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

arouse = spirit OF agitation which will shake the com
imonwealth 10 its very foundation tell you gentleman,
that that spirit when aroused Will ro,rs and rs r
..r.sscs it will grow and increase III volume and III c,
sure y.ncmell that am speaking now, exactly what
( believe and nothing and ii did not s., be-
lev. should think that the majority Of the ieelcn ri
this STATE, were either than men. less than ire
men That agitation will :" on year after year incIeaia
in extent and effect and what, IN the meantime /, tv lie,
come Of old Virginia. All her cherished interests and
her progress IN the path Of greatness and in the acqu
,iton OF mai ola wealth will be depressed and RETARDED
and the magn influence oil that spirit Will h Ike q
miew upon hose interests. II Will 'annp IL" fountain
heads OF her prosperity until 1t VIII SINK hrl"w the
face of the earth L" disappear forever by distracted
councils Yir.in. prosper ami become, what
believe the God OF Iyncd her L" be-, mighty
empire within herself. repeat, arouse that >pr' IN
Virginia: and i;rcwcll-;. long, perhaps final farewell
to peace, happiness I" prosperity rst-iid then t
we'll To the security Of hi, particular species q! property
next. tell you, that have read >,ncl'. III 'i!ct"oF
Of human niturrn the al my life, and rcrc. tr
vcu that this agitation will 80 until the idea ;N!ii ha
come fixed III the minds n majority Of the eogl,
this commonwealth that the existence 1T this particular
interest, is the ri their political !c'a!atn and
that it is the obstacle which stands III the WAY III their
political ,li-cnralncni: and when that idea becomes
fixed and rooted. from ii will spring Up stein wiosc
branches will scatter throughout The lcn.:tl AMI t
III Stale the most destructive, ,clccl0Ua AMI o
ull!s fruits Let that idea become fixed. and lr't-.>r
IL struggle will cn>uc Sich ru,crad INTO yot
imagination would occur, for You HAY" ,X.niu,I
lhc uui~r!s clements that Heat the basis Of tins ,;t,r
comparatively smooth a lis surlacc may appear h
Let thai idea take root arI struggle Will rn>j,
such before heard =" in The history o has
commonwealth, in the history Of any Stat, Of hi;
Union: How long ii will continue, i srpasse, the Wis
dom of MAJ. L. predict but venture I" assert that il
will leave lis choose between oi two drcfi a.
tenatiyrS ri the two. We're 10 choose which sluUi
prefer would find much difficulty III making, the scl,e
ton Tl",e tyo, believe would b. either, the anui-
hlion OF that interest b. the cxiirpalion "i he bon"
9" con,rnti"n from the body poic--,'r disruption "l
the tics which bind ms together common
wealth. Gentlemen beg YOU M" I" suppose threaten
vn for il that disruption takes place IN my da"
God only knows where shall 30. love the east
dearly n, amy man in IT, The dearest ties of nature ali
atirclinn bind ne 10 il the dearest friends hal
--tlos, who never avcrrl their from M"
in the hour of bitter ..vcrsity-are there. | oge II
too because IL has been S"urc" OF 80 much lHprness
to me- low. il too, for lis SAX. aud Tor the vit
tes s.rIccs and beauties winch l"n the character -!
il peoplr--old Virginia What heart. i'll this Assem-.
v has not swollen with pride and pleasure. when in
re-, "n-ani"u-7' str"nser'its p"-s"-aor has
heard her referred to- Am proud OF it, for the !,str
it has shed upon this commonwealth IL Is not becauSe
do not love the east, but because d. ""e it, that
thus tell her of her this subject We with
hrr-w. stand upon the same platform. We are Oh" III
interest rs should bc in feeling and in action tlav
in: given the reflection OF my best intellect L" thus sub
irc! | have thus rnd,.lvored. though perhaps lee,
bly, and o!scureiv Ia alltc To Of the G:t,rlSO
Of The dreadful consequcnc"s which may result
from the action oil this body, upon the destiny OF tn!
old commonwealth in connection with it.
