Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-03

election az " Slch nc Is entitled 20 y9tc, siis
be compelled TO perform military duty, eyre.
in time Of var or public danger; 10 work upo
the public roads, or 10 attend any c3,ir; As su
tor, Juror or witness and no voter s!3i T.
subjnc: TO arrest under ahy civil process ir.!
ing his attendance q! elections or in going ,
or returning from them
There being no change in that The IN sec
tion was taken up for consideration. Tha
section reads
"ln all elections, votes shall bs given oPenl
or pipG rd:e and not by ballot; bat dumb pc:
SONS entitled t" suffrage nay vote BY ballot.
Mr. HoLLAuaY-i mOre to aIn md that Ssc
tion by striking cus all after the wor;i "s;Ttn
| in tho 6rsi line and inserting tn5 ward:i 'Gi
secre. balIo. and not other rT!sr.'
Mr. HoLLApay.-l d.s!re - :aGke :, rana::
or tyo upon tfl;s s,ncnti.ncnt-
! presume sir, that the ctjsct IS IS al is t
place every cis!z.n at liberty 70 cast hia T0i.
az De may :hiHk proper, frto from 10 cnnf:o
or Interference Of any pG~ar or HuC!;.,n. Cr-
der Tho open rieG Toce VOTE, th!; :S f.J: ;ls
case. Ii tho co:nmant; where reside,
have had a full and fair opportunity Of tosirl
tho truth Of the assumption upon rhich thl
system il based, and observation i:,a satisfied
ny mind folly snd conc!iaivoly, living, as ".
profess, in free country and under repre-
sentative institutions, j: is ilnpractic2ae st al
times for ireelnen tins freely t6 cast theil
votes. Si., have referred 10 M community
1t embodies 4 very large proportion ii ne
| chanlcs VINO were operatives in the Grcport
Navy Yard, under tho l:!e United States Coz
ernnent, aE1 who are noy in the employ
chiefly Of the Confederate GjveTnmen:, md
say but that which every man there knows
to os true, when say ;hat :hc suilraserS have
not been FREQ in that community.
Sir, over and ever ngain--zHd ! use this
merely as an illustration and over again
has tins hand OF power prescribed individuals
there for the exercise Of thia, tha iirst
right Of freeman. Over and over again
nave men vino were dependent upon their
daily labor for the support Of themselves ami
families been dcpr!Sed Of employment: under
tho United States Government because thoy
choose to exercise that privilege and csss their
votes against tho Government candidates.
Sir, what has happened under tins United
States Government any happen uader the
Confederate Governments. This Government
may as Hci prescribe IL. ina Tree exercise Of
elective franchise ss the United States Govern.
nent did: and whore will be tbs relic; i Inc
hand of power should opprsss? u raay be
that the public reproketion you'd ex npon
the act which thus deprived y freeman o! this,
his dearest right; but, sir, experience 6eIann.
straiss tna!, however individuals desp;se the
oppression, still as par.iGanS they would love
its fruits, inasmuch az i: Injured to .ae benefit
G: their party. and :hya :isv eroui he Sliny z
10 c0untana9ce il.
1nas;nuch, therefore. as experience shows
that a corrective is needed Sc cnE5ia cror5
nan TO cast MS vote !rcs 'roc any improper
influence or restriction. deem il esaeil.ial that
there shall be s radical charge in this regard,
and /, therefore, pruoosc this amendment rs
tho beat a!cans of correcting the evil and Of
ob7iating the injustice tc which refer.
deem it unnecessary 10 enter into an ciabora
ton of this subject. Itseens to inc obviously
proper ard therefore hope il may ho the
pleasure of The Convention to aGoP. the
amendment.
Mr. FISHER y am, like the sertlem:n cz-
ceedingly desirous that all men shall - free
to exercise the elective franchise uDiuhlence'i
By any other causes than the convictions Of
their own Judgments 1p: had supposed i!
there was any thing rha: Virginia prizei more
than another, it was this mode, adopted: BY ag
ancestors. '>f casting tla v0.a upon tee r.ia
tsce principle.
The argument Of tbs gentleman WHO has
jus! spoken cuts hoth ways. undertake to
say, from Information that have derived from
PERSONS residing in snd about the city Of
Portsmouth, That il the voting had beea by
ballot inatea! CT the sioa r0ss SYSTEM. that At
the last Presidential election several hunCrrd
votes would have been cast for Abraham Lin
coin, instead OF hslf dozen. Many there as
/ sTn informed, who were Black Republicans il,
feeling, we're restrained from voting for that
ticket only by fear Of the exposure to which
they would Inevitably be subject under this
saiu:ary system Of voting. Had the system Of
these localities would have Been difftraat from
whst It has been.
10 reference to the largo manufacturing cs-
adjustments az the North, would rclrsTs
that in most Of the States III ~hci these es
tablisnments arc 10 30 found, The owEccs a-a
generally of the. marccnarv, INSCRIPTIONS
Glass Of Yankees ss 10 satisfy Inc ;hl, they
WOULD resort 70 any iHfaD0ia rnesaS 70 accom-
pl!sh any end promising gain o. prtie';naat for
themselves or their friends and it is rot 81 all
improbable that they do seek 10 influence Inc
operatives in their employ 10 Gus: their votes
as they may suggest. The operatives have
there some safeguard in the ballot system
for Iha7e boen informed or q gelt!emsn whom
| mad seen, from the North, Immediately alter
tho Presidential e!rct!on, that in many in.
stances in which thrso operatives we're urged
to vote, and understood to have voted for Abra
ham Lincoln, that, under the shield and cover
which the toilot box afforded, they actually
voted against him, and thus deceived their CHI
ployers. lf!t be true that many persons have
been romcTel from an ploy ment in the Cos
port Navy furd Oh account OF their opinioEs-
some, perhaps, who were loyal citizens OF the
Sou.h-it is true, as understand, that lnany
persons were removed both by Pierce and BUG.
hsoan, because Of their Abolition sentiments.
| do not deny the fact tha. Some honorable men
may have been removed because they differed
from tho Administration. Most Of those, how.
ever, of whose removal | have heard, vera rss-
moved on account Of their abolition sentiments
Both Pierce and Buchanan syowed that they
would not keep in the employment OF the Coz
ernment .any man who vas an Abolitionist
| csn sae no reason, sir, Tor any change in
the manner Of voting.
The principle Of "ira roes voting is 4 Haff
one, and should be preserved by all nesns, |,
is consecrs!ed By long usage, and it's srccess il
Virginia ;s but another vndicatioD oj tie wis
dom OF OR fathers who first adopted il. Tht
principle is especially safe In community like
ours, whers We have an institution agsins
which thers exists no small deg-ea Of hostility
from sonrces, which, at some time or a2othe!
in the course Of eTants, msy seek, through th'
covert agsrcy OF tho balle. box, 70 unde:.nia,
and destroy it.
trust il will nc. be the pleasure Of i'll,
Convention to adopt this Amendment.
Mr.. HoLLADAT.-I would ask the permission
CT the Convention 10 make remark OR two ir
| reply to the gentleman from Northampton.
The PgE.IuESr.-The gentleman Gao only
proceed by leave Of the House
The question, as to whether Mr.. UciLAoA,
| SHOULD have leaTe to proceed, was put, and /
rss decided i. the Affirmative
5r To,JAb,S hoo haoo otatei ~. ~.