Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09


naEinS by means of representation proportional to
the extent OF wealth, to give the powers Of the gov
ehnent into the hands OF the wealthy and to give tu
them Votes, or the weight Of suffrage corresponding To
lc value of their property. As already said suffrage
uoeS not consist IN merely recording the vote AZ the
l''i'S, put That vote must be counted AMI counted
equally with the vote of every other voter; otherwise
the suffrage Is destroyed To give to man with one
hundred dollars worth Of property one vote and count
u ohe ana then give 10 another with ten THOUSAND dol
mrs worm OF property one vote, and count it two i'll
representation the vote OF the is DESTROYED bv the
uonoe power OF the vote Of the other It il swallow el
up by IT. for 1t Is as two against one If these gentle
men intend to protect property by means of double
power to the wealthy suifragGns demand of them to
do openly and withou disguise BY giving to them a,
once votes ut the polls corresponding in number to the
VaiEr OF their property. | demand of them to do it
opehly so that the people may it plainly, and then
determine for themselves whether they will oppose or
condemn this attempt of the propcrtyholdcrs to mo-
nopolize all the powers of the government to them
se"es ASK them in justice to the outraged rights of
The people strip off ali its disguise, and open fully
10 the !nbc gaze for the people of the east have been
hoodwinked long enough with the idea that it is Il mere
sectioai question between the east and the west BY
winch to protect themselves from being taxed when in
TRUTH taxes and the subject of taxation have nothing in
the world to do with It, 1t is attempt of the money
power oi the east to monopoze the powers OF the gov
eFnmeht, by which the masses of the to be de-
the people of the west rich and poor.
IL has been SAID by many gentlemen in this discus
son. that majority OF Interest, aud not OF numbers
should govern. have had my mind 1T work upon
this subject, To il could understand what .cntle-
men mean BY majority OF interest above that of mum
ocTs And Confess that, after Weeks Of luborious in.
vestgation, am totally unable to comprehend it, All
our people have rights of person, and rights of things
III Which they have an interest But how one man can
nave more interest III his person property than
other, clnnot understand. One man NAV have more
property to be Interested in than another but the nu-
!ncricai YcG"t"m ot interest has in his property
does not depend upon the extent Of his farm, or the
Number OF his herds For, whether his estate be great
small, lie has but Interest in it, And ii YOU are to
enuinerae man interest in hsprcperv b. the extent
9" his wealth, you must adopt the rule in COM
putting his Interest III his personal rights Mems rights
OF person the ri Ght Of life, liberty, dc Now can
You tell me what greater interest man wentv-iire
years old has III his life than eighty wears vi age
DogentcInen mean that the young have majority
OF interest OF life, ana tlat take away the life of
young man Is greater crime than to that of the
old one because it would be taking greater interest
from the than the othcrf Do they mean that il
would be only half the crime to take the life OF IN old
man that it would be TO take that of the Young one
have never heard OF such an opinion existing any
where i'll the world except in the Fejee islands Ibc
licve il does exist there, lt hope nowhere else How
then, you ascertain the ory of interests OF
gus ol
There difference III the right Of life is there
any in the right OF limb The poor man has as mucl.
the right of limb Is the millionaire who rolls in hi,
chariot with guided livery And il is ~ rauch the
duty Of government to protect the one ~ the other
The law knows 10 difference. Assa the humb!rSt
citizen and DESTROY his life his limb and the law OF
the country steps in, with its punishment Of the often
der in his behalf rs much il does in behalf of the
proudest wealthlest.
