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

section ri tho same instrument especially as nothing is
apparent upon lis face (" indicate tina, i'll the w" C.
ti'"is it used III different senses.
The third section If the Till uf rights having thus
commenced concludes with The declaraIon ;" the ITl
cIp" ~ I" the seat c he authority (quncd 10y me III Il
previous "r"n al this argument I" alter "r dissolve
government. IA the following emphatic tcin', viz:
That MA i"rity Of the community hath an ndrh.
table nnarnahlc and iudcieashe right I" reform ii
ter TT abolish the existing government, IN such
'annrras shall be Judged most conducive to the pub
lie veal
While, N have already demonstrated, the second
s.ci OF til" bill OF right defines rs the only !rsit
innate source of the powers nf government " entire
mass "l ih"S" rich aud poor ho u!:'r it 10 com.
pose The members ." the community body polite II!
The true al hnsr lrrn:s $" the principle
h"uncr III the declaration just 'i,r"tcdhy m" fr"n the
concluding" member # The l.rl section oi the in
slrmncmt driln".. with the utmost power "t l..nGr;;" Il
majority IL that sa:rc community body polite,
~ invested with the rd"n'rr power. Iir, 81 r.i'l.
e" reform. alter Abolish after i! hns Teen ordained
ii'i" HE 'I",a the mi. legitimate means or an,
:l"ltv hy which .nrrlnTcIi; originally. g created,
ana Ia" other iEr authority by Which,
hilet IT, 'ic',i"n, II l,.iutlcy IL, dissolved "r
ala'.aic,!.e
l.Fc "li",s III" briefly, t" up and ''r"p;tuIne
'ir rca'IS ll't" iar ii The ar-,'m,,nl. They are:
FIRST That lii" principles extracted l.: "m the
inst second nd hin, sections 81 the h! # rights az"
'e''her rs h-s '"n "-ctcd VIXEN property interpreted.
al
t"r" nr hecr ai''rac;ans lnr thai ;kry clnrp:
rIaciici in Their h".lI- t~ni government and the
rights 81 man I!!,..r il.
secondly. That thai which rrsuls IL c'rm l. :ca
't'iict"n tipr the first section If that instrument Is
'lt t!"s" whc III ia" proper :rIS" III" raic. 1" The
S"r;tI compact AMI lncml,rs I" he community or l"'lv
l"l" arr in iha .'"i:I state Of RIGHT ,ure, t" tn"
.''hr tjn"t, III r"s!'rci =" civil aud l"lltm"i i.h".
Which. III stale Z" n.tarc. pcri:.iucl !" hcn, III re-
Hl'"ct {" l!iti: natural II, hi:.
Thirdly That the II .cci:rn If iI.e bill ri rights.
properly interpreted" ,l,,!c, ~" ,ntilc nl.s 81 thee
Wi"aIe parties I" The contract If government and I'M
tei H. n"imci& {" u" community or body polite a
Va" ~"'". legitimate s"utc" al it, power.
f""rthr. Aud thai the .s member II thu al ,"c'i"n
'''ie" define :; a.I"r" If The member, 81 that
sa'n" = community ~ body polite, invested with
i!.t u:1u''cd ti 90 Ia rri"in ,,so.y" at .!"-
-'!,' the existing GOVERNMENT.
ic! l"l'g th.iru" primer r> inculCled IT, the lrst.
second AMI third s,ci> "i It., bill ri rights lar
quoted ir me. properly ierlrct,d il is ,c;r tla !itc
great political nulh-:i,at the grand political .Ai"a
which Results from thea j. that equality, u, rtwc,n
ii" members Of til, c':n'ity IN the anal creation
{" government, IN liz subsequent 0Iterlon ~ abr"a-
tIum. and III TIL rX.rr:c OF political I"%rr uIci H.
'.rms lis existence" j. 's:cntIa! element, great
fundamental principle If Tree government. 5" that III
tic !ai.:'Ii.;" 81 proposition b
Tie suffrage al qualified voter alail AVA!
m"cI a thar 81 an'"r qualified voter. rhaicNcr
may e the dit renee in value Of Tic property owned by
thcG respectively
And again - ti.lt
An Equal number ii qualified voters hall be cnli
i'cito equal representation, without regard 1" their
aggregate wealth
Consequently it is manifest that the proposition 10
bl.u REPRESENTATION upon qualified In, ,"rrr
III acrollancc with H." rrnc rle> .! 81" bill Of rights
but that in verify it is the embodiment III Iracta
!om, the very practical application sef. :" the great
oct RIM. iucUlcatrd hv that sacred instrument THAT
Il IL, II
Glazed IN t,a hill Of r.!: Is violated hv The .cun!uci
,ato: contained alike I" pap: and the substitute Of
Ill" gentleman from f:uquicr, H. distribute rotc;
power hw"c.I II" >"ye: sections Of the State acc" d.
