Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-11

"a N hathar csrtaiu act Of theirs proper or I'D
proper and would greatly prefer TO leave The
nation to the people Of this State than to the
from Goochand or to those who advocate nus sue u
question in this committee 10 uiih Iva. Jra5 and
ming great deal TO ourselves. Tor one h'uiuieu
b;rfr sSa tornan 10 say that eight hundred 'hu
ana .neonle or one hundred thousand Vo'tis ..
moi CAPABLE Of determining upon the pro e
improperly of re-electing their Governor lh'a u,J
absolutely essential to the pubic weai ~ " tho Con
nrovide against the reelection Of Governor III ' III
stitution lift be improper to exercise 'e a.Ia
,sill be in the people if the amendment OF .n -
man from Henrico be adopted, DO gehtiel'. - 80
people will exercise it Have they hol .'
enough in the people to permit TINS M ~ ,be -
side with them and TO be exercised Vi WI NO. -. ~
they may determine for themselves! mo1iu u o' NC
more respectful TO the people ana wou "" o. e 80. a.
rving out our professions y" beei II hel, -"
self government better by rejecting .hs u
Their RIGHTS and wait until Governor shii present MN
li for election and then itsenemen see danger IN
b;s "a e,on let them address Their arguments ~ the
people and ifthey shall think wlth then 'hey VIII Ger
iainy reject him l:there br that uaneer "nch gen
temen seem to see in this power-i The people are u
nc,stomed in Virginia To the exercise oi pwer-li the
icracy nc tbs noble old State which has been called
IN "Flap shin Of tho Union are not capable OF deter
mining for themselves whether gentleman VINO mas
once filed the office Of governor shall be reeieted OF
not hardly conceive that the gentleman IRON ,'oe-
Land is capable of Judging for them And think IL mn
niles no want, Of respect for him to express that OPINION
/ you who deny 10 the people this right OF determining
for themselves whether faithful pubc ohcer s''ii ~
reelected or not and who believe that the people ""a
81 y.rec !, as to he injurious to the State and pnDl'
veal are those who set themselves Judges upon le
capacity of the people for selfgovcrnent Such iSie
ONLY legitimate Inference that be drawn from such
limitation sought to be imposed IL l. no iii
ton whatever upon the executive office It's powers OF
its duties but limitation upon the power OF the people
to select and nominate from the Gas" ire WHICH -
election is to be made.
Ii is not question whether he who has b'eh elected
Governor is to be elected for life or not because I'M
derstand the longest term which has been proposed ul
any one is four years The question then i only wheth
or the peope shall have the right of determining for
themselves and passing upon the conduct OF HIM VINO
has discharged the duties of this important offce o.
whethert they shall be restrained from exercising that
power and the right be denied them by the Organic
That is the simple question before this committee ana
beg gentlemen not to be committed here by arguments
such as have been used upon dis principle IN reference
to this question. important question involving
the same principle will shortly from very InPor.
tant committee of the Convention and tins body VIII
have to act upon it. There members OF this body II
is known who come here as radicals profesn@ like the
! gentleman from Goochland all conhdeaceT "apaci-
ty of the people for self-government, but Dcheye
that any man who might happen to be elected n's'
prus Judge ought come before the people for re-
election am for the reeligbility OF all officers and
for allowing the people select for every office 1t l.
necessary for them to FILL the very best material the
State has in it. That is the doctrine advocate mat
is my democracy, and trust such will yet be the de.
