Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-22

HcN chu'tOtia-lnH, SHo VIII w o"I W 80"
border States. llpw far this fact may at Ct
the institution Of slavery within hcr limits
cannot yet be determined. But II is the par
of prudence 10 guard against all contingencies
lt may be that the slave population VIII D.
Withdrawn, to some extent from the Northern
and Western portions of her territory, ant
their places supplied by immigrants from toe
North, to whom it would rot be- sale to con-
tidc the destinies of Virginia by enabling them
through the elective franchise, to choose th'
men who are to frame, cxpound and admins
ter her laws
In view of this condition Of af4irs, your
committee regard it as vitality important, ths
the Constitution Of Virginia should be 81
amended as To Impose wholesome restrictions
ou the right Of suffrage, and to diminish th
number of officers to be elected Dy the rec
vote Of the people. In regard to the qua!'hca
ton of voters, there ms been, fran the founda
ton OF the republic, Iauch diversity Of opinion
While all cohcurr,sli in the idea that the vote
should have i permanent interest i'll, and at
iachne.st to IT,: community, statesmen ha7'
differed as to what constituted the best eVi-
dencc ihal ,n: est aud 9ttGchmene r
Under the Constitution Of l7G8. the elective
franchise vas restricted to freeholders, on th
! idea that those who owued the country shoult
govern il.
la 1880, it was extended to housekeeper!
and heads OF families who had paid tho reVe
nue. tax with which they had been assessed fo
The next preceding year.
At the last reyIsal Of tho Constitution, ir
1856, all restrictions, except as to cliiZanshlE
and residence, were removed, and all white
males above the age oil twen;y-one years
" ere allowed 10 vote whether they had beer
assessed with, Or paid any taS, or not
In the opinion o! your committee this was
an unfortunate csiange in the Constturan.-
1t has introduced large class cf irresponsible
voters who have but little interest in the Com
nonwcalth, and who do Eus in any degree par
ticipate in the hur,lIers oflsxation, which may
be mpo3ci ~ representatives Of their selec-
ti0n.
E7eTy consideration Of principle ami expo
dency requires that this error Should now I'D
corrected.
Political rights and duties ura RECIPROCAL
Every citizen IL entitled 10 the projection .!
his government, and az an equivalent Tor that
protection, he is bound to dershd Tho govern.
ment Protection Of Individual rights is th,
FS'- .bI iEtiitE' vi
TIE citizen. But il is, by no means true, that
every citizen IL entitled To partci pate 10 the
administration Of the government. Bc!nro he
can have just claim 10 al! thu rights Of O.
citizen, l:e Iirs: yhGw that he has performed
all the ir:;"s q il ;;isi&nG- Ii is rot enough
that he shall have pcrurhed military service
r defending The government. That IS but one
Of The duties OF Il citizen, and for thar, he is
amply compensated by the protection which IS
af'rrdtd to his rights OF person and property
The government must be supported by taxes
as wei! as defended by the military arm. ho-
nev is as essential in war as men. Troops
must be armed, equipped, clothed, fed and
paid, rs well as mulShal!ed for the battlefield
The citizen who fails 10 pny his share OF the
cost o' the goVerntnen: is us much in default
aS ii4 nrigrpnr, who shrlnks from military ser.
vice. liz mas not discharged his full duty to
his c3un:ry, and, therefore, has no just ground
10 coG:p,ain + ne is not allowed to share i'll the
administration Of its go7ertanehL
[. c:uno: be denied that il il in violation o!
one Ct the great fundamental principles Of
American liberty that persons who pay no
taxes should be- allowed To exercise the elective
franchise. Our fathers maintained that taxa
tion EiLhon. representation, was tyranny
But, of what value is the right Of representa-
uon ii those Who substantially lay the taxes
pay no portion Of them: II irresponsible, non.
tax Paying voters select tho Legislators who
lay tho taxes, i: is obvious that the result must
be oppression. Under the representative sys
TEN, the security which the people have against
unjust taxation is, in fact, that they cso, at
pleasure, Withdraw the legislative trust from
the harGs Of those who aouse it Bat it one
class ec,t; i!Ie representative and another bears
the tIrthen OF Taxation, this security becomes
worthless.
These general considerations tend, ia the
opinion ol your committee, TO show that the
present Constitution OF. Virginia does not Fro
vide the necessary safeguards against the abuse
OF power. Under il, suffrage is ulnoat unlimit
Cd, and much the larger number Of the Ulcers
OF the government are elective, directly, by the
peo pie. Tie tendency Of these provisions is
to tue most hateful OF all desPotlsrns-the dcs
potism OF ell unrsstrained numerical majority.
II the lessons Of history, on this point, need
ed any cor 6rmation, it Gun be found in the
melancholy spectacle presented by the govern
ment from which we have recently wilhdrawn.
We sea the President Of the United States,
whose government is acknowledged to be one
of limited powers, backed by an inluriated and
fanatcal populaca, boldly usurpiug the right
to declare war To raise armies; to call out the
miitia; TO borrow money; TO increase the navy;
to invade States; to blockade ports; to suspend
:he writ Of hobsas cotpaS; TO violate the free
dom of speech and OF The press; and in word,
to trnmple on every principle OF constitutional
liberty; and instead Of being met by stern re-
buke and mcrited impeachment, every new
aggression on the Constitution and popular
right is builed with acc!amation by those who
recognize in him the chosen minister and in
strnmcnt Of liking Numbers"
RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE
In seeking to make practical application
Of the general propositions which have been
discussed, your committee have encountered
pressed by many Intelligent citizens for re-
turn 10 the old freehold system Of qualification
Of voters. But, to say nothing OF the imprac-
ticabi!ity Of edecting such complete rerolu-
tion, your committee arc persuaded that the
change would not be desirable If it were at
tainable. There seems 10 be no good reason
why the owners Of land should have greater
privileges than the holders OF any other spr-
ciss Of property. Every property qualification
is obnoxious TO the objection, that the right Is
made an incldcnt Of the property and not Of
the person. Your committee, therefore, have
declined to recommend any property qualidca.
ton, but prefer that the right 10 vote should
be made dependent on the performance Of pub
lic duty. They, therefore, advise that tho
Constitution be amended so as 10 authorize eY.
cry free white ira.o citizen 10 vote who Shall
have paid, sixty days before the election, all
taxes, State and Confederate, which may have
been assessed against him or his property, for
the next preccdlng year, and also all the lev
les, county, corporation and parish, With which
ne Is justly chargeablc.
Tins Limitation on tho right as it now exists,
is in accordance with the principles above
stated and would, in tho jud yment OF the com
mittcc, be attended with tue most beneficial
results by stimulating all to the discharge Of
their public duty, ad by excluding FROM this
important political right orly those who had
!aled TO perform it
POPLAR ELECTIONS