The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-12-05
Political Tendencies in Virginia, Labor
Scouted---Free Education Denounced.
Limitation of the Franchise.

Limitation of the Franchise.
From the Richmond Eoquirer, the goth
inst, We catch a glimpse o. the proceed
ings of the Virginia State Convention,
now in session 10 the rebel capital. This
body. which Last spring betrayed Virgins
into the tolls Of the rebels. is now hard at
work destroying the remaing liberties OF
ibe people.
"Ou the 6rst day of May. 1861 the
convention adopted the following resolu-
ton:
"ResolUed, That com mittee of seven
members be appointed by the President
of the convention, whose duty it shall be
10 consider and report to the convention,
at its adjourned session. such amend
uents to the constitution of Virginia as
may be necessary and proper, under the
existing circums stances.'
"Tbe committee appointed under the
foregoing resolution have. according to
order, had the subject referred to them
under consideration, and submit the fol
lowing report:
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
"GoyerDmeuts are IDstItGted Tor the
protection of the rights of persons and
property; and any system must be radi
cslly defective which does not give ample
security to both The great Interests OF
every community may be classed under
the heads Of labor aud capital, and it is
essential to the we'll teiDg Of sosiety that
the proper equilibrium should be estab-
li.hed between these important elements.
The undue predouiuauce Of either q ust
eventually, prove destructive of the social
system. Capital belongs TO the few-la-
Dor to the many. 10 those systems in
which capital has the a<ceDdency, the
government must. to sowe extent. pnrtske
o. an oligarcby. whilst in those iD which la
Dor is predoDiDant the tendency is to whs
Mr.. John Randolph graphically describ
ed as the despotism OF king nuG bers.
1t is the Office Of enlightened statesman
chip to secure to each its appropriate in
fueuce, but to give the absolute control
90 neither
LABOR TOO POWERFUL IN THE NORTH.
"Tbe political condition of the North
ern States presents striking illustration
of the evils incident to the prepouderauce
of the element of labor 10 the early
periods Of their history these evils we're
not so apparent as they have since be-
come. Their population was sparse, and
the Wertern Territories afforded con
veuieut outlet for their restless citizen.;
labor was 10 demand at high wages; prop
erty was easily acquired, and consequent
" the line Of demarcstion betseen labor
and capital was not strictly drawn, be-
cause the lsborer of to-day might readily
become the capitalist Of to- morrow. But
within the last twenty years marked
change has taken place in the North
Population has become dense, aud the
safety. valve afforded 6y emisr alton to the
Western Territories has been greatly OBJ
ssructed. Wages have not kept pace
with the cost of subsistence, and the diff
6culty Of acquiring property has iDcreas-
ed. The tendency of this new condition
Of things has been to divide society into
tuo distinct classes, and to array the one
sgsipst the other.
FREE SCHOOLS DENOUNCED.
"This tendency to conflict between
labor and ospitsl has already manifested
itself in many forms comparatively harm
less, il is true, but nevertheless. clearly
indicative of q spirit OF licentiousne-s
which must. 10 the end, ripeu into agra
riauism 1t may Je seen an the system Of
free schools, by which the children OF the
poor we're educsted at the expense of The
rich; in tho various forms of exemption
and homestead bills; in the popular cry
of Glands for the Iandlesr," and homes
for the bomeless;' in Fourierism and com
nuui.m; 10 the babitual diregard Of the
ordinau uees Of religion. and o. .br iustitu-
ton Of ustriDony; and. moro distlnstly,
in sbe form Of abOli,ioUis~.
ATTACK ON UNRESTRICTED SUFFRAGE
AND POPULAR ELECTIONS
s'Iu the opinion of Jour committee no
system of government can afford perma
nent and effeetual security to life, liberty
and property, which rest' on the basi- of
unlimited suffrage aod the election Of Of
6eers Of every department by the direct
vote of the people. The tendency OF such
ssystem is to deUoralize the masses; to
encourage the habit of Office seeking; to
foster corruption at the polls, and to place
unworthy aud Incompetent men in posi-
tions of trust responsibility. These. how
ever. are the vital principles of the social
orgaDization of the North. and, as before
stated. their bitter fruits are already in a
course of rapid development.
"In the Southern States more conserv-
stive aud rational principles still prevail.
This is due msiuly to the institution Of