mocracv of my friend from Goochland If the Judge OF
nav circuit who has discharged his duties for seven or
ten wears i more capable OF dischargng those duties
and rendering good service to the people over whom he
presrs than anv other gentleman in the district de-
sire that the people of that src; may have the power
Of retainiug him in his station H. Judge over them 1
also desire the people to have the power tins instance
of retaining in Office their governor, if they please no
matter whether the necessities of the State or his spe
ror qualifications shall to require II or not de
sire that they shall have the naked power OF retaining
him in that position and that Is the OILY question before
us II il not whether A. l. shall shall not be re-
elected 1t is only whether the people shall have the
naked power of re-electng him ii they choose and that
naked mower il sought be denied the people of this
democratic state by democratic gentlemen, who pro-
eas 10 believe that all power III the people and that
the people should not be deprived oi any power which
is no, necessary for the public good But when alson
was made To the mixing in the political STRIFE and eli
raging in the active Tor office the gcnllema from
oochland in response TO the question OF the gentleman
from IIcnrico CIR BorTs whether he would apply the
same principle TO the Judges says that different thing
Tn, Judges he to execute the law. Now what
are ia. duties OF the Governor: Why the very report
under consideration SAYS that the duty of the Governor
!. 10 ste thar the laws are faithfully executed That Is
the mc.r important part OF the Governors duty Ana
it is ust as Important il any Importance Is To be at-
ached 70 il at al ,ha, The Judges should mix i'll the
But whether the Governor -la -leconcsr OF not, OF
whether the Judges shall rcctioneer not i qr---
ton wholly outside OF the consideration OF the SUBJECT
now before the committee. We show BY oGr acts III
giving TO the people the right OF selecting iovern"
and al exercising power that has heretofore been
denied u them u the selection OF their agents thai We
hive confidence in the capacity VI the people Tor sell
government ard il is for the people /" determine Tor
heus.lves whether eis Candidate shall ei.ctlonecr 81
moi And il i a question to which, I'm wholly ndfer-
I.+b +bav, Ia ,i at al
have TOO much confidence III the people nj least III my
ortiou .; the State to believe that any cectionccrng
for these offices is going I" make the people do wrong
Whenever shall De brought to the conclusion that such
il the effect then shall doubt their capacity for sell
Government, reject all the democracy have heretofore
protested and alongside OF my friend IRON ooc
land in the position he has assumed
Nav again desire in conclusion. 10 commend 10 the
genlrn,an from Goocland and 10 those who think with
him tb. example 10 which he has referred beg all
both the gentleman am sso~e who tlnn WITH hil-''
transfer this argument upon the rergiil:ty o the Coy
rnnr from th, Convention IL the hsngs, whenever one
shall cone before be people i"r election There The
proper place Tor il. II i to the sound judgment
If the voters of the State 10 whom this argument
should be addressed when the occasion shall arise
tina; makes it necessary for them vote for or against
an individual who has once been elevated ~ then
sutfrages to the gubernatoral chair. That l. III,
principle upon which you must proceed. You car
only advocate this propostion.-you ear only at
this restriction col the right OF the people u
select their own Governor-by assuming that they
have that right they will exercise it improperly. do
not attribute TO the gentleman the argument that t:
power il left with he people, will be abused becan-,
though they NAV entertain i, they are not likely IL
make such MI argument But the necessary Inference tc
be drawn from the effect Of this proposition i, dat the
people shou! no, hay lie naked right 10 determine oi
| themselves The policy of re-elncting any i'm
port.ut officer Aud again desire To cali the attention
OF the committee wha, conceived 10 be misaprc
he..son Oh the part o. gentlemen who say that thi-
ouesio:, Of re-eligibIity is question Of qualii
{ ton Il is n" snch thing. Any man, care not whc
Their h. bc idiot sane talented and able, is liable
to the ban II YOU impose this restriction, upor the pow
rr of the peop pie The req'iisition OF qua6caou--a
different questions that which all wise and prudent
people desire aud require i'll those who To I'LL i'm
portat offices in the State. For prudential and wise
considerations they require tina; the officer upon whom
they impose trust shall be of certain age, Shall have
attained the age Of twenty thirty forty; and this
qualification is the hands of those who propose
to discharge the duties because they likely 10
at that age the necessary experience aud
ty That he shall be native srrn citizen OF the United
States is another question Of qualification Bl; the
question whether he shall be eligible, or re-elgblc, is
not question of qualification, but is merely the ques-
-; - .nr;r;nr the naone of that mower which uatu-