ms Ia wealth, :" rs I" c"cr rl" the minority I" Tie
members ." the community l"giativ" control over ID"
MAJORITY thereof. is proposition 20 Gcii"vldcn that
ti!. mere statement If it e>abIi;tcs is truth shall
l,oi frclforr waste inc III attempting; i"makc II NOR"
clear b. armament. ! raunol, however, III tls point
refrain from remarking upon The exact symmetry the
beautiful consistency whIch pcryadcs Tie :"v'iil ciat-
.,y -. car bill riei lastly interpreted anil tie str
kim, adaptation If the whole for he purposes o lH;'c.
tical application But Of how opposite character !.
the nisshapcn of uumcalng iaiS"n ana sense
less distraction int" which the c"'sricIi" concluded
tor It.; most of il-lIGa ir"n til" eastern section nt
III. STATE would convert ;.at yrnera"d instrument :!
II has however. been asserted IN this debate thai The
term community" as used in the bill Of rights. is de-
,crjp,iYc not of body association OF persons, but
If one comp FUNDED OF persons and interested men
and money or rather this idea has been merely nli-
mated as gentlemen, in assuming that position, have
seemed to feel that they were readmg Oh ice. And well
they might have shrrlnk from il. The term 8 commr-
uitv according TO the most modern photographers OF
the highest authority, l., used III two senses. In Inc
one in its miscellaneous sense, when it is employed
liuratlyev TO Indicate any species oil common pos
session or enjoyment" sc. In the other in It's poltl-
cal sense, wien il is employed as Synonymous with the
terms commonwealth and body polite, or 10 describe
or designate " society al large, Or the public, or people
in general - and when thus employed, it Is used mol
in any fgurativc, but in lis literal aud political sense.
Now all these Terms body polite society. the pubic
or people, taken il their literal aud generally received
vaccinations convey only tic idea of body aosocil-
ton composed exclusively OF persons ~ cnntlat'tl''
cscd from things Then the question Tec'ir: whether
il was used in Tie bill of rights III the former or IN The
latter sense That il there used III the latter scise,
is most manifest This i, sufficiently obvloI, from me
fact that the >lrious author OF that paper was re-
G.rrn~ exclusively 10 political subjects and objects
Bni This conclusion Irresistible when we advert 10 c
connection in which it IL there employed. nus, III
The first section oil thai instrument i Will 6e rccoc'ea
that the frs, terms used are :. thai all men, &c. ana
in the second the people; and III the M h'"h'
her of the third tho Terms ''lc people, natoA OF CONF
m,uiiv, are placed in appositio and - synonymous
or convertible terms, I" convey VIII lie Sfea"' ''i
one and the idea :!d THEM AGAIN, We ma III 'i.
I,s, member of the same section, the iiIlcdtii Vi
In. principle already several times quoted by me- ''H
naioci!y of the community hath al lnduhtaoie '-
,jicuabc and ndeeasihie right 10 REFORM a!'r' Oh
abolish, the existing government III such lnaiic' -
Shall be Judged most conducive 10 the pubic "eIi
Now truly it would be rather c,lrl"'s, ana surrey
Lirhv piiInsonhical exhibition to sec Mcs>r,. b"t
and Cent. Pounds, Slllmgs aud Pence el'her III ir'-
uriis pcrsGajS otherwise III convention s'teu' ~"
the purpose of reforming, altering, or aooi!s'l'' inc
constitution of the State.
Before passing from this part OF my s'i6lcct allow me
10 notice briefly portion atte view, "",i i'n,e "e'"
presented mere by my FRI a the other sac. he gen
tcmau from Westmorc!nd DIR. bkAL1) "nei; he occ'I-
Mod the floor ascrbed tc the advocates oil c basis s
rcied in proposition B. the principle tnat absolute pow
o. should be welded by a majority OF numbers
That was the position lie alleged thai we occupied. 40
mn, assume to speak for others, for while iavr arrived
~ ron,nou conclusion with them we may diiler Vel y
much in the train OF reasoning by which Inc same result
h, been reached but for myself disc!ani any sucl
r,c;nc or nosition As Mr.. Giles, think, justly OBJ
vcd unlimited or absolute will, either IN The majority
~ tho minority would, in my opinion, be sheer despo>m
therefore, have never fora single moment conempat.
ad ,n my vote to engrat upon the constitution of Fr
r;ni, provision courrr:ng unlimited Will any where
ss;,,cr ,inon majority minority OF numbers. But
While Nv t!i, for SELF il IS but Just 70 add III regard
~ ,hos, ,yh3 coincide with me- in the conclusion 10 winch
t come that AS lar a. understand. they uiono enter
% INV such principle the gentleman has aacribed &c
,Iourh cannot speak positively for them. But &c
o,d;oa 10 my understanding the principle which the,
~ a,cr,,in Is that substantially asserted in proposition
Wv e'' in distribution If nn,y,