University of Virginia Library

11. CHAP. XI.
Containing Reflections.

It may be thought preposterous in these
young men to attempt force in the
matter of an election. That depends on
their possessing any other faculty by which
they could succeed. Have not all animals
recourse to these means of providing for
themselves, which nature has given them?
The squirrel climbs a tree, while the wolf
runs through the brake. The cat lies in
wait, and watches for her prey; while the
greyhound pursues with open mouth, and
seizes the hare or the fox.

Valentine would not seem to have possessed
the advantage of mental recommendations;
he could not have it in his power
to allure and persuade. Why not therefore
act by compulsion, and use force?
But why not make application of this force
upon the voters themselves, and knock
down either before or after an election,
all

all those who had been obstinate, in withholding
their suffrages? It is probable that
experiment had been made of this, and
that it had been found ineffectual. What
then remained, but to repel the intrusion
of competitors. It was more convenient,
as there were fewer of these; at least it
rarely happens, that there are as many candidates
as voters. It seems more natural,
as beginning at the source, and repressing
the pretensions of the canvassing individuals,
who are usually the first movers
in the business. It is of the nature of a
summary proceeding, and avoids delay,
to break the head of a competitor, and
induce him by fear, if not by modesty, to
desist.

It may be queried, what respectability
in the capacity of legislators can such persons
have, after having been elected, without
the requisite information on state affairs,
or talent of eloquence, to make a figure
in a public body? That is no business
of mine. It belongs to these that set up for
such appointment, to consider this. It may
be said, however, that it is not necessary that
all should make a figure in the same way.
In the exhibition of a circus, you will be
as much diverted with the clown who
mounts

mounts a horse clumsily, or who attempting
to tumble, falls on his backside, as with
the greatest activity shewn by the master.
In music, bass is useful; nay, may be
thought to be necessary, to mix with the
treble. An illetirate and ignorant member
of a deliberative assembly, forms an agreeable
contrast with the intelligent; just as in
gardening, we are pleased with a wild
copse after a parterre.

It may be thought a vesania, or species
of madness, to entertain such an inordinate
passion for the legislature. Not at
all; it was not a madness properly so
called, by which I mean, a physical derangement
of the intellect. The cause
was merely moral; and the derangement
only such as exists in all cases, where the
mind is not well regulated by education,
and where the passions are strong and intemperate.
This young man Valentine had
conceived, at an early period, the idea of
becoming a legislator; and as has been
said, from seeing some member of Congress
pass the road, with a servant and
portmanteau also; not at all comprehending
the necessity, or at least usefulness, of
a knowledge of the geography of the world
in commercial questions; or of history in
pol-

political: he had been accustomed at home
to run a foot race with a wood-ranger; to
lift a piece of timber at a house building,
or log-rolling; or to wrestle at Cornish-hug
with the young men of the village; and had
imagined that the same degree of strength
and dexterity, which had given him a superiority,
or at least made him respectable
in these, would raise him to reputation in
the efforts of the human mind.

Why need we wonder at an uneducated
young man judging so preposterously on
great subjects. It is not to be presumed that
he ever had an opportunity of reading Cudworth's
Intellectual System, or any other
writer on “the eternal fitness of things.” This
belongs to the schools; I mean the higher
academies, where metaphysics, and the
co-relate science of logic, is taught.

I am aware that malevolent persons, judging
from their feelings, will alledge that
in the caricature I have given of the mountain
candidate, I have had some prototype
in view, and hence intended a satire upon
individuals It will not be a fair deduction;
unless it is restrained simply to
this, that something like it has occurred in
the course of my observation, which has
given rise to my idea of the picture.Now

Now that I am upon the subject of elections
for deliberative assemblies, I will
make a few general observations, without
meaning to give offence to any one.

There are but two characters that can
be respectable as representatives of the
people. A plain man of good sense, whether
farmer, mechanic, or merchant; or
a man of education and literary talents.
The intermediate characters, who have
neither just natural reflection, nor the advantage
of reading, are unnatural, and can
derive no happiness to themselves from the
appointment; nor can they be of use to
the commonwealth.

But men err, not only judging falsely of
their capacity for a public trust, but in the
means of obtaining it. I have in view,
not only all indelicacy in the solicitation of
votes, but in the management that is too
often used on election days, in changing
tickets, obstructing windows, voting more
than once; a thing tolerable perhaps, or
at least excusable, in the election of a
sheriff, an office of profit; but which ought
to be considered indelicate in a competition
for honour. It is impossible for any law
to reach the cure of this evil; it can be remedied
only by attaching disgrace in public
opinion,

opinion, to them or the like arts. I do not
mean to represent as indelicate the candidates
offering to serve. For I would rather
be accused of forwardness to offer myself,
that of affectation to decline, when I was
willing to be elected. The one favours of
cowardice and falsehood; the other, at the
worst, can be called but vanity.

The wife and virtuous exercise of the
right of suffrage, is the first spring of happiness
in a republic. If this is touched
corruptly, or unskilfully, the movements of
the machine are throughout affected. Not
only judicious regulations by positive law
are necessary to secure this, but the system
of family and scholastick education ought
to contemplate it. An advice which no father
ought to fail to give to his son should
be to this effect. “Young man, you have
the good fortune to be born in a republic;
a felicity that has been enjoyed but by a
small portion of the race of man, in any
age of the world. In some ages it has been
enjoyed by none at all. It is a principle
of this government, that every man, has
a right to elect, and a right to be elected.
In the exercise of the first, the right to
elect, be taught my son, to preserve a
scrupulous and delicate honour: And as
at

at school, the sense of shame amongst your
equals, would restrain you from all fraud,
in obtaining a game at fives; so much more
now that your are a man, let it restrain you
from all unfairness in this the great game
of man. With regard to being elected,
your first consideration will be your talent.

At school, you would despise the boy
who would set himself forward, as an expert
swimmer or wrestler, who was deficient
in skill at these exercises. In order
to be respectable, put not yourself above
your strength. If you covet the honour
of a public trust, think of qualifying yourself
for it; and let the people think of chusing
you to discharge it; that is their business.
Lay in a stock of knowledge by
reading in early life. Your old age, by
these means will acquire dignity; and appointments
will readily follow. You will
be under no necessity of solliciting inordinately
the suffrage of men.”CHAP