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

49,, :. M abolition sentiment IN TOE We, to
their section would not use the powers Ut air if were
discriminate against slave properly ou IN mi. de-
-. recard as serious all that has been SUI Iernno,e
hote' might we'll doubt these insurance.: tr con.
that western gentlemen VIII sys that we claim no
Ieresr representation than we believe 70 DO our Ja'
rir6t and yet they tell us that If we 40 no,
this and accord them their demands wul CRAY
Ice, feelipg in the west against slave properly. LILY
adj members from that section assure US, In lui-
n,ss;oned language that refusal to give up "nat we
believe to be our rights, will arouse TINS aooilon t.
tment What security then can we ieei MAJ sune e.
amsa NOV not hereafter produce the same efect II
Is uot an mnossibe supposition that the day may come
when the federal government may drecuy attaek Tue
rel to slave property will the west then assist US 70
defend it, if, as the gentleman from hana"na IN
oaid her interests in the Union are paramount
~ AL nthers7 Nav. sir he avowed Il at one OF the
as &c the white basis would be to Vest power IN the
west so as to prevent the slaVe,noioins Gu'' nun ~.
solving the Union which he well KNOWS tue east
J drsire unless it was her only means OF saiVatlon
H. tben shall we hope that the west would permit
e State 10 interpose her authority to protect our pro-
ner,y and save US from the fate OF jamaica ile'
deleraes are ready, it ia true, to pass resolutions o
s;stance ;. at all hazards and to the last extremity
hm, ,h North has learnt and know what such reso-
buttons menn in the mouths even of eastern men, mucn
lcss of western Nor can our apprehenslons DC ana yu
by the systematic attempt here made TO diVae 'e con
munty into hostile classes of rich and poor ana 10 ar
nov the feelings of the non-save holders against inc
shareholders And how has this attempt been support
cd, Br reference the Auditors report OF the nunoeI
Of persons paying taxes on slaves Nothng, sI' couu
be more delsve. The auditor tells me that "here AZ
individual appears in any district as paying slave TAX
both s guardian or executor, and for himself he IS only
counted once This, of itself, would make cohsiaeFa
BILE difference in the enumeration why, sir, inc sahie
table would prove that out OF the nine hundred lnou
SAND free white inhabitants Of Virginia. only one nun
red and thirty odd thousand interested in any kind
| of property But do gentlemen, who thus argue, forge'
that the wife and children and presumPye heirs OF the
slave holder really much interested IN Save
ery as himself' And computing each iamty a. S.A
persons YOU will find that even according 70 lhs 'aDe
there are at least 100000 persons in Virginia drec'9
| interested in this species of property.
When such efforts as these made here, what con
fdence can We feel in the pernanence OF hs
! feeling in the west towards slave property: "
We are informed that il Is safe, because the public
are carrying slaves into certain parts OF
western Virginia. and their number l; increasing In inc
| Valley and the Southwest. But more Is inc grca'
northwest that portion Of the State which IS least IN
arspcted by mountains, and capable Of supporting
tho dense,t population, and this is the very section
| which it is least probable will ever own slaves The
gentleman from Wood (Mr VAN WiSELE) told you
that slaves could not be held there because they es-
capped and always would escape into the north know
not what kind Of commentary this is upon the vaunle
efficacy of the fugitive slave law, but believe the gen
teman is sustained BY past and present experience
And yet the inevitable effect Of your white OASIS IS 10
ncrt ase more and at every succeeding census
the prenonderance of this very portion OF the state al
| the expense Of every other.
