7284. REPRESENTATION, Qualified.—
Were our State a pure democracy, in which all its inhabitants should meet together to
transact all their business, there would yet
be excluded from their deliberations: 1. Infants,
until arrived at age of discretion. 2.
Women, who, to prevent depravation of
morals and ambiguity of issue, could not mix
promiscuously in the public meetings of men.
3. Slaves, from whom the unfortunate state
of things with us takes away the rights of
will and of property. Those, then, who have
no will could be permitted to exercise none in
the popular assembly; and, of course, could
delegate none to an agent in a representative
assembly. The business, in the first case,
would be done by qualified citizens only.—
To Samuel Kerchival. Washington ed. vii, 36.
Ford ed., x, 46.
(M.
1816)
