Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-22

panr
Mr. Chairman take my wcrd for it, The lav has
p,-,e,l when The many can be ruled b; the ftw-when
the liberty CT the many be ,esroyedb by the money
rf the few. Every was made by the same
Divine Spri,-evcrv bears the divine impress
of til, image Of Col. The dust oil this eart-thc gold,
which foil may inherit or kIiaSc acquire. never
was f e,c, impress with the stamp Of superb
,r,,r | hope that such arguments will he forever
abandoned, and that VIC will never more hear OF the
mover which belongs 10 any man because he has MONEY.
Yet this idea strange it may has served 10 keep
Virginia fixed and Eo,ioncss for hrccquartcrs ol cen
ry Assuming that should hold power III proportion
20 their wealth, the voice Il the pcol has been -'!He.
Iy the power oil the few. So fatally has ms princi-
pic been impressed upon Tic St-l,, IA; a ii IS pre-
sisted iE-sl the eager clanor ol Tie !oAeA !"T Is
heard 10 dem md power III right Of properly lncecd.
sir 50 liked is the impression here amongst The caster,
members, that this is but mere struggle for power,
The distinguished gentleman from Fauqucr MI. SCOTT
has demanded to know, how long Will The "cs'
=, abuse the patience OF the east, by cnn:or!hs
for their plrseslrnga: If any answer could give
would prove satisfactory 10 that gentleman, woGid
.ay not 4 single moment. /. Is not for the Purse
ring, wc Glamour, fr. Chairn.n, bat for that we
reari Of infinitely orc value than sod-I' l. Tor our
c!ual rights ard E:snians. IHat. SIR, :
a rIa!aor .o:H raise in Tic enrs II our rIsi'rt
b.a,llcn forever. Nay, on Our dealt. we "!
- ear our children, they rc4craic The ncnlory oi
tie dead TO the ''clamo" until Tn ''i
AID reasonable demands be allowed Ii Is Il ic''".
which clmnct be cvadcd. aid, venture 10 pred III
rot l,c denied Ii IS ciamor which II. hc','u
amongst the scnllemans own constituents %. ON ~:
Ic-watrra a. well as from the moun;aH-iup Tor il Is the
c.amor Of the DISTINGUISHED multitude against The
rsurpaion CT power by The wealthy few. 1t IS not Il
yntcst sir, between the east and The west protest
against it as a sectional question II Is struggle DC
the disirauchscd people, east aud west and the
oligarchy which has ti!ched their liberties from them
Thus far in the history Of the State, the legislative
f,,li al
has been in the hands Of shat is here called The GOV
ornamental majority" if understand this re" phrase
Il. political eralinogy it is modern nalc for what,
in earlier days, known and denounced Is a
uouied arisocracy.' The money power has nsnrpsd
The rc!n Of government. upon the prctcX, that II The
authority is welded by the majority Of the free w'e
stizc ms, they will abuse the power by imposing Undue
aXc, on the wealthy portion OF the community ant
~ they pretend the on way 10 preserve their m"ilry,
i, rob the many {" ti!cr rights 1lcr lIct al VA
Guacd injustice. to quiet idle ard groEdicss ap-
nrcIcnsion What countless disasters have been IN
lic,cl upon The State b. this fatal policy will no'
.ly with the gentleman from hanawia, Mr.. smith,
that the allcn and c,har5ic condition Of Virginia Eas
rca owing 10 Tie nccm2ccncy OF her Legislators 20
tr FROM it. think none but NrsniaLs cou.d have re-
aimed wha, little we have The difficulty does not lie
IN the want Of Intelligence iii those WHO, under exist
i- laws hold the power OF the State NJ, sir The
officially lies in the principle np;n which !ic govern
ncnt is founded giving all authority 10 the few, whose
81 the imperative duties OF the government. So long
as The duties Of the State all its ctzems, and The in
crcst Of the law makers lie in opposite directions
,v word for it, the duties OF government will not be
performed.
