Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-18

upon her beautiful harbor, whitened WIN the canvass
az thousand merchantmen. God grant that something
NAV he done here God grant that the evil influences
which have hung the detlnes Of the may be
removed and that Virginia may be what Nature and
Natures God intended her to be- the keystone af the
arch Of this Union But going from the question
Yet, if am following the precedent, in the latitude
given the debate here, have, at least confined myself
70 home and not travelled over the world and the
crest of mankind to what they have done. shall
not be driven ror my proprety. or frightened from any
osition NAV has. been authorised To take in this Con
renton BY v Cuents by the cry of reckless limo
vation or by any that may be made at the capacity
of the people for sslfgovernmen This cry Of reckless
innovation has been heard whenever effort ha. been
made to take from the hands Of arstocratc wealth Its
power and distribute it among the multitude 1t VIII
ALWAYS be heard when effort made to place the great
BODY of the people upon platform OF equality with the
better informed of the country There nothing IN this
crv of reckless innovation The whole system of Amer
can Government is an innovaon-a reckless innovation
on the usascs of former times claim that no harm can
grow out of an innovation upon the principles OF 1916
much less of 1929 and 1890 What might have been a
good constitution in 1916 may fall short very far short
of the demands of 1851 Your government itself was
then tried experiment and your fathers launched the
baruue of their destiny upon the ocean OF experiment
The they formed may have been as wise, a
good us perfect the genius of man could have formed
under the circumstances at that period but that govern
ment became dstastcful to the people OF Virginia rs
early as 1929 and 1890 and convention was called for
the purpose of rcmodeng it, and IN that convention
were of great wisdom a. ever Sraceu the ros-
trums in this country But theirs the expiring light
of genius The setting with most of the great
men of that convention and he who Will look at the four
tcenth section Of the constitution As reported by that
convention and every other clause upon the right oi
suffrage reproach for saying that was per
feet failure in every oil the word IT was adopted
by the people because it went step from artocrac
repubcanism But there has gone up from the land
against that constitution during the last ten Years the
most unceasing complaint, and convention Was De
manded and when the bill calling this Convention wa
referred to then the people adopted 1t by majority o
thousands For the purpose OF reforming that constu
ton we are assembled here at say sent here To
give the people of Virginia it was in our power con
stution bearing its face sweeping and radical re-
forms do not know that it will be in my power, in
the power of the radicals upon the floor of this Convcn
ton or Of those who here instructed how In act
on the questions which may here to give the PEG
pie such constitution a., my opinion they desire and
demand. But do not know that humble as am car
do here promised to do before the people can try
to do it.
Alr. FUQUA. | had no temper to engage in this dis
CUSTOM and should have been content to have given
silent vote but for the allusion which my honorable col
league lr HorKrSs) thought proper to make L" the del
egation of which am an humble member. When th.>
question was sprung upon us thought II was slmpl'
affair [ thought it OF but little consequence how
this body should determine the question. did not
how it was a matter Of great consequence whether
should elect chief executive officer for two terms al
four years and render him ineligible the balance Of hi
life, whether should elect him for term Of ioui
out oi eight years whether We should elect hl
Tor life by terms could hot see that it was matter
OF any consequence and if gentlemen who started Thu
discussion will pardon me, think they were raising
tempest ina teapot" But grave questions have beer
brought into this discussion And confess that the gen
tlsmen who occupy the position friends of Ia" ropo
sition of the distinguished gentleman from Henricr
have GO, the Jockey word" upon They have de-
clarcd that purpose is TO trench upon the rights
the people, anu to impose limitations upon the sovere,
will. had choice, Il admit, between these proposi
tios when the question first arose but it never occur
red to that while WAS making that choice, WA
attacking the sovereignty Of the people. thought thai
my aii-certainy il was my purp"se--was to hit the
eligibility Of the governor. thought thu restriction
was upon the office. aud not upon the people and
think so still 1t has been said i'll this debate and sal,
truly that all power resides with the people Bur iii "a
arrant abstraction, Ia my mind n can possibly Ii
brought 10 bear any discussion Though contained II
the bllf o rights though all bow 10 it, it is arran
abstraction when reduced to practice Ii occurred L
me that thos. very gentlemen thinking about ma
joritie when they thought and spoke OF the people
said it was true abstraction, and sd i. WLr.
all have declared and a obey. there Is no appeal Iron
what the sovereign people will You must be conen
with IT, bccaus,Iall have 30 declared thought siw ha
those gentlemen. who have 50 often repeated this ah
stract principle thinking Of naJoriie-, and hay
no question that every gentleman this ioor will DE-
clare both by hi, speec-, ; his votes. hereafter a
this is an abstraction. Now is it not ab-;rlc;"
And the reicron Of this principle, il it has don" moth
ing else has produced doubt III my mind whether II i
not better to have 10 bill "f rights
| said that | preferred of the proposition, liz
fore this committee prefer to limit the eligibility o
the officer. then am favorable I" the prop'siti"l
which was submitted by the gentleman from PtisYlva
MIA To limit the governor term out of eight years
That is the proposition and maintain that is not ~
lacking the rights OF the people When ! am ciile'
| upon to- abandon pc-whrn am called upon :
abandon the practice OF nv fathers, must be excuse
when refuse unless those who request me To abandon
these principles. that practice, can show me that II
necessary for veal l. 1t important to this Old Com
monwcalth whether This "aui"maton ~ my friend WI,
has Just preceded me Mr. CLABoRSEl has callci hun,
ineligible or reel. BILE. say, is il n mater oi gre;l
consequence VIA. are his powers. Why. hci-. al
told, to appoint bank directors, to commission Judge
and military officers and magistrates and appoint v'-i'
the several administrations u the country; and
time of war; to be commander n-chief OF ali our forces
hope the latter power will never be exercised hoi"
there will never be any necessity for it. ! was S!ric
with the view submitted bv nv colleague, dat ii yo
did not render him re-eligbe, great scheme som
great system that he has supported and desired I" con
summale is to fall. Why what is this scheme. WI
trying understand the rattonaie OF my friends prcu
sitlon, and II occurred To lie That his Inauguration WE
! in some degree diseased by the head and blood
bones, presented 10 it by the distinguished gentlcma
from Accolnac through his southern demon. 1t nigh
have occurred my colleague that when this southern
demon should enter this old Commonwealth, foreig
treaties and alliances. something OF that kind, won
be necessary for its preservatcn be put foot
consulnnatcd l trust in Heaven such an event IN.
never happen
But we are called upon to abandon the principles AM
the sages of our forcathers-to abandon The principle
upon which those questions have rested, because of III
opinions of some of the great who have prccele
this body We have been pointed to the occasion OF IN
federal convention and IL the example of Genera
Washington If | have not msread when the question
of the re-cigibty of the President of thu Unite
States came before the national convention the cnr
delegation from Virginia went against the eligibility
1t is true when the question up thereafter H.!
they went for striking out the proposition for the inei
gibty of the President. But what motive it tina
induced many in that convention to srik out tins caus
of inelgibilityf ask it it was not because it won
render the executive stronger Govemcur Morris wen
for the re eligibility upon the ground that it wou'
make him stronger than would inellgibity. Ii was {"
TINT reason that he went for striking of the cousi
ton the incgibility Of the President after years
Well, Mr. Jefferson has been quoted by my colleague
and must be pardoned for saving that if what Mr. ei