Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-27
~ I ,n Eo,r,L Pane

TT, how, .hst thu constitutions of South Carolina
and Mass achuse. did contain the IDENTICAL
rega to representation that you propose 70 n's.
>b q Constitution of Virginia, is it not little re-
ah,e that these States should be selected IN pre-
ne. 10 twenty others that have adopted the opposite
.;neiple What! sir. old federal abolition Massaehu
setts the one hand, and disunion' seeeson Hou.
Carolina on the other held up the only examples o,
worthy TO be followed by virginia;
the only State that has openly resisted e
execution Of the fugitive slave law and South Carolina,
10 whom the legislature oil virginia nave within ie"
DAYS past found II necessary 10 ADDRESS an earnes'
neal not to dissolve this Union
But if the constitutions Of Massachusetts, and of South
Carolina are such high authority upon the suoect o.
the ba.i, Of representation, why are they NOT equa
high authority upoa every other subject mn! 40 te.
follow them Only so long as it happens 10 sun u.e
esi and then abandon thom. ! would recomno"a ~
that portion Of eastern gentlemen VINO are so Peaseu
with the constitution Of Massachusetts, as suoP'eu ~
$780, that provision which made 1t the auy VI tne ess
lature to compel the people to support 'e re-
pion br way of contributions and also that portion that
n the Governor with the advice OF M. council the
nower to dperse the legislature, whenever in his opin
onhe public good required it. aud very respectfully ss
ges whether they had not better These pro-
ana all other executive officers, aud all Judges TO De
elected BY the legislature. And to those who are ct
delighted with South Carolina. recommend that pro
vision in her constitutionwhch requires repre-
sentative TO be possessed Of settled freehold es
tate of FIVE hundred acres Of land and ten negroes
or of a real estate to the value OF one hunofeo
and fifty pounds sterling, clear Of debt; ana mos
respectfully suggest to them the proprety OF moor
poratins these provisions into TIER constitution. pc
cause if they permit poor men without property 10 oc
elected the general assembly, property may not nave
4. due r.ight in the government would also recon-
mend to them the example which South CaToiina ma,
.e in relation to the election OF President vi the Cne"
States The other States all elect the electors OF tn.
President and Vice President by the people. South
Carolina wiser than all the rest, elects her. NY the legs
laurc She cannot trust the people. Ohno They might
commit bunder But the landed and slave holding ari>
tocracy in the legislature infable Had YOU not bet
ter incorporate this part Of South Carolina policy int
YOUR constitution and thus withdraw from the people tn.
exercise OF this important duty For, sir, these barba-
rans of tn. ives: who not to be trusted upon I'M
question of slavery have ority OF the votes OF the
state and thus every Presidential election SO ai
at eas, AS Virginia is concerned. And il the people o.
tho west are to be trusted upon the question OF STA
very they have the power, and might, II they choose
do So exercise the next election to throw the State I"
Virginia into the hands of ree-soiism Does any east
cru gentleman a2prehcnd state Of things Of this kind
They say no-they have no such apprehensions. Ther
If they have not, all have to say is that it looks yer.
much rs though they did not apprehcnd the dangers
which they profess to fear in granting TO us the legisla
tive power Of the State.
desire now before proceed to another and more
fruitful theme Of discussion to notice briefly portion OF
the remarks Of my democratic friends from CuipePei
(Mr BARBorR) and Buckingham, (Mr FCeCA.l lh
gentleman from buckingham UeuouHCts TIC Va
as string Of distractions and the gentleman from Gull
pepper says that the people Of the west have fallen into
The egregrious of conoundng the idea OF ibert,
with power. Such notion, he says is political here
sy He hon advances the extraordinary doctrine ina
if power lodged in the government that the locrt,
of the citizens is protected il matters not in what way
this be DONE the great end Of republican government
answered. Now, fancy, sir that this is about the wa
in which the Gear of all the Russas would talk to hi
ssrf in case they to ask him to establish repre-
sentative government, in which their voice might b.
