Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-01

from motives ul nciC. alouU. well Il. from .i",c Of
more exalted character be disposed 10 49, ;"eif pIwc
SOFAS |" confer tho greatest good upon the greatest
ncr Well then Tie gentleman from Wcslmor.an
i'G constructed man Of stray, projected WITH 81.
tli'Fh'h'l ''" great proves L" demuiI>A ti. Isli
aScfibc To rs ilho exceptions the :tE"ca"k al In
nrihclr!c OF uncontrolled and unlimited VIII - mcr
majority oi numbers. he next assumed ita1 from tia
rIripc woull result The :.h>,Irdity al. ext. rcii. il
right "i suffrage n"t only ~ females ini,l. and l>a,
persons, but also 10 negroes. i confess that c.r,,
perceive for = moment, how the nrincip" IL distribute
political power equally amongst the member, o: IN,
bGGS polite can have the effect Ia extend :ic ne lit q
suffrage 10 those w!o never have been entrusted with i
exercise. We T. pose In make c sr~.,. q: n,., ;r,,
Avail IL mach another voter. AMI il answer t., IT.
nluF">itl" We are told lal the cn,,cr,,r, ,,i,,,yrr
human heiI al bo' cSes. and 81 I'll color, Ill H.. en-
titled 10 cAcrcIs. the elective franchise l., .tfy . ev.
HAT THIS proposition 10 make The ri. Of .irr.,g -, ara
man c4a! II Tie right ~ Suffrage an ,i.r i,.,y,.
the ah'nrdiiE OF extending II /" every human III.
"i'i'" 'ii nii>"i IigiitIi including irt,i~ tn! i-
In>a'c persons. cfi'iIa. ncsroc> :i, +, r,.l.,
~ aud IcnticaIiy the effect al the argument q, liz, zen.
trnan from Ncsn"I, land. -, understood II Sn.Y
t'rh c had 'trriicd correctly Ia III. rlic.i. ita
absolute power shout l., vested III "a. I, .,r,,YY 9,
numbers. II" not Hcr no" the ai,>:r:, ia a, sgI.ci
al. /, 10 result a. Legitimate cc">>dr, ,.tuurc,
But II" such pr!hciP!r having r, advance, IL -. h. :r
ri least do not n-"r II necessary. - should ..c
"irc ia. I" pursue that iaT!Iry inItICr h,n Hr,.
The >",ci 81 guarantees; H." gsh,!cna tpI Il
That guarantees wcre worthless, tia: rarcnc &.l,,..
ti,> were -" worl the material, r.i i, h.
col constructions WHY. did NOT The c.,,t.. iGa Ir,c.c
that r had he.u sent here icr he rtrpcc II lra,nn.
an .!.>irlnieni 10 CONSIST Carey ot III. parchment
guarantee Did i" rrcolIcct Eti W, Ip.! our right
10 HE, ocrl; and the ptI'l; 81 happltr. AID ~ ia!
man, member ol society. ar Grhtrsf.t hold no.
dear under tie sanction 81 hc,r ,ar TaIc!,cut .,r.
antics sustained and nouri-he by wholesome ;,tii.c
sentiment En- The elect Of the ,r:uurr,t. Il
parchment guarantees are worthless. tlcm SO .H come
h'rr for inlitt irP"er. We have come bore to sn:,
III instrument 10 bc composed merely ~ Ia!rh:ncl.
araIriG and The >anic argument which i, norti.t,
that parchment guarantees worthless ir &c TCrc
tiU 81 property. would prove that very constitution ~
hall MAKE, 10 he eiraliv'worc,> liz 'nc. tic afrt.
mcni, II good ioI purpose i C"ncl.v, .t cri
~ ioi,t It al all sai'. any written constitutions .yr
Eat Ilhi> bc very modern dr"vrr; ~ lie ~ciyrt
81 goscrnmcEI and Of politics: II 'ny i'' "a! b..
strongly impressed '!Ian cy'rv other aIn tr American
mind. II Is thai O.. He Iur>mab' Waite oil t'.>r yCry
parliament guarantees. called written !!nIr... Tie
value al which thai ntnd !, hrrr tari, .n!,rt ,e
wi'!. hy the contemplation alike II .r g.ta; ,rii, w.ir
have resulted elsewhere Tor liz want 81 ,,c
ton, and the vast hrucl> which have been experienced
here II every Stat III this %i"a tniun urdc! ~ ,i-
cent nIlncncc. And The 81 tl:at ,!. has inc
al and i increasing da. by "a: i, liz! popular -irr,:
If America. the ratio 81 itc un;rcrod. ate! pioGrca,
and prr>Irr .-pul,llm.s, =, s'.@ !. viii. .cce..t..
speed IL every scp, her onward a.i tf "prii carer
under Tic guid,G.cc and l.occt," :" thee r,t% pn.c
ment guarantees, whic :..nl!, here E,lr
inclined to seoul and G"rrc. This. like Il" ii't branch
81 tic gentleman argument, II IT pruT.s ,i:s r!rii!@
prove, much That 1t Will Ic rccolec,d, con,l,,,
first IN :>ci!h!tG 10 III principle. and ttcn t;..g L.
crPrec;"i. iai prHcpc ny pushing ii - q" J",ttid -
trctnr. will now say here. bcca;',,: H. 'i.in
arCincn: has marked The cour,r oi dlGn, every genie
man who la engaged IN this dc5ac lt SHE 81 t!Ic
question, that 1t is not logical. >jcnkng. ir o. cor.
mode OF testing the aon'">, Of al. prl!. pie. ID
push il liz extreme results. where it mis-, ,>arI!y
end N ah.,lrdity.
