Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-18

pa..c.s the entire sovereignty ot ifSina ior e,n'
They arc compelled to stamp majority 81 inc i'sA
lure viii boseuoss robbery and perjury. lor ihey s"e
..,o, H.. constitution and repeat that that MA.
he made 20 explicit that they cannot honestly DC li,s
takenl They must deny That out OF sole ., so,en =
EIGHTY members from the west there conid NC lo'n
unite with their own large minority u s.neen:
of honest men to put down unconstitutional P,ihs" WI
lar the forms of law They stamp majority 81 ile Te
oyerelgns Of the west with want al alth dishonest,
and dishonor for sending such men 7" the Legislature
for such purposes. They must lastly brand tue s""fi
Judges Of the law with injustice, baseness and per
nry. If We are permitted 10 pre-suppose, that al
honor honesty. decency, selfrespect and religion hay
denart ed the earth what ear- cannot he prcdlctes
AMI what horrors forctold: If such reasoning gain
crcdcnce, there be safety for mlnorics. Al
government NAV nj he yielded 10 tie uncontrolled
will o: those in power such safeguards ar 10 Le d
trusted and such opinions entertained. For what ars
constitutions made for what purpose Is the ant
wisdom of the statesman bestowed III balancing thu
power. of government and nrsservg the rights Of tn,
people? Why such caution and such interest in fran
ing declarations Of right Why speak OF checks anc
! balances! If this MI lphing principle of selfish
and interest override every principle Of man
hood and religion II man really what they suppose
If We stand upon the ground they would have u be-
cvc our lutie, here would be few indeed If we are
utterly unfit for and unJrscryng of self government
lei neither time money. Let lis decide
arrl act upon the principle at once Let lis appon,
some decent man. our kns-"ne Of the first families il
you will, and 90 home,
For in the cramped Of the word interest
which confines it to money and property; is to the
interest of every party in p"wer-whet,er few on many
IL rob those who are under their control! Ii i, TN.
interest hus unrrstood Of the to rob the west OF
every dollar She possesscs-it is perhaps bat LITTLE
Tut il worth the having 1t Is their interest (if they
daredl- make us their slaves in fact in the yery
elise in which it would b" our interest To oppre-s
| then. We hold lives and all at the will oi the
| IL Al.
parchment! If this honor parchment fail Us what
have We to depend upon hut swords These
the guarantees which they have rendered ~.
We return the same to them We have received them
with interest if they will show the way Wete!drr
fair representation and voice in the lcgisIatuerepr
sc,aton shall follow taxation but not be apporol,ed
rs tive offer them NIL honorable. constitutional saf.-
guards. and officers IL Judge between them and
uswe tender them honor, rcgar ~ their wei
fare. They offer We would offer them
10 less.
But We have been told i. offer of Judicial proicc-
ton. Is but III appeal from Caesar Caesar himself
This in the only in which is true, Of all
20, crnmcntS There can r hut sovereign power
Inn must Of necessity appeal from agent Of that
power another The west and all other minortc- in
government, however wronge,l, must do the -,uc l,.
whole Of this lisirs and depreciation of constitu-
tional sanctity is deadly blow ut the very foundation
Of al liberty. II ithc very requiem of republicansm
for YOU have but I" look for constitutions lind liberty
YOU have BIT discover their absence be assured Of
d-spo-m. \. lightly constitutional obligations ARE
treated by opponents. they all Of liberty that
possesses. \ Ration that deserves freedom will
respect her chartered rights and obligation--whcl
people shall forget them they 10 longer free
But. il is further objected that the west will ii tri
unphan. call another convention. and thus destroy
these guarantees. Upon this subject OF course
give assurance. Those who to follow us upGn
the principles We advocate have the rights
altar their government which wc now posses. and
very content to let the future take care nj its
interests. /! those who are then acting shall r
dissatisfied with the labors Of thu present, having
no disposition to render Gbors durable ihnn
deserving. We can only say that ii you give just
and good government will H. satisfied Just ~ long
W. believe il 10 he such. and no longer To attempt
Ia chain the future is madness. Let wisely
iv the present and uJ eane-tlt ior the future That
future will decide tie worth oi niors agd destroy
it, il necessary Of this the should bc the last
complain, for they may we'll he the first To esirc the
change.
