Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-24

and of structure2 Shall we forget the consequent Oh
voraes of occupation of character of interest and
nonnlation7 Shall we vainlv strive against the de
crees of Providence itself stamped upon the face o.
Naturei You tell me that your public works, your
puny borngs, tunnellings, and cuttngs through the
eternal hills of granite, nay that your paper constn
ton is to ohiterate all sectional lines, and level The
Blue Ridge ITSELF The world has heard monarch,
boast before that the Pyrenees We're lereed but the
Pyrenees still stand and long that Ridge lifts it.
blue SUBMITS into the of Heaven SO long Will these
divisions and dversites remain, so long WIZ Inc con
sttu.oa proclaimed by Nature, set ut naught your
paltry efforts.
You NAV unite the sections of our state, you car
| never identify them. Your attempt to consolidate
| them into homogeneous whole by making one geo
graphical interest supreme over the rest WI" Only
and embitter the difference Strip 1t OF all It's os
guies and it is q sectional despotsn which you hi'
seeking to create You may secure the seeming un
formy of such government, but how opposite IS una
to the harmony Of free and equal union OF all 'hs III
terests Of the States Look at Nirginla-not Is Io'
may wish or fancy it, not Utopia, held loF M'
trial OF your experiments and theories but as actual
il, and make your constitution the faithful rehec"i
Of nature Here you possess"-let me apply 10 your
condition The words Of great man on another occ"
sou you possess that variety of parts
with the various descriptions of which your conmu
u.y is happily composed You have all that comblna
ton and all that opposition of interests you have that
action and confederation which, in the natural and pc
tica world from the procal struggle OF dscordanI
power, draws out the harmony OF the universe lhest
opposed and conflicting interests wteh you consider as
greu Msh IN our old and prssen. constitutions, inter
pose saltarg check all precpitats resolutions They
rsnar diibcration matter not cf choice out ~ nceS
sity; they MAKE all change Il subject Of ro"tpromi"
rhich naturally begets naodraton and render al th1
healIo"g ererti0"s c arbitrary Po~er '" the JF" or q
the many, torcrtr unprecedented
~ recognizing the diverse members and interests OF
our community and giving to each the meals OF sell
protection, you may unite them into q harmonious ni
powerful Commonwealth where general liberty W!ii
have many securities there are separate views IN
the several interests and divisions Instead of regard
ing your citizens population, herds OF human
animals to be counte and told off By the head like cat
tcyou will represent them in MI their various Interests
aud affections. md the thousand relations springnS
from the different natural endowments OF rational and
Immortal beings Your government will then be. not
the dc-po.c w! Ct one. of the few, or OF the many but
the free consent OF all!
And. Sir. if support what il called the mixed basLr
upon this occasion, it is hot my first choice. be
lieve myself in system ofrepresentaton founded up
on the history and geography OF the country III what Is
called an arbitrary syrtcm Of spring
ing out OF the Interests and the wants oil the community
support this mixed basis because it comcs nearer Ia
such system than the white basis. 1t comes nearer
because 4. have snd before it does not coniIne itself
- the consideration of simply in his capacity to be
Numbered 1t does not commit the absurdtv ofsuppo-ng
t all perfectly alike in interest aud character
II considers in another important element OF his tx
stcnce 1t regards property and adapts its representa-
ton in measure to the different conditions OF that
property, and its relations 10 society Since this dis
cu.sun commenced sir, have been tod by the I'D
rocates Of the white basis that property IL the creature
Of government and TINT the powers of government be-
long By natural and iaefeasihe right to the numerical
majority. The inevitable conclusion, then, is that the
numerical majority has the nbsolut. control over pro
p.rty it, creature and may abolish any or all kinds o
it when il pleascJ.
Now. Sir entirely repudats such doctrine. Our
bill of rights classes the right to property among our
natural rights. Property is not the creature of gov
eminent, but OF its prmordal elements. 1t i.
coeval with society and political orguzation.--al
prng from the necessities and the irresistible instincts
Of mo-al nature implanted BY the Creator himself
What i. property 1t is that portion of the surround
ing world which each man has been able to conquer to
his use by his industry his reason. and his will. 1t Is
the indispensable condition OF life to the individual,
and of civilization society. What is mans condition
without it lie comes into the world