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

self is monument which VIII Ieiue4 - haecoJ h.,
| shable-which will hand it down to DC oes sea ~
generations to come while the names oil o.efs sa pe
! lost in obliyon's deepest grave, anu 80 49,
same breath that this immortal bel'e,h - e.. a.,
has given YOU constitution .ostatas !, d oil
and priceless work. which at once Pros,"eS anu al
sha md fundamental principles OF free gov
Iernment: ,,om,, from, .,hormo,c
seems to be much atigucd WIN lsA nun 10 s' way
WIZ AT, ie,nJ:TtiHII am greatly indebted TO my
r;s,j iron, Ioudoun and although should greatly
have nreferrcd to have made pul one elor' OH ,s
sion | will leave il 10 the committee 10 determine
: whether it will rise or MOI.
D The committee then rose.
4 WEDNESDAY MoESlSG, March -, 1851.
e MIR. SOUTIlALL When the committee rose on
{, Yesterday, for which return TO II my thanks,)
was cndcayoriug to ascertain from me coel o ora
nenus works of George Mason, well from the like
,cts of the men of that day. Who the legislature,
adoncd the bill Of rights and the constitution of l6,
what they understood and meant, and what We should
by The three first clauses ci the first OF those
;n.Iu- And insisted in the absence OF all other
, Means of interpretation that the one furnished key
/ for the meaning Of the other was cndeavoring 10
ascertain whether this prncipc-lhls basis OF major
;tv of numbers-was to be sustained by the three ar'
ces of the bill of rights, upon which 1t here claimed
i 10 rest.
And if my memory serves ght, il is a most re-
markabe fact connected with the progress OF this de-
bate that gentlemen who sustain this prlncple-whe
rely upon those three clauses Of the bill Of rights a
furnishing authority for thcmsiavc never IN The eS
animation of it, advanced one inch beyond them. II !:
my intention, if spared the physical power TO en-
deavor to analyze in the progress of this discussions thu
document little further. will endeayor to examine
somewhat more thoroughly this instrument, By which
said yesterday was prepared TO stand or fall in thu
= discussion.
was endeavorns 10 show that the first clause of The
bill of rights after the formation OF government IS II
may use the expression, no longer III force. IL ha'
served its purpose-it precedcs governmental declares
, rights and principles that only exist previous &c
government - and the moment that government /
framed. the moment that the compact OF society II con
sumatcd the moment that liz basis is ascerlaned ano
The supers,rucure is finished, that moment this first
section of the bill Of rights is no longer essential or ne
ccsSary, or operative. When we come 10 UNDERSTAND!
and ascertain that all men by nature are created free
equal and indepcndent-thal all men by nature have
equal rights and that in entering into state OF
society shall by that compact deprive his rosterit! OF
certain inherent, ndubable and inacnablc rights, this
first clause OF the bill Of rights has performed lis tnc
, ton.
Ii is said that all power is derived from the people
In governmental sense, who are the people. Whom
do gentlemen mean, when they tell II, "f This supreme
this mighty power that is 10 be concentrated by any
| government which can be created: | desire to Know
who arc here meant by the term people.
endcavored yesterday to show that they were not
those persons who after the supcrstrucre of govern
lcnt erected were found outside Of It's Political
basis that it did not those who possessed "I
cia or civil rights and who were excluded from political
powers That after the basis of government the lou.li
tiuu of your political edilcc had been ;t-ccrta!ncd and
established aud its superstcurc crcctc I"r The IT,
ception of its various occupants you had excluded from
that basis large fragments of your people.
Il II gentlemen the other side mean hy the people,
as used in the bill of rights SUCH and such ov
blessed with the right Of suffrage, desire to know ami
repeat the inquiry, from whence comes the power the
principle to draw this broad line between the ranks "i
the people, by which IN immense orty o them are
put out of the edcc, and denied the exercise, OF :ly
d political power: 1t is not from any laws Of nature
for she knows distinction Her vol and her claims
are silcnced. She has neither part nor lot y"ur
!, building: and it is idle to talk ol the brthriyts she
conler> when, al one asl you aroga,c the great ma
jorily Of them.
i Do gentlemen from either of these clauses ascertain
the power to exercise this prcroytyc nj making and
uumakug, OF putting up and putting down portions o
the people to suit the wants or the circumstances I"
Y the times. Do the first three clauses Of the bill "i
rights designate contrary To- the laws that nature pre-
9 scribes the individuals that shall constitute the I"t
cal basis If understand their terms, fu their
n language Imports II may well bc conendcd that they
embrace the whole of the species, and all would, under
i the laws of nature have equal rights and would equal
~ participate i'll the government you about IL ere
d ate Shall you undertake, III mastering your mighty
# host, in orar to ascertain for WHOM and on, pf winn
your government is to be framed and for, and Ia, whom
n political power to be created and grHned say,
sIldlI you tue NllilIi WHICH,
number and privileged class TO be- and "u! side and
beyond it to turn the less fortunate and pnSby the
larger sron The moment you tlu this the moment
: you attempt to your line aud divide your p."plc
especially your male adults, all your abstract prluci.
7 pies your beautiful theories your eloquent and laz
zlng pictures of inherent rights, inaIicnabe priv
ileges and sacred and eternal political equality Of
sink together in the dust. Your great principles and
theories abandoned, and you settle down upon
sober and practical expediency.
Natural rights, then, one thing equal with all,
including the human family Of all ages SEXES. aud de
nominations. Social rights another, and ,n opp"
site thing, depending wholly upon the compact which
4 the members Of the society have prescribed and thus
n ALL for the protection OF each, seek their general safety
i'll surrendering part Of the natural rights of eacI,
and form the social aud political compact for the pro
lection of life liberty and property Such society
has no more to do with nature, with nature :
: rights
! Allow HE to remark with all respect that gentle.
mon in this discussion have COMPOUNDED the natural
with the civil and social rights 1t is true that all men
have by nature equal natural right; but when men eli.
ter into society, their rights become divided into two
classes their natural rights longer IN existence.
They are merged into and become governmental rights.
Those rights are divided into civil social rights and
what called political rights. When you have found
your government sufficiently strong and stable TO pro-
ect itself and its citizens in their personal rights as
well as in their rights OF property, you want no fur
Their protection from the laws Of nature. You will no
longer appeal to them for protection, but every ndi
4 vidua aggrieved, be it civil n social or Il political
right that has been invaded will apply for and obtain
that protection which government should aud is intend
ed to afford. Therefore, it is-when have en-
tered into this state of socety-that all the fragments
composing the government have the and equal
social and civil rights But do gentlemen undertake 10
tell US that all have the political rights and
whilst the male and female the adult and the minor,
far as their civil and social rights concerned stand
precisely upon the footing of equality surely
will not be told, when to consider political
: rights that they not unequal The moment you
look to political rights you say you exclude the MINOR
the female, and portions Of the adult male population
That very moment you have excluded many who possess
all the personal qualifications that ente them to con
stitute part and parcel of the great political fabric
but they want you say, some other qualifications that
you require them to have Has nature drawn any such
distinction or is it not but the convention and com
pact of society of government that does it Do you
find that all that have arriv ed at the aye of twenty
one years-that arbitrary period fixed by many govern
ments the period at which shall become free
agents other governments even restricting it until the
age of twenty fve-are permitted the free and full ex
ercse of political power 1t not and is this de-
NAL to such persons of such power from the DEGREES of
nature ?or is it of the ordinances of the compact
of society!
We are told BY gentlemen that the majority ought
,lto have an interest not to commit wrong-that
,bar have IN do ,rl,