In connection, in some measure with this proposition
, comes my next proposition:
j. That the sovereign. OF Virginia arc honest aud
capable Of relfgovcrnment, and that majority ri
them mas be- safely trusted with thi. -uhjctt OF pro-
pcrty.
Tits propositions, involving in it the issue mans
capacity for scfgoS i, at last the great qe-
ton for the consideration ri this Convention II j. the
great i.sj;r Of age Tn. problem of our times and
generation. upon the solution # which depends the
future OF nllI. Let men or parties disguise IL they
.nay To themselves Others, the simple question Of
mans capacity for selfgovernmet is at the foundation
Of all their political actions aud opinions, both in the
General and State governments This is ut last thu true
distinction between politicians.
1t i frankly confessed that this difcrenc. NAV ho;
cstlv and cocicntionlIslv cxisih:t th.r. arc aiN.
many minds TINT cannot conceive the beauties OF
government of the lnasses operating upon themselves
and who sincerely dsbelcye in liz practcailitv This
class Of politicians much inclined 10 believe the
masses oi mankind governed y tho sole motive of
Understanding it little account Of the honor
pride, Justice patriotism and sefre-pcct OF man in his
aggregate capacity r" this class of politicians. there
seem, Ia he but view Of man all yisable. and
that il his darkest and his worst They have. and can
have high hope of mans future dcsiiny-no earnest
belief in his constant aud progressive development
To them government is n machine for the control
of nhlithc protection of the few against the many
They 10 regard iii. government and the governed
natural antagonists, and all Of triumph the
got erni:.rlt far and Legitimate, whether force
fraud.
Such opinions could produce hut one result and that
ha- been the most determined opposition all trial Of
man- capacity lor s"lfcontro and Ia every new ,Ir
yeloIment and struggle for his Liberties The traces
this opposition TO he found stamped on almost
every page of the political history Of mother coun
try and ownin the record of the struggles of the
tory party Of England and the conservative party of
these States under whatever organization they
mas have acted This lartv has acted in this country
a. if they conceived that political associations were
formed Tor the protection fostering of wealth alone
and that government is beneficial aud necessary only on
account Of man. dishonesty and corruption They re-
gard all governments founded i'll ,stru-t Of the people
and confidence in the rulers
There is another class of politicians who do earnestly
and honestly give crcdence TO this doctrine Of man.
honesty and capacity for scfgoyernmrn" Men who
not only think II possible to Sec hut actually do
men he Is. and no worst good side or other par
tcuar view of bin, but the whole niau-and find, af
ter thorough examination Of h. human race of nrrs
that he is not wholly selfish but in fact has all those
noble impulses which prove the divinity of his origin
They have perceived that the masses mt sunirv TINES
have been guilty Of more less crimes and indiscrc
ons-thnt they have actually REDEEMED the earth with
the foul gore of some hundreds Of ,ceuitical priests
nsolcn, lords and tyrnnt kings But in all this they
have seen but the momenary triumph Of ,hr desperate
lregs of soricty who, madlcnrd by misery and often
unjust poverty and inrolun ignorance and goaded
by the wrongs and insult- Of centuries md hopeless.
future have been whrcd in the mad sirif. of ;evolu
ton the surface Of society dane. and rcvcl in wild
conimotion but moment then tn sink beioath quiet
sea oil hope and leave nothing but the record Of their
ciimcs-a record that is bloody, vet necessary rencu
brancer to mnn- iyrant' of every form and number
They believe in the high dcenics OF aggregate man.
and his almost illirnn'. md rcsi,css proeres. in
physical moral, aud s"cinl good They believe tina,
governments were ompharn, made for man and not
a.