Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-18
ON "THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE"

1t would be amusing, (says the Boston Atlas did not
the exhibition excite serious emotions to hear
of the legal members of the Convention now sitting in
Massachusetts, talk Of the natural right Of every citizen
to vote. Every whose opinion is worth any thing
knows that suffrage is conventional and natural
right In state Of there is such thing voting
for rulers because men have rulers of their
electng 1t is only after they have passed from the state
of nature and governments instituted that suffrage
can be exercised and under all forms of the
right Of suffrage is fixed by law The natural right Of
suffrage, therefore, is absurdy, and those who speak
of it in that way must have very confused ideas the
subject else willing to confuse the ideas of others
We hear universal suffrage advocated in tho Conyen-
ton the ground that Bill Of Rights declares that
" all men born free and equal" Though there is
something plausible in this every intelligent knows
that such argument is unsound Let take the de-
claraon it stands in the Constitution All men are
born free and equal and have certain natural essential
and unaenable rights; among which may be reckoned
the right Of enjoying and defending their lives and ber
tess that Of acquiring, possessing, and protecting pro-
perty in ne Of seeking and obtaining their safety and
happiness"
Language Of similar import is contained in the Decla-
ration of independence; and all such language amounts
simply to this, that all have certain natural rights
and among them is the right Of assocatng together and
establishing such form Of government as they may
think proper But the rights granted and defined by the
constitution form Of government adopted
tional and not natural rights
Because however, it is declared in Bill Of Rights
and in the Declaration Of Independence that all men
born free and equal" it is inferred that all have
right VOTE and have authority to stand between
freeman and his privileges, and deprive him of any
rights to which he born to limit those privileges
bestowed upon him by the God Of Nature,
All such remarks mere clop-trdp. The very men
who attempt to make patriotic appeals to the dear peope
this subject do not and dare not attempt carry
their professions. Do they extend the right of suf
frage to females? They born free and equal well
as males. Do they allow boys to to the polls !?
Nothing like it. After employing arguments which would
give the right of suffrage all ages and sexes they turn
directly round and conne this right males alone and
not only So but they require that males must be twenty
years Of age and must have certain other quafoa
tons The very resolves reported to the Convention re-
quirc residence as qualification of voters WHAT then,
becomes Of their boosted declarations that all
born free and equal and have natural right to vote
their rulers and that have step in and
deprive them OF their naenable right or to impair II by
qualifications?
wecan pardon young aspirant who attempts bring
himself before the public, and to gain for himself
position in society though he may employ arts to
secure this end In him it is wrong and folly
But gray with age and who have already enjoyed
high Offices from the gift Of the people, to attempt to i'm
pose upon the public in this manner is too humilisting
And to attempt such games in Convention assembled to
amend our organic law is degree Of demagogism not
to be tolerated We hope for the honor Of the Common
| wealth that such cases viii be rare