But gentlemen are not content TO rest their argument
ia favor Of the white basis upon the abstraction Of
natural right alone They appeal to authority, and IN,
woke the bill of rights in their aid might well pleaa
tn the Jurisdiction, and while treated the opinions OF
the men of the Revolution with all proper respect deny
that their abstract theories any better than our own
that the times then proptous to the STUDY OF
political philosophy the present. But their actonS
heir practice, Partook of the greatne OF the era ana
here lhry snatchcd grace beyond the reach OF art
These actions dictated by the necessities OF the &C.
casion and in following nature were inspired BY that WIS
dom which has been said to be obove reflection because
above and before it. Cicero records it, as fine saying
Of the elder Cato, that the constitution OF the Roman
Republic better than any other because was not
the work Of any man, but of long series OF gene
ra,ions it was not the offspring OF any one genus,
however great, but OF time and circumstances ARD
thus our Virginia constitution, like every other good
petty was wiser than its builders it grew OUT OF the
OF The State and wns so fitted to Them that as
Randolph said, it constitution not for China, or
Japan, or any other country Out virginia, anu S!a
alone.
But deny that the bill Of rights contains any such
doctrine as the advocates Of the white basis now pre-
tend. The farest commentary upon Its meaning IS The
contemporaneous practice Of its authors in the cons
luton Of lTT6. But compare these two Instruments
written at the same time BY the same men, and where
is the warrant for your interpretations on create
saring contradictions between the two while upon our
construction they are ia perfect harmony
this bill of rights drawn up, seems 10 Sir, that
be at loss to discover its true intent The
great question Of that day whether the common
wealth OF Virginia had right to cast of its allegiance
the King Of England, Who in his political capacity,
then part and parcel Of her constitutions and the
clause to which gentlemen appeal was designed to
affirm this right When they declare that all power is
vested in the people and ID, rs' sFa sf"iit
ii2G AND the E"to reform, alter or abolish the form
Of government they these terms in the well known
attached them by the standard political writers
None was then more read than Locke, all the de-
bu:ss show; and YOU will find in his essay on Govern
uent, that he constantly the word g community
as synonymous with commonwealth, meaning not
the people mere aggregate OF individuals, out III
that organized capacity in which alone they become
separate independent State community Why, sir,
his distinction old the word people itself VIVA!
does Cicero say speaking the language Of the oldest
il,rsts Of the Roman republic:
Popuias dute'a noa est oninis homn'n eoef"S qHoq'
,o,lo ccn re7aus Sed coctus muuatxtS wris conssns
ef ,tlitc.ts conununionc soc!dtsS.
THE people is not any collection of men, however
ciasscd TOGETHER but collection of associated BY
conpar! q lcw and community OF interest
The inh abitants Of that portion OF the world known
in geography Virginia, form an independent State,
ao in yirue of their separate individual rights but by
tina. political compact which constitutes them people,
which defines and divides them from their neghbors,
anal makes them an organic community II is of such
r,ymun,ty that the bill of rights speaks and to avoid
any misu.d anding, it says majority not Of the
~. ole, but of the community. That is n majority
O. he common intercstsan organic, constitutional ma
Jority.
The opposite doctrine the confusion Of ideas which
uAkcs the inhabitants and the people Of country
:, cuy.l.n. terms, leads the most monstrous
tAences For when you assert the natural right Of a
mere numerical majority to govern, and the natural
righ, of every one TO equal political power, you must
errr either to the inhabitants the citizens If to the
after, thea you at once imply compact which deter
mines the conditions Of czcnshP-who are citizens
.ad political power to be natural right, but
rs dts from convention and constitution But If as
is erstand the argument you assert this natural right
il, every individual in his character man, human
BE- iug ;hen you refer TO the Inhabitants each of
hom you say has natural right equal political pow
e.: and numerical majority Of whom have natural right
to the possession Of the government But them BY what
law do you stop your community at arbitrary geographic
cal lines; Why the Inhabitants of this bank Of the
Ohio Nirrinsns, and Of the other, citizens of Ohio:
Suppose the latter demanded union Of the States
into one by what right could it be refused? 1t would
be L900,OOU free white individuals against 100000;
AMI by your doctrine, majority would have natural
ria to govern, and determine for the interests Of all
You can escape the difficulty only by admitting COM
pact, which created political power, which changed
ines. mere inhabitants within certain boundaries in
:, citizens of organized States, which associated
these individuals into separate communities bodies po