In l176 it was proclaimed by the fathers Of the
hevoutinn THAT all power Is vested in, and consc-
Ggcly derived from, the people, that magistrates are
their trustees and servants and al all times amcIajlc
10 tIem.' This lruism was made part OF the coIl,I
tut ion then framed. and Is still TO be preserved pc:
ton OF the organic law How sir, The sentiment
embodied in those few lines carried out None
allowed 10 vote for members Of the Legislature bu!
the Of not les, than tilt; Of land thus
closing the mouths Of large majority of the people ii:
Tie affairs OF government. They gave the appointment;
of the judges 10 the legislature, Of asstratc 10 them
selves, and fixed their term Of service Tor lie. The
appointment Of the executive officers, from the GOV
cnor down, was exercised likewise by the legislature
So that the lrcc-ho!crs who were grca,l: in the mi
nUr!v, exercised al! the powers OF government.
ccu.ivc, legislative and judicial. The majority oil the
people utterly and sha.ncuv excluded from ANY
participation Whatever such, sir, "as The Aanne; n
which orr fathers carried out the great doctrines they
had announced. How far short OF the principle il
falls, is unnecessary 10 be stated. There is much t.
excuse them in the condition OF things which then slr
rounded them Monarchy i"as tllyci al Sinss. iurl-
ard cnmraons familiar things to In: minds oi men
and if the p?cidiccs o! the e, their early teach
lg and association, made them hesitate TO apply III,
principle TO It's iuii extent, who can blame them: VI"
are naturally distrusu of the consequences which
ma. follow great innn"aliu$ Still they stepped bolL
" hyuG the ttS Gi the prevailing opinions of thci
age, and proclaimed the principle and applied it as
far circumstances would allow. They advanced the
ideas Of their time: they embodied and expressed pub
lie opinion or rather, that which lad been public
opinion they embodied and announced rs the public
irW. which is lar
Thus things remained from l116 to 1920 80: al
which time The people demanded that III. Fundamental
law sloGd be changed, and they calird conventions
1t is well known their iabors ID i. the nrTla
ton of tho present constitution That !i>irU!sc.; did
not meet public expec:at"n-it did not t.,! &c
the public will. The abuses Of the old constitutes
we're rctaincd-the people dissatisfied, for the
trainers Of the instrument had failed keep pace with
the progress of cvilizaton-had not noted the fac,
that was nwsc 10 permit trustees and servants OF
the people to hold Office for life Certainly some con.
cessions made 10 the just demands of the people
but it thought unwise 10 noosc all the chains from
the strong arms OF the many. 1t proclaimed thai
if the people that is the many, had the power anar
chy, disorder, and lawlessness would prevail; thar
property would be unsale-t needed protection, anG
could only find safety under the guardianship of The
:: governmental ma orty " that is, the wealthy few.
And the ma oritv of the free white people were then.
and still are, excluded from all participation in the
affairs OF the State Can it be believed that III this
middle OF the ninctccth century We arc sravc:y and
earnestly debating the justice Of such coarse In
sensible Of the advantages of progressing with the az"
deaf TO The admonitons Of the past regardless oil the
condition into which falling, you arr still strIs
ling 10 retain power in the hands OF the few because
they rich attempting TO give vitality, living and
moving being, to that dead and dumb thing property
aud put it on an equal footing with free white people
Can any here be naensiblc OF the consequences which
have grown ont Of an adherence 10 this principle:
And here beg leave TO add count To the indictment
preferred by the gentleman from kanawha, 'lr
Sntc not against the people OF the east, but against
the government which has weighed like guilty CON
upon the energies industry, enterprise activity
and advancement Of the State for 80 long time
charge it with having failed to perform I'll the great
and important obligations which dcTorc upon govern
mcnt. Ii has done nothing towards aiding The cilzsh
il; his aborlous and tosome progress towards cl'iza-
ton 1t has failed to afford facilities for the success.
full prosecution of either any "l the great lndEs-
trial pursuits Of life. II has withheld lis support from
commerce, turned lis hand away ironl manufactures
deserted agriculture and closed the door OF public and
against all the fine arts and sciences. Education has
been wholly and utterly neglected, almost abandoned
Allow sir 10 produce Tie evidence to support these
charges. When the principle OF giving power TO The
lew was first adopted | agree there was 4 seeming
necessity for it, The IDEAS of ne had not advanced 10
the condition now see. This state then held ter
rtory bouadcss in extent, fertile beyond any portion oil
the known world She had hourshins commerce,
lar greater than any of the other States. She had
greater population than any; and l. cancelled oy an
commenced the career OF an independent Stale under