So TOO with the right OF religious privileges. Men
with MUCK religion have greater interest III religion.
privileges than those with but little. All have the
ric!t to worship God according "a their consrences
The law secures that right to much anothcr
How then arc you ascertain this supposed majority
interest personal rights except by majority c The
persons possessing them. And the principle is the
mc when applied 10 the rights Of things. There ii
III. country q citizen with his little prnpcrty-l
horse and his little household furniture. Near him is
his wealthy ncishhor, with his hundreds Of thousands
worth Of property. Tell lue. pray YOU, what greater
interest the man OF wealth has in his cxtcl-r. posses
,, than his poor ueighbor has i'll his little ,i Mono
whatever. The rich man has interest in his VAST
estate and tie poor also has interest iii hi.
small one How then, i'll regard to the ri Lt ui things
c. you ascertain tie or OF interest except By the
majority Of persons in whom the interest resides 1t
i NOT the weight of gold and silver i'll pounds shngs
and pcnce it is not the number Of dollars for which
gentlemen contend as that winch constitutes their idea
III the j4s mdjoris. but the orv of interest. apart
from tina, Of numbers lat ns the right govern. \
majority OF interest. <ccrtained By majority OF the
p.rsons possessing an ntcre,t is that upon which all
Governments ought rlse the political powers OF the
STATE Fox they who have an Interest 10 be protected
hv the government will ic"i an interest IN the peserv.
o, ar: prosperity of that government. The ma Iurit,
ii that interest cannot DC ascertaned b. the
o: things possessed, but only by the number OF those
Interested III them.
Bat desire to sav something more upon this subject
al the j majOriS 1t has been tssal!ci ana stron
-. -b,,,, had ,t..Iy
assault Ii agent is constituted to represent a. wortl
On. thousand dollars, and Il, worth ten thousand, wha
does HAT agent represents He represents for u,
greater amount of property than he does Tor ~ and ye!
numerically he represents but one lie represents the
will Judgment and desires "i his prciisl-iEe ""nc
nj that property. And whether ii amounts to OF,
olssuL or ten thousand dollars he is bat the rep:cscn
tvc OF the one constituent and not the representative
Of the property for that Is the thing acted upon 10y tn
representation He represents the Will OF the const:
tent concerning those things upon which 1t executed
think therefore. there is such thing Us ninorly
II ;nteres; apart from the majority of numbers. Ant
whilst the minority of the people may possess muci
uroer amount OF property; still the majority of intere@
in the property OF the whole people Is in the majority
If those people Is it proper then that u majority
the citizens uad control the government III the enact
n,t of laws for the protection of the rights OF proper
- ~ well a the rights OF persons. The gentlcmai
from Norfolk county, Or WArTs) asked, with mncl
,nnareut confidence upon what principle or by wha
r;bt should the majority govern He thea said there
was no such p ncip!e and that the majority had no $ucl
right He next inquired upon what principle the mi
uorty should govern and then again he sai cre wa
no .nch principle. Then upon what principle shall IN
Government be organized so rs to accomplish .:'
ics;,r,s for which government i, instituted 10 accom-
nl;b that object he contcnes that representation
shnvid he based upon the rights Of the people. IN
,rop,,it;on Of the .entlenal if X Is brouSn, forward :"
measure Of compromise shall receive my hearty sup
.rt Aud if he intended to Indicate !, rs !; conpT"ms
rnrnno:ition, ask him to bring ii forward ana th'n
Lazard nothing in saving will receive the united sup
port Of The entire west The rights Oh tiie Peo4s
shoud he delighted have such basis upon ".'icn U
Mac, The legislative power OF the government n
r;,.lts of the people Ny heart leapea VII" JOY "h!,'
int gentleman was dcsc.nt,s SO e.Gquehss upon h
h.au,;c, Of his proposed basis And Was ain'ct read
~ acaim with him, there i land ahead Bl; II W
Jont that gcrtlen,ans suggestion the Question Will the
arise how are We TO ascertain the g"a"s"" o. tnos
";rhts, Whenever We enter into an investigation Q
,h r;abts Of the people, divided INTO the rights
and the rights OF things We will necessarily nm
ha,, enuay divided among the whole people and VII
.L ,r lasf be brought TO the question IS 20 wheshe
.Lo majority or the majority OF those rights shout!
n;.,J the controlling power. And as tina; gentleman
wv. nnt concedc the right Of either the majority III
nor;ty to rule think he is fnrly at sea without com
pass or rudder
Rt this right of the majority TO govern was assai!e
.; much more than ordinary ingenuity By the gen:!s
w. fron, Halifax flr EpMuSDs.l He said that th
principle did ami could not operate in Eii
! iuJoi''s rtp1i in