt:nt oi
those delegated powers depend upon the specifications
vi the covenant as agreed upon by the parties oc
tract. And it might have been proper for Virgin
H. in striking the bargain with her sister States 10
ccive the basis of federal numbers in exchange for other
advantages to other parties the contract For
but compact, To which the original principles oi
government could have no application Ii wouid have
been perfectly competent to have arranged the rcprcsen
tnton OF that government upon basis agreed upCn by
ali the parties without violation of anv principle
sovereignty For sovereignty does not and cannot
reside iVa government with simply delegated powers
But apart from this exchange Of benefits 10 the contrart
ing parties principle itself would require that the negro
should be represented in the federal government but
not in that OF the States And the south were perfectly
justablc, upon tho ground Of principle, in insisting up
on that representation And what was that ground
IN erecting the federal government was not the design
to delegate to it the regulation of the internal affairs OF
the States Hence under the conventional arrangement
of that government provision is made in reference to
the condition OF the negro. That matter is left entirely
to the States themselves. And outside the INTENTIONAL
law the negro is free, sovereign d independent And
this, his natural sovereignty or freedom is only taken
away By conventional arrangement. lit were wths the
province OF the general government determine and fix
his condition, and by the conventional law of that gov
ern,nent he should be made slave then every State m
the Union would be slave State But that il not the
BY that government. his condition is untouched
Hence in that government far known or ctermin d
by any of its laws bearing Immediately upon the sub
ect, the negroes occupy their natural condition as per-
and ought OF right To be rcp eSentcd therein per
sons And, in that government, they are represented
persons and not ns property, gentlemen here seem
to suppose The clause of the constitution the United
States bearing upon this subject is in these words:
Repre- cn,atves and direct taxes shall b.. appor-
toned among the several States which may lie included
within this Union according to their respective num-
bers which shall be determined b. adding to the whole
number Of free persons Including those boun To service
for of years. aud excluding Indians not taxed
three i.ths of all other persons"
In the general government the negroes stand as per-
and sucn ought be rd