Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-23

lection which H afforded to his rights of person and
property The government must be supported by taxes
well as dsfsndsd by the military arm. Money Is as
essential n war as men Troops be armed, tqupp.
ed clothed, fed and paid, as well marshsed for the
battlefield The citizen who fails to pay his share Of
the cost Of the government Is as much Ia default his
neighbor who shrioks from military service. He hes
not discharged his full duty 10 his country aud, there
FORE has just ground to compin il be Is not allowed
to share in the administration of its government.
Ii cannot be denied that II is in violation Of one Of
the great fundamental principles Of American liberty
that persons who pay taxes should be allowed to e.
ercise the elective franchise. Our fathers maintained
that taxation, without representation was tyranny. Bu'
Of what value Ia the right OF representation II those who
substantially lay the taxes pay portion Of them II
irresponsible, nontax.payng voters select the Legisla
tors who lay the taxes il is obvious ha. the result
be oppression. Under the representative system, the
security which the people have against unjust taxation
Ia the fact that they can at pleasure Withdraw the
legislative trust from the hands Of hosp who abuse il;
Bu, If one class elects the representative and another
bears the burthen Of taxation, this security becomes
| worthless
Toese general considerations tend in the opinion of
your committee to show that the present Constitution Of
Virginia does not provide the necessary safeguards
sgans the abuse Of power. Under t. suffrage is almost
Unlimited and much the larger number of the officers Of
government are elective, directly by the people. The
tendency Of these provisions to the most hateful Of all
dcspoiism-the despo.sm Of an unresrained numerical
majority.
the lessons Of history on this point needed any con.
firmaon IL can be found in the melancholy spectacls
presented by the government from which we have
Gently withdrawn. We the President Of the United
States, whose government s acknowledged TO be one OF
lin ed powers backed by iniurated :and fanstics
populaee, boldly usurpDg the right TO declare war; 10
raise armies call the mitis to borrow money to
increase the navy; to invade States; to blockade po
to suspend tho writ Of hdbeds corpus TO violate the free
dom Of speech and OF the press and in word TO tram
pie onlevey pricple of constitutional liberty aud instead
hr hv ahuLa and tod hu1anf
every new aggression the Constitution and popular
righs is hailed with acelamaon by those who recognize
in him the chosen minister and instrument Of "KiDg
Numbers
RIGHT oY SUFFRAGE.
In seeking to mike practical application Of the gen.
eral proportions which have been discussed your
mittse have encountered many difficulties. partiility
has been expressed by many intelligent citizens for
return the old freehold system Of qualification Of vo
ters. But, to say nothing Of the imprachcabity OF
efecting such complete revolution, your committee
persuaded that the change would not be desirable il
were attanabls There seems to be no good reason
why the Of land should have greater privileges
than the holders of any other species Of property Eve
~ property Qus 6caton is obnoxious TO the OF lection
that the right made incident of the property and
not Of the person. Your committee therefore, have
declined to recommend any property qualification but
prefer that the right to vote should be made dependent
on the performance OF any public duty They, there.
fore advise that the Constitution be amended to
authorize every ree white male citizen to vote who shall
have paid sixty days before the election all taxes State
aud Confederate which may have been assessed against
him his property, for the next preceding year. and
also all the eves county, corporation and parish with
which he Is justly chargeable
This limitation on the right as it now exists is In ac-
cordsnce with the principles above stated and would IN
| the judgment Of the committee, be attended with the
most beneficial resus by stimulating all to the discharge
OF their public duty, and by excluding from this import
ant political right only those who had failed to perform
| it.
POPULAR ELECTIONS.
Material changes eeem also to be necessary in regard
TO tho selection Of various classes Of public officers
Under the Constitution IL stands discrimina
ton is made in the mode Of choosing public agents.
founded a consideration Of the nature Of the func
tions they have TO perform mistaken desire to pro.
ptate popular favor rather than wise aud vellcor
sid.red purpose to give security TO Individual rights
and stability and dignity to the Government, seems 10
have controlled the action Of the Convention OF 1850.
Tie selection Of almost every officer has been referred
to the people, and by shortening the official term as
far as possible the officers made dependent on the
! people ....-.
In the opinion of your committee, this was grave
error. Popular privileges and pubic liberty best pro-
eced and defended by placing in ocis stations Of
intelligence integrity, fTmness, and wisdom and that
mode Of selection is best which will most efc:uay ac-
| compsh this end. The Government from which We
have recently separated furnishes abuudnt proof that
the wisest aud best not always the popular IA
| yorites.
In determining the mode Of selecting officers it
to your committee that regard ought to be had
TO the nature OF the duties they will be required to dis
charge No rule can be prescribed which will be free
from all objection but your committee believe that it
would be safe 10 assume, that all legislative officers,
should be elected by the people but that those who
fulfill ereetve, judicial truss should be chosen
by intermediate agents There seems to be good rea'
son for this distinction. Legislation affects the rights
and liberties Of tho whole people, collectively. Hence
bse who exercise legislative powers should be elected
by the direct vote Of the people, and be DEPENDENT Tor
their continuance 10 Office, on the will OF the people,
judicial aud executive officers, being entrusted with
the duty OF exponnding and administering the public
will as expressed through the legislature, and in apply
ing the law to individual cases, have functions to per-
FORM which do not concern the people st large, and
ought not to be affected by their wishes. After laws
are passed BY the legislature (Which speaks for the peo
ple rights accrue to- aud penalties incurred by, in
diyduals which ought to be fearlessly and faithfully
executed without regard to the wishes OF ms j1rity
of the people. Judicial officer, who would be rfn.
enced by popular cimor in the discharge OF his appIC.
Plate functions would Justly incur public contempt So
Also an executive oc r. who would fail to enforce law,
because it was unpopular, would merit the seTeres;
condemnation The responsibility OF these classes OF Of
Gcsrs is not the people, directly and therefore there
ia no good reason why they should be chosen directly
by tho people, All experience proves that the only class
of public servants who be held to direct and prac
teal responsibility by the people, are thosewho exer
else legislative functions. The peoP'e can, and do,
Judge correctly, of the wisdom and expeiiency OF
general law but is not to be expected that they would
form enlightened opinion In regard to the judicial ef
position, or executive application OF II, In particular
cases. Tn, former requires only the exercise oil sonnd
Judgment and discriminating common sense; the later
demands legal training, familiarity with precedenis ara
general knowledge Of the principles OF judicial deci
sen and executive action. Tho involves the c; n
der,on of the Law in its general aspects the other rt
oures minute Investigation of individual cases. which
tbe plbc will rarely if be either disposed or COM
pe.ent to make
Your committee aware that there is something cap
vspp TO the selove Of the people, in the idea o elect
mo their own officers of every grade, and many viii
doobess be found who will seek to persuade them, ea
cssential to their freedom that they should conn
Co do So Parasei are always to be found aroana .ne
Suntains of power In monarchies they exhibit them
slyss as courtier in republics those who assume 10
be tho peculiar friends Of tho people Intelligent men,
Sowever, will perceive that under our present Con-
s,ituion the people, really, have but little 70 DO with