The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-30

OF the government rs much greater than that of
Delaware, as its own political importance WIS
! really iu~erior. To carry this principle into
practice, 1t would not have been Efficient that
thefe Rates ihould have had an inilu-
ence in the lower houCe proportional 10 their
real Importance; that Virginia ihoud have had
s2 members (for infancy and Delaware only
one; but that her representation in the
ienate and her election for the PRECEDENT ihould
nave been IN the fame proportion. Should
the larger fates however have waved
tins privilege in the formation of the fe-
deral contribution; ihould they have per-
mItted the frnall fates to pofiefs an equal
voice IN the ienate it will certainly follow
that they have relinquiihed a right to which they
were equtably entitled. The contribution has
wi.ely perhaps facrficed this equitable claim TO
the general interefs OF the union. On the floor
of the fenate, large fate, fuch as Maachuietts,
has no more influence than FINAL fate, as De-
iaware.-But thould we apply this equitable
maxim, not to one or two, but to combination
OF the ftateS, we thall eahly dicover that the
Eaftein ttateS, or thote which have no flaves,
have decided preponderance over the South
ern Hates, which contain the greateit number
line 1--WE Eaitem itates, NewHampihire, Maj
iachuietts, Connecticut, and Vermont, are enti-
tied by the lat Genius to 35 Representatives only
while the five Southern ftates, Maryland, Vir-
\ ? Il,
Georgia, are entitled, agreeably to the repre-
tentative rule of the contribution, to SIS repre-
ientatWes. On the floor of the fenate however
the hve Eaitern itates have an equal influence
with the five fouthern fates. We thus arrive
at the obvious concluiion, that the Eatern ftates
have gained, and the fouthern ftates have loft
comfortable influence by the prefent conftituti-
on or the fenate; and consequently that the EAT
tern ftates have begun to recover by their equal
vote in the upper houfe, that political impor-
lance, which they had loR in the lower houfe for
the want OF Negro representation. Two adj
dltional considerations will demonftrate the ex-
traordinary value of this fenatorial influence
| lit. The con htution has conferred much more
extenilve powers upon the fenate than upon the
Houie OF Representatives,. They not only poi
ieis all the Legislative powers, except the power
OF originating money bills, but they exercife all
10 fome of the executive functions, ince they ra-
tity disappointment of officers and the regula-
tionsoi treaties; * they alto exercife fome ofthe
Judicial functions ,ince they'll have the power to try
| al impeachments. end The negro ftatesare def
tined by the ntriuiic ftru6ture of our iociety to
advance much faiter in wealth, population and
IInportance, than the eattern ttates. The great
er extent * fertility of their foil, and their geu
al Climate, will be amoft inexhautible iources
OF population and treafure. The eaitern ftates.
executive of Rhode Hand, contain about az. 36
fquare miles, while the fouthern ftates, executive
OF Georgia, contain not lefs than $4,000 fouare.
miles. On this BATS, it would be eafy to calcu-
! late how many more inhabitants the fouthern
ftates are defined to produce in few revolving
years, than the eaftern ftates. Having afIiqned
iuch proportion of this population to our taw
ny brethren, let it be one half, it would not re-
quire much mathematical acumen to demon
ftrate that, at no diitant period, the fouthern or
Have ftates will be able to produce much larg-
er Genius OF free berjsn5 only, than the eaftern
ftates. Notwithstanding this increafing impor-
lance their relative influence in the federal fenate
ftilicontinues unatered & thus the contribution
/ has conferred upon the eaftem fates an equal
influence IN one of the mott important depart
ments OF the government, while therreal impor-
lance, their wealth, and even the number of
Their f1eemen, would be every day becomingIefs
and lets.
Who can compare thefe various facts toge-
Their who can balance the negro reprefentati.
on OF the fouthern ftates, and the increaiine
number of hbeir freemen, againft the euual in.
huence OF the ealtern ftates in the federal f.
nate; and not perceive the full force of the re-
mark which is made in the letterof Gen. Wafh-
lngton when PRECEDENT of the Convention to the
! prehdent OF CongrefS, that "the contribution is
the reiult OF fpirt of amity, and ofthat mutu-
ai difference and conceihon, which the peculia-
iible'' And with what preteniions to truth
can Mr.. Ely al1ert, that &c the apportion.
ment of the direct tax (is) the only compenfati-
on propofed by the contribution to the ftates NOT
holding Gaves" p
! Objections however, may be offered asainft
the Thrift part of this reafoning. 1t may be faid,
that the fouthem ftates do not really pofIefs
greater political importance than the eaftern
rates that the fact mutt indeed be conceded,
If the prefent number of representatives from
theie diviiions of the Union, be taken as the
itandard of valuation that this is not however.
an accurate fandard that the Genius of the
ilaves fhould not be introduced for the p,rno{s
OF fweiling out the real importance of the foutb-
ern hates that the only proper tandard of ma
tlonal importance, is the number of free DER
ions and that if we graduate thefe two quar-
tiers Of the Union by this new fcale, we iball dir-
cover that the eaften are the large, & the fouth-
ern are the fmall ftates and that all the arqu-
ments Which have been drawn from the eonal
| influence of the fates in the fenate, NAV fhue
be directed againf the foutheTninhabitants Is
this fatement however correct?
Different political writers may invent and en-.
| ploy different ftandards for etfmatine the real
| importanceofa nation. Butnone perhaps is more
properly adapted to this purpofe than the ouan.
titty of its productive labour fnce productive
labour is the fource of all the wealth, arts and
improvement which ii pone1es and re tba 49,.