The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-06-20

government different from any then in ay.
lstence, was an untried experiment, it was
natural that they should have derived many
OF their ideas of political science from th.
mother country. There were many THINGS
connected with English government which
they approved and admired. They there
tore supposed that property qualifications
tor Office We're as essential for those who rem
resented, and were elected, by all classes of
the people, as under a government where
only a few of the people voted, and those
lew the property owners of the country
A recurrence to English history must sat-
lsfy every impartial mind, that the protcc-
ton OF landed property, and the preserva-
ton OF her nobility were the two grand ele-
ments upon which the English government
was founded. The protection of the citizen
was minor consideration compared with
her other cherished objects. Her feudal
system, her system of villenage, and the de-
pendancy of the tenant upon his superior
lord, are all evidences of the truth of this
proposition. But it is not necessary that
shall rely alone upon the superior protection
extended to her nobility, and the utter de-
pendency of the people as they formerly ex-
listed, to prove that property and aristocracy
lection. Her more modern legislation fur
nishes us with an instance of the truth of
my proposition; it may be found in the lat
ter part OF the reign of the Prince of Orange
The landed aristocracy, becoming jealous of
the growing power and influence exercised
by the representatives of the cities and Dor
oughs, and fearing the risinggrcatness ofwhat
they were pleased to term the plebeian in
terest, passed an act through Parliament,
increasing the property qualifications of
such representatives to twenty five thousand
pounds. And to the credit of the greatest
and wisest statesman who ever sat upon the
British throne, William, he exercised the veto
upon the act and thus prevented the landed
| arlstocracy from concentrating one of the
cherished principles upon which their gov
eminent was founded
| Eleven years after the adoption of our
| State Constitution, the Convention which
| framed the Federal Constitution assembled.
1t was composed of the wisest and best men
| whom any country or any age of the world
had ever produced. They became deeply
sensible of the great responsibility resting
upon them. A confederation of States based
upon the fundamental idea that the people
are rightfully the depository of all political
| power, was to them an untried experiment;
but their far-seeing sagacity and expansive
craftsmanship proved that they were equal
to the occasion. This thing of property
qualification was thoroughly discussed and
weighed in all of its bearings by this august
body. A committee of detail, consisting of
Messrs. Gerry, Davie, DR.. Franklin, Rutledge
and Mason were appointed, to whom was
referred resolution directing them to re-
port.a bill requiring landed property quail
ifcation for Senators and Representatives.
| In accordance with the wishes of the Con-
yention, they reported bill requiring a
landed property qualification for the nation
al representatives This subject underwent
thorough discussion before the Conven-
ton, as is well known, each State voting not
according to its representation, but as a
State. Maryland alone voted for the bill. The
committee of detail were again instructed to
report a bill requiring property, other than
landed qualification, for Senators and Com
moners; and after the bill had been reported
and thoroughly discussed by the Conven-
ton, New Hampshire, Georgia and Massa-
| chusetts alone voted to retain a property
| qualification. The ten other States refused
to sanction the incorporation into the Con-
stitution of doctrine which was repugnant
not only to our Declaration of Independence,
but at variance with every idea of repub
| licanism.
| Such, then, is the history of how property
qualifications for Office first became engrafted
into our organic laws, and the reasons why it
was not afterwards made part of the fede-
| raj Constitution.
! But it is asserted by the opponents of the
| proposed amendment, that unless we have
| such a property qualification for Office as is
! proposed, that the property holders will have
no security for protection to their property
in other words, that property is conducive to
conservatism, and that any other principle
for the election of officers of the State will
run into radicalism. If this theory be cor
rect it well becomes us to pause before com
hitting so grave an error.
Mr. President, it has been wisely said,
81 that history is philosophy, teaching by ex-
ample" Let us look into the Constitutions
of all the other States of the Union, based as
is ours upon the idea that the people, and the
people alone, are the source of all political
power, and see what are the property quail
fieations for office; and if we find that other
States, and those very large majority, have
banished every vestige of British aristocracy
from their organic law, and have admins
tered their respective State governments with
ability-have, through their representatives
enacted wise and benefcent laws, and have
been free from radicalism in every form
then may we not with propriety suppose
that what has been done with wisdom in
other States may be safely tried herea
Let delegates examine the different Consti
buttons of the thirty-six States of the Union
and they will find that thirty-one have moi
belied the fundamental principle upon which
each State government was framed. They
will there see that they not only proclaim
that all political power is vested in and de
rived from the people, but what is o.
more importance, they practice it; for they
leave the people free and untrammeled to
choose for office any of its citizens who pos
sess the merit of being able to secure ma
jority of their votes. No principle is enunci
ated in their Constitutions, which is practl
bly, denied by other clauses of the same in
strument, as is the case with our Constitu
ton. What good can arise fran the enun
citation of q great truth if we, by our action
not only question its correctness, but practl
cally deny it?
Five States, then, alone retain propert.
qualification for office. Let delegates COM
pare the legislation of the thirty-one State
which require no property qualification fol
office with those which make it condition
precedent to the bestowal OF office that tn
incumbent shall possess certain amount
real estate. I invite the comparison, ant
[ feel assured that no unbiased man can rls
! from such an investigation without being
fully impressed with the conviction tina
/ property is not the test for qualification TO
office but that other considerations loom VI
and bury into insignifcance all such preten
tious claims, fostered from studying ant
admiring the workings of the British govern
ment. Let delegates select Northern an,
Southern State which offers promotion to al