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

will inherit the power 10 control inc haorty-i1.e &c.
sceudants Of the cast VII iert me power to control
will inherit the power TO control The children Of the
nor And vktu amid the revolutions of the affairs Of
mon Tho sens snail Suuander the estates inherited from
their fathers they WILL at the same time squander the
noli,cal power they had inherited from hat an
crstrv i beautiful! system Is tins to be recommended
m tle alnp,ion OF the pcup of Virginia But little
i,,r than the old English law of entails, by which
totc were transmitted through successive generations
wi. hout the power of alienation; this odous system
will transmit political power, from generation to gener.
alton but with the power of alienation And is it true
thai system is TO be introduced into Virginia, BY
which the political power of the Commonwealth NAV
he handed from generation to generation BY inheritance
l. il true that We to incorporate principle in our
government under which, political power NAV be ac-
Guircd by inheritance, from other parts of the world
There is II anly in eastern Virginia who seek
inc TO obtain the estate left by lady Jane Grant of Scot.
land They are certainly the lineu descendants and il
they obtain that estate. amounting to several millions
of dollars the political power based thereon will be
brought to the east by of inheritance from for.
cign country
But further this principle has lemoralizirg infu
encc by the gives to fraud and the other
unholy means of obtaining property 1t neglects homes,
industry refuses protection to labor totally dlsregards
the researches OF science, has sympathy for morality
and religion and shuts its eyes against all efforts
tighten the mind by education. 1t seems to know and
care for nothing but property. All its energies PIT
forth the protection of one interest only Property
property is lis continued, its endless song rs though
property were the only great interest i'll the community
worthy of protection Protection to labor considered
by mixed basis gentlemen as altogether unworthy OF
notice and science and religion morality and education
must give place TO property And property, and The
means of It's requirement and USE must be considered
the only thing among great people worthy oiprotecon
And this too without any regard to the Of the
ouirement Though may have been stolen BY the pick
pocket or won at cards and though it may have been OBJ
ancd BY robbery and covered the han and conscience
of its possessor with the blood of his slain fellow
still it must be rewarded with political power in order
suppose that it may aid in the enactment of laws for
the protection of its ungodly Infamous possessor in the
endowment of his unholy gains. Lacedemon was
once tower Of strength and her Spartan gores blaze
in tho midst of the surrounding nations but her great
waned before the fires of her adversre when
wealth became the supreme of her alteration and
regard Her citizens once pure md patriotic and
were then nvinciblc; but, when the love of wealth
usurpcd the throne her people became vcnal aud COR
rup. and ruin and Disgrace followed in the train As
with Sparta it will he with Virginia; for like causes
will produce like effects. But not be regarded
the enemy Of wealth. am not for consider proper
IS OF the gifts Of God to man, and ought cher.
i-h and protect it. But must not forget that we
have been warned by inspiration against the iornae
love of it. And whilst would cherish and protect it
b. al proper means, will not. dare not raise it
not ccyatc it above man himself or to an equality with
him. To elevate it to an equality with man BY giving
equal representation would have dcmorazing inu
euce-a run0,': tendency that would soon tear down
Tie grca, institutions OF this mighty country and leave
them TO slumber on forever amid the departed eore-
of all the ruined republics Of earth Thus believing
CANNOT, will not give my consent to it.
But beg the advocates of the mixed basis to rc.nrm
Der that we told by the book of books that rich
sometimes take wings and fly away TO the uttcrmo,t
part of the world" They held by no certain ten.
ure but are subject to all the casualties of earth They
are here for awhile, then vanish As the morning dew
Sometimes the judgments of heaven brought down
upon for their nOrdinate love Of money, and the
unhoy means of its requirement; and then, lis the
mighty oak shattered by the lighnpgs of heaven
riches shivcred to atoms b. the wrath OF the Al
mighty and scattered to the ends of the earth What
then will become Of the political power based upon it
When riches take to themselves wings and hy away
from a nation community, the political power based
thereon will mount upon the pnions and y away
to the ends Of the earth and be lost forever How
poor foundation is this upon which the nstitu
lions of great people So iiuctuating. uncertain
that tell what it where is when it viii
come how long il will stay. 1t i, hcc:ing rs the
wind and unstable rs the ocean waves.
We have been frequently asked by Our opponents in
this discussion il we would be willing cxcn. o;!r prn-
cipIrs the federal government Aud the inquiry has
been pressed with as much carnrsne-s III though il pre-
d
would be satisfactory c"ilSoatonist; but As do
no, brongt that school Of politicians shall erect nv
answer those who regard that government is
and what it was ntcnde, 10 be. The federal govern
ment compact OF snverc sn States and not aggre
gated unit the whole people. 1t is to be Judged p then
and the guide q; is c:!nn to be scertaucd M the
Germs OF the compact: and moi BY the original principles
Of government. IT. powers all delegated and hence
properly restricted Sovereignty cannot bc restricted
Tor the restriction would take away the sovereignty to
tho extent the restriction But delegated powers are
necessarily restricted and that BY the Of the
nant. And then there no principles OF action except
those in the covenant itself And the parties to the fed
cral compact entered uto agreement such 20 them
seemed proper. 5y which they the soverc gus agreed To
delegate the general government the exercise Of
tain specified powers. And the nature and extsnt oi
those delegated powers depend upon the specifications
the covenant agreed upon by the parties to the
tract. And it might have been very proper for Virgin
ia in striking the bargain with her States to
ccive the basis of federal numbers in exchange for other
advantages to other parties to the contract For was
| but compact, TO which the original principles OF
government could have no application. Ii would have
been perfectly competent to have arranged the rcprcscn
tatlon OF that government upon any basis agreed upcn by
ll the parties without violation of anv principle of
sovereignty For original sovereignty does not and
reside itx government with simply delegated powers
But apart from this exchange Of benefits the contrac+
ing parties principle itself would require that the negro
should be represented in the federal government, but
not in that oi the States. And the south were perfectly
UNSUITABLE, upon tho ground Of principle in insisting up
on that representation. And what was that ground
In erecting the federal government It was not the design
to delegate to the regulation of the internal affairs OF
the States Hence under the conventional arrangement
of that government provision is made in reference to
the condition of the negro That matter is left entirely
to the States themselves And outside the conventional
law the negro is Free sovereign independent And
this, his natural sovereignty freedom is only taken
away By conventional arrangement lift were witha the
province OF the general government to determine and fix
his condition, and BY the conventional law of that gov.
ernment he should be made slave then every State in
the Union would be slave State. But that is not the
BY that government his condition il untouched
Hence, in that government far known or dctcrmn d
by any of its laws bearing Immediately upon the sub
cct the negroes occupy their natural condition per
sons and ought OF right to be rep csented therein as per
sons. And in that government, they are represented
persons and not property, gentlemen here
10 suppose The clause of the constitution Of the United
States bearing upon this subject is in these words:
Repre- cntatives and direct taxes shall be appor.
toned among the several States which may hc included
within this Union, according th:ii respective nun
bers which shIll be determined b. adding the who.
number of free persons including those bound to service
for of years and excluding Indians not taxed
thrce.iiiths of all other persons.
In the general government the negroes stand as
soma and ought to be represented But it is very