Gentlemen do not know the western people It they
think there is among them any dislike 70 the cast any
want al affection i'll western boaoms for their eastern
hre hrcn and their Interests they are wholly utterly
mistaken II they had witnessed what have often
wis-sc-- they had seen often have the manly
count cn.ncc .! the ountanecr tighten with tlc pride
and pleasure that sw"cd at his heart when the virtues
and intelligence which adorn the character was
the subject ri comment they w"nl value and :pr,,-
cate the warm, deep pune, current of love which an
mates the western bosom Tor It's eastern brethren TIL.
people Of the west proud of YOU They look upo
You as the elder bother-thc Offspring, of common pa
rent; and as having shed luar- np0n The old Stale and
given her areputson and They look upon yuu
bone Of their bone and flesh Of their lesi-teir in
tcrest and yours identical; Let danger come upon vo
in any form, and they will rush your aid with the re-
s:l"sS force OF their mountain torrents and never
leave you until every vesce of danger has been s.rr
from Your soil This is the feeling there tnd besech
you gentlemen by al, that patriots becomes yo-iv
all that as slr,inlalS you prlzennt to turn back this
genial current Of love. upon the warm hearts whence
1t Is gush;ng-herc To he Converted into the waters ~
strife and bitterness You have noihin.. 10 fear from
your western hethren They love YOU they symn.
thizc with y"uthay would die for you so long s ynu
accord tlsm equality: but impress the le, upon them
that the brand of inequality has been imposed ur,
them by your action here and you convert these Kind
ly feelings into those oi opposite character
! feel that have consumed much more linn. il,u
was properly entitled 10. certainly mIcI, NOR, than
anticipated. have, therefore, passed over mans sub
jccts which meant to have embraced in my ren,ark
and have not done justice Ia those which have 81
embraced. But time is Fastening on and m,st la>,,,
also to bring my remarks TO a close
come now, therefore, al once 10 the thir! ...r,r
III winch propose TO examine the general sutjerr
under consideration N Committee Of the Whole VIZ:
In rntpr NO IN Tho yt,,l
two plans by which il is proposed Ia confer poIiIic.
power upon property with view 10 lis protcciiop
IN discussing the subject in this aspect shall for
reasons ALREADY stated treat proposition A. and the
substitute OF the gentleman from Falouicr MS Identical
both IN principle and degree and thcrcfnr. IN m, r,
marks, refer TO them ndiscrimnatey Ina,much ais,
as they suggest the basis of renrcsan,.in, G,
boil houses OF the general assembly, for the sake o,
oet'S' as wen as Perspculty, will confinc nv Illus
tratios to the house OF delegates and shall ,,., -
To consist ct lop members. assume therefore IN ref
erchce 10 tat mouse, that proposition and In. .uh
sttutc OF The gentleman from Falquer alike rropo.c
10 osc representation upon equal proportions oil white
inhabitants and taxes, exclusive Of those der;yd ,,
licenses and law process The result is that SEVENTY
five Of the members of the house Of deIego,c. . -
stand upon taxes. and seveny-i upou white juL,b
iant,-onc delegate being allowed TO every seventy.
lIlts part OF each clement Now here in the very ON,
set IS gross inequality, which shall sbo,y nrescuIv
far transccnd> the alleged necessity pop which pcnr
men claim that wealth shall be invested viii, noli
tica power. even admitting for the sake Of the ,rr
ment the existence Of this necessity 10 any extent, II
there is to be an apportionmenl Of Representation be.
tween wealth and population, one would ,Link that
every thing like justice and equality required that each
element should be represented in proportjon ~ i.
amount Well, how stands the fact ~ 10 this; ".
have III Virginia SO SCI free white iiha5;a,t. 'rlr
total Of all taxes at the rates now prescribed lv t
estimating the land tax according 10 the I,, 49,.
mcn!, and exclusive of those derived from Iircn.. t
law process, is just 534.G4O, d.car,lnr Gems. Tl,
difference between s95S67 and 53I $40 i u. 3GI a7
showing an excess Of population more han cqnal To 30
per ceht-ln fact, nearer - per ccnt-of the what.
amount oil sad taxes So, a 10 the ratio, ,criyabl
from these elements, respectively Eight hu,,,cl md
lniney-flre thousand eight hundred and >cycnr,.;sp.
the number Of the white inhabitants of Virginia l.;;et
by scvcntyiv" half the contcmplatrd pro,rer -,
tho house Of delegates, would yield Il, The n,r,;,.,
hro"lns off the fraction, 1854, which therefore
would be the ratio Of representation in that hons. ,o
white inhabitants. In like manner s53i $40 m, t,,i
of said taxes, divided also by seventy-iiyc. ,Lc ,lr
moiety of the proposed number Of the house or di
gates, would yield, the ratio OF representation ,,
that element, throwing OIL the fraction. 7 Jos Ih.
difference between the former and the latter SIC
difference considerably exceeding fftv ner con-, r,
the amount Of said ratio upon the element of ,,xo,
Yet that element is allowed equal weight in the scar.
Of representation with that Of white population Now
il fLis RIGHT i 1 cuu,Ii,y; What i Tho