Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-04

pacts, but to lay the foundation on which the super
structure of government rests Let US 'heh ait
see who are the original acting parties TO society
Onr race never did exist as isolated beings; God
ted man, male and female-thc wife leaned upon hcl
husband for suppost and helpless infancy iooed TO ht
strong arm of father for protcc'on anu deience-'h
little community would, as matter OF course, be sub
ect To the control Of the husband and father and BIZ
alone capable of exercising his own free and sovereign
will To illustrate my position, let us suppose five mer
n Le east away on desolate coast three cf then
had families and two wholly uneacunberci Will
domestic relations. conceive that in the language Of
thc bill of rights, these men would be b. trc and
f,ct equally free and independent, bu Il would moi
follow that the and children woud he free and
independent, for they were subject b The Laws OF
turc to the viii and control of him who was charged
with their protection and support Tho first thing
these strangers would doprompted by the instincts OF
naure-would DC to appropriate to themselves lands
for their habitatlons and pursuits Of life they would
construct for themselves, with the means within their
reach castles OF defence. The ruins Of these family
Notifications to h. found in many Of the countries
of the old world and in western border, and in
most OF the States yet be found the rudcy con
struced buildings OF Defence erected By the first SET!
tiers Of the country. My settlers having secured
themselves and families against the storms and assaults
of Strangers they would naturally co in search OF prop
ery and in the chase, would capture the wild goat.
another the Sheep another the another the horse,
|
the mark of Cain and the curse of Ham they would
reduce their respective acquisitions to obedience, and
make them and their future increase, property. This
little community would soon find it necessary, for the
mutual protection of their persons and property to or
ganiZe little republic and convention being called,
the contracting sovcresns sli appeared in pcrson-it
was then pure democracy, no representatives were
necessary who would be the contracting parties:
would the dc pendents tie and children, appear
would the live stock viii. the slaves appear; Certainly
hp no fraao nd roeD hay.
ing property and families to protect. Suppose this
pure democracy, under the influence Of wholesome
laws, grew in wealth and population, and, like the
fruitful boughs of Joseph, tina ran over the wall spread
over sixty thousand square miles, and contained one
hundred and fifty thousand free persons, having per-
sona rights and rights of property to protect and de-
end some with families others with none, all having
different amounts and kinds o: property. At this pc
oG of heir history, hoy found il necessary amend
lcir old or make new constitution, the number Of the
original sovereigns had now become iarse that they
could not meet in mass but found il necessary TO change
their pure democracy to representative democracy.
They would proceed elect their deputies and 10
semble in general convention would this change the
principles Of the government only the forms OF carry
ing out tie principles Would not the deputies be
sent in place of the electors, and to speak in their stead
Is the representative anything more than the medium
through which the original soveregns speak: The de-
2uties would represent the will Of persons and
things that had no will of their own, but the will Of
their soycreigns who had commissioned them al -.
. poas Suppose in such convention, the dooiesa'e
from the west were 10 insist that their votssTs shon:
have more power than their mere numbers would S'
tic them, because of the great qucaatity o, Wood Inc
possessed the ether hand she delegates IRON til
east should argue that their voters should bt hea
and saouL!ers taller in tbe management Of the govern
ment than their westctn brethren, not IN consequence
of the great auan ty OF their ~ocd but because OF IT
rcculiar charact Ii could be disntcrcsted spec
ators looking upon such convention and hearing sue
arguments "he smile of dcrision would be found on ey
cry face. And yet, we, an asScmblage 81 Virgins
statesmc.n, convention called in the middle Of ih
nine1s Hrth century, in the Old Dominion, are gravel
arguing the silly questions haze supposed.
II seems to that gentlemen q" not look to III
great object to be obtained in tho organization OF po.it
| al conpacts den both in state of nature and il
society have right to defend their persons and thci
property; but owing TO individual weakness they ar
insecure Government is designed to strengthen indi
viduals by bringing to the aid Of EACH the strength
all And so with communication of the east haveth
right protect yourselves and your property but woul.
you not like tn have the aid Of the 10 he you
Would not this make YOU more secures We Of tn
west have the right TO protect ourselves, but desire
to add TO strength that power that lies east
the mountains. suppose this can b" best done by or
gan;zng government iii which all will be recognised
as equals in which each will engage t. help the other
providing MI safeguards for the protection OF each
ton Of the State, and for each individual in the State
But gentlemen say that paper guarantees are wor,l
nothing: then, are engaged in very unnecessary
task making that that is worth nothing; if this be tru,
we had better adjourn and 20 home done understand
gentlemen when they denouce constitutional guarantee
They admit that such guarantees will lie, lher
tv freedom Of conscience sfreedom Of speech, and al
kinds OF property except negroes and the only
tina lave heard for th-exception, is that they
peculiar property. Every property has it, pcciarites
but this argument against is capahlil;Y Of benz.
safety guarded b. constitutions meek, and guarantees
Gentelne tell that they hAvr full cGni',cicc il
our honesty and that would carry i'll good iai,l
our constitutional spu!ations, but they afraid
those that are TO after children may be dis
honest This remote idea but if gentlemen ar,
sincere in their fears not embaryass tina
movement can we not prevent the legislature from
passing laws facilitating inviting the call of conven
ton unless done by two-thirds vote But what car
gentlemen see il the character of the western people
tut makes them the objects OF dread ali s'isnicol
We we're set OF fr, ebooters, OF rotbcrs you'd b.
opposed to thes f,raation Of any constitution, coa!c
accomplish our maraudng purpose, better un;ran".ce
6y coinr;ic,S. Eu; we are no robbers We are law
owing and law.hic- people, we have ever been AM
we now are loyal to Virginia and to her institutions
You have had affections and support iii th his
tory OF the past. you have them and will have then
in the future unless you drive from you by your eal
ousv and njus ice. But le- ne tell gentlemen if W
harmonize we must all be equals. No community %
men can unite in perfect rmony and cordial alice
ton unless they recognised equals. But gentle
,.cn tell ia that do understand them, that the,
design 10 inagnity to the west that their equals
your acts do correspond with your professions
lou admit that W. have upwards Of ninety thousand o
majority OF free white population; with Our restricted
righ, Of suffrage in Virginia we USUALLY give about tel
20 the hundred persons; this will give the Yves
aeoriy thousand more voters than car be found il
tie east still, YOU to have the control in tn
o General Assembly by majority of twenty members
io& can youkproduce this result without dcpreciatin
d the vote of the west, BIT gentlemen say ts resul
- necessary IN consequence OF the great dissmilarity
the pursuits AN, Interests of the people, east and ives
Of the mountains. This argument Only goes 20 prov
that we ought not 10 lac united in consequence vi gu
is conflicting interests H." that we should be unite
terms OF inequality The be no peace liz vrgin
until Virginia make peace with herself. until east an
c west Virginia ceases to be known in the Fundamental
Law ia separate divisions state until all oGous poi
cal Determinations forever al osc among her pco
& pie have endeavored to show tina, the mxel basi
report in your hands we'll The substitute offered h
tn, gentleman from Fauquier contain Principles anti
republican and preudcia the best of Vir
gna and also that the Diet lis far a- they have bee
. carried out are most uajus: and revolving have en-
es vored to vindicato the principles Of tho basi, of oua
j. fcd voters. as contained in exhibit B. Nv arrument
do not rest only abstract reasoning nor NY irtcrpre
tarion Of The bill! of rights my own opinion oal