heard aud their will carried out. His reply to such
demand would be, "why, you contemplate fools, yo;
are confoundns the idea Of liberty with poweryou are
asking that which would prove the instrument of you
own destruction Leave it to me- and will preServ,
your bertie. for you. know better what YOU
than YOU know yourselves" The gentleman from Buck
ipsham carried out and eXempfed this doctrine in hi
argument. In reply to some one who had declared tina
The people of the west honest, which, from tia
tenor Of his remarks inferred piece of lnforma
ton he not previously in possession of he declarr
that he was reg glad to hear it. and that he would
deayor to keep them So ies sir, that he, Mr. FuQu.
the gentleman from Buckingham, being blessed with tie
extraordinary capacity to keep honest people honest
law felt it ty incumbent upon him TO frame the
organic law of tls State as to compel honest people
remain honest And, by way of illustration, he related
an a. ccdote Of gentleman in his county who ap
piled to the cou: for leave to negro to carry gu
The gentleman, he informed US, testified to the
that the negro Trustworthy and honest to which tn
court replied "then if he honest, let keep him
and not put temptation IN MS way j ne CONCLUSION
which drew from this illustration that, the opin
ion Of the gentleman from Buckingham, homes
now because had not the power to he dishonest
That did not abolish slavery aid plumber them
their other property because had not the to d.
so; in other words that like the negro in Buckingham
we did not shoot, because he had no gun. Laughter
Butgvc us the majority in the legislature and then
with one fell swoop would strike down the darling
institution of eastern Virginia. all their money would he
appropriated TO improve section Of the State.
calamities dire than the seven plaques Of Egypt
would in rapid succession be visited upon the country
am one of those Mr.. Chairman who believe that laws
cannot either make or keep men honest laws punis
ing the crime Of larceny could keep people honest, VIII,
is il that we have many rogues, and why was IN,
friend from Rockbrdge put to the trouble OF showing the
large majority of representatives which eastern Virgin
in had in very respectable institution Of this
wealth, vugarly called the Penitenary Laughter.
] will not at this time follow these gentlemen any fur
er but pass the consideration OF other matters
appropriate at this stage Of my remarks. | have a.
ready stated that We have before us two plans OF govern
ment one proposing to place the legislative power Of
the State in the hands of majority Of the community
the other proposing to place that power in the hand,
a minority of the community. Many of the advocate.
of this minority scheme admit that Ir'"n aca the
ory have the right to govern. and i'll fact that this
the true theory of republican government, but say they!
circumstances may be such 10 require restraint t.
be put upon that principle and under which it maybe ne
cessary vest the legislative power OF the governments
in the hands Of less than majority This necessity
they alcge now exists in Virginia. Eastern Virginia
has more slaves and pays taxes than western Vr
gna, and this, they argue makes it necessary to VIC
late this great principle of free government, and place
the rcns OF government in the hands Of a minority
They contend, in the first place, that this maorit.
necessary to protect them against excessive taxation
and improper appropriations of the public money. VEL
sir if heS are entitled this protection against taN
ton and appropriations, and there is other meth"
of obtaining it, except in tho mode proposed, then
cedc 1t TO them But if l show that OF all the modes
protection devised by the ingenuity Of man, Tho
oae YOU propose is least likely to accomplish your OBJ
;cct and not only but that instead OF being pro.
lection, show that it has been the source of all thu
evil. you complain of then you ought to abandon it.
and seek protec ion By other mode In discussing
this part Of the subject shall jutg Of the future by the
past and leave scnt themselves to decide ques
tion in the single rule OF thrce and that is, if with
eastern majority Of twenty in the house Of dele
gates and i'll the senate debt of twenty millions
dollars has been created how much would that debt
have been with majority OF fourteen in the house
and five in the By reference to document pub
ishcd by the last house Of delegates, it will be seen that
the debtand liabilities Of the commonwealth arc Sl5,
453 9579 and the appropriations made BY the last gen
eral assembly will increase that sum 10 not less than
twenty-one MILL ons Of dollars The works Of internal
for which this debt has been created
nearly all in unfinished state, and it will take mil