There i no principle in law, politics. nr nj. which
could not thus BE- condemned II there i. arr truth
which is universally admitted than ii! ui.r"i j.
that there is not priucrlc in ell Der Of the" rier,
which if pushed! 10 il "Xlrcn" result, wuCi.I nt lGo
ducc evil mischief %: absurIitr. md therefore. ky
the 'raln "i reasoning. aiHr:a by lie gentleman
upon this occasion, after "ratu!t"us!s act!n. {" ~
prime ir!c wh:ch, far know, l., not entertained tx
any one this floor, he could equally a,;crccI u.
cxpun-ins from the codes :" Ew. r.I,l,. AZ! Foiirc,
every principle which j. deemed v,lwal,ceH.rr prE-
cipic which f.nd- 10 elevate naI 81 - protect n Il:
tn. ENJOYMENT Of his sacred right 50 in rc:nt,:
to the second branch Z" his argument il il prove, anr.
thing. i. proves: that ali written constitutions worth.
less Bu, that Is IL conclusion which. IL before observed
is not very consistcn, with the purpose thai brought
us here with the labors which have 'msas. ,ty
after day for many weeks past.
The gentleman. Also from the CIT" "r Ei,hnoai
(Mr MEEpITHl in the very able aud beautiful speech
which he mad" the other day. and to which | latced
with great pleasure and great instruction upon hi
subject of GUARANTEES in order to show that tly woult
be useless, read extract form Mr.. Mddaons essay
upon that clause Of the federal constitution which
fers upon Congress the exercise oi implied al
s,rlv underlined powers. have not slice e:ir.ninec
the number of The F=deralis u which ;! essay
tanned but if my memory does not decelT" me- The put
pose OF it was excise the tral"r: II the federal cen
titutinn for not having imposed limitations and
restrictions upon these implied power" tiier'hv con
ferred uron Congress. Now. what wa6 The subicct 81
which Nj. Madison WAS treating: lie WAS showing As
4 reason why these, restrictions had net been placed
Oh those powers til" danger and The difficulty cf in
po.ins general restrictions upon vag.e ~! nndei;nea
powers of legislation! The difficulty consist, ia tnis
That the powers be.. underlined it j.; Impossible /,
know where t" place tic restrictions and how 10 i'm
pose ;len,. This is the difficulty. Iii" ,iarg"
consist; in this: that upon the principle of T..
prcssio uni"S r cJri"so uterus. If ynu specify OF
restriction exception. in the constitution. ;hsi
every other not expressly specified and n,nei !!
the restriction, Is left fire: t" ~ exercised Ihi
is the danger ans! there IS the difficulty. Eut wouit
that argument apply t" any extent la r:upo
si:iur - limit specific Legislative" power Thus tn
gentleman from the county al Eelk:cT Mr.. FArLE>Ek
has offered proposition here to limit The c.,rcs~
The taxing power, and proposition submitted b
other s;entlenan proposes ;hat that power Iia!
only he exercised upon the I'D rciore,;' rnyin" Now
here is Il specific nwcr-erc Is ar'esicl restriction
proposed upon that power. Docs Ar. M"lia"nF a!c'i
incnt apply to this l. hci" any difficulty here
hcr. any danger here. The organic l.: may say ta
the legislative department aali mrca. taxes c rro
the nd rGi"r'm principle and consequently lAe@ I'M
posed upon any other principle ':CrlL BE- vv: AMI 40
hinGn. III las. Where then, is i'i" dlicuitr-i.i:rt
is the danger To r!sr from the prnTai" III the ri!l
law that you shall only tax upoE thc "f r1'o|,.a pm
cip.c. Is there any danger therein. ~ c"iicrrlr% III
defined and VAGUE and general poMcl*i Then l" II
restriction in the imposition enforcement u VINO
there car he anv difficulty, If the legislature. cob
tr.ry 10 the behcsts Of the constitution. should atrp
to pass tax bill violatre Of III" nh r'"I'"' c:'.s'
any citizen. who felt personally gg'l"'rd by IT, COIL
resist the collection Of take, under i; 'nd appeal
the judicial tribunals OF the country. II may DC 'ru
that any proposition Of this kind !Slt require rc!et
ton but it co;d not involve such serious difficulty tha
It's solution would he beyond The reach ." human w!s
dom 1t is. then apparent that the argument OF NJ
Madison upon which the Ingenious gentleman lf"l
Richmond based his reasoning can have II" application
whatever any sort of guarantee OF restriction w!c
hasbeen proposed TO BE- placed upon specific leglsa
tiv, power And it is 1ually apparent that these re
strctiolS can be imposed here 40: ont! without ''its
GUILTY but with perfect safety and that they must ne'
itatiy prevail il their practical effect. Until state
things shall if to which Will allsd. pre-:
entity.
The mex, gentleman in the order II debate, believe
was the gentleman from Halifax. Mr. PrRE:'s.i II
adopted in the first place the same mod: 9" a:gcacl
which was rasorted TO bv the gentleman nom "S5n"rS