Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-04-05

4 taxed, and all other persons"
The object of this amendment is to ex-
clude from the list of inhabitants comforting
the right of representation, three.6fths of
the slaves within the union. 1t cannot be
concealed that this subject is surrounded by
difficulties, and originally presented impor-
rant obstacles TO the union. 1t was coi.tend.
ed then, as it is still asserted, that this un .
happy race of beings, degraded alike by ina
teilect and condition. could not be consider.
ed above the animals which labored by their
side--thae they were not admitted by their
| owners to any share Of political power in
the states where they res;ded-;kat they
Gould not, therefore, with propriety be in
truded into any participation of power with
freemen that in short they should be re
garded as property, not as persons 1t was
'hen answered. as it may still be argued.
snat the states not burthened with this spe.
cies OF inhabitants, the states which had all
ways progressed to regard slaves as men
whose bondage was oppression, should not
DC the hrst to degrade them to- the rank of
mere cattie--that the general principle of
inc confederation was, TO apportion repre-
sentatiVes among the sta,es accor ing TO in,
haoitants-that 1.-THE southern states chose
10 give their slaves the privilege of voting. ar
piaceu them on the footing of Sound ser.
wants. they would be entitled to representa-
tioh according to their full numbers-and
'nae TIC refusal to their slaves of that pri.
s"eSe was, like the qual. cation of proper.
t.qu'rea III some other states, mere
municipal! regulation with which the un;on
had no Concern. This reasoning satisfied
the trainers of the constirutioe. rhev
thought, wisely, that slaves were to he con.
siscred partly as property. and partly as
persons and that it would be uniust Tn
condemn their owners to taxation on their
| account, without some indemnity They.
| therefore. compromised the conflicting ON.
MONS lhey agreed 20 consider the slaves
as men, out as men whose value the Joss nj
| freedom had deprecated, and minsIinr the
! nopes oil power WITH the Chances of taxati
on they decided, that three.Efths only ol
! .nese unfortunate beings should enter into
the computation of representatives.
Weary th'rty years have elapsed since
thiS arrangement received the sanction OF
Tue statesmen OF that day. Il is now pro.
PoSeu ~ 'haAge IT. Inc great object of en-
- therefore should be, whether in the
progress OF tiine this Compact, which then
! seemed :alr and equal, has oisanno;nted
the hopes or violated enc rights or Wounded
| inc lAterest of one Of the parties.
Row 1t does not appear that either III.
| slaves or the slave representation has in.
creased IN proportion unexpected or op-
PresSlVe' The black population now does
ny va, d greater proportion 10 the VIII tie
nan II uiu Ia L. 20 /; on the Contrary the
number OF slaves, and Of Course the power
| 'hey confer, Is actually decreasing in nro.
portion to the whites. Ia 1890. the Slaves
| were 697,6G ont OF 1925, S26, more than q
hith "f tie whole population /; in 1910, thew
! W ~ ,l9l,S3t out Of Z 2S9, 9oS, not quite a
si2ish and the decrease must soon be ,.re,t
er AS TIVE importation of slaves, which wa,
allowed during eighteen years of this period
is now prohibited.
Among the slave~holding states them
selves the progresa Of the black and white
pop"'e'ioA mas been steady and equal
ne census or 1870 gave to the states O:
Dela"are' Maryland, Virginia. Gnc!udins
| hentncky,) North Carolina. South Carols;
ma and George, 655,o1t slaves out n
i,Sio4S inhabitants, being As 600 more
than third The census of 1900, gave 70
| the Same states and Tennessee, Chen frat
| enumerated separately S52. 8oi slaves out
OF 2,o45 o57 inhabitants, $1,000 less than a
tntrd. The ccasus Of 1910, gave 70 the same
states, including Orleans, 1,1SS, $50 out NJ
| $3.50 Oo+; 10000 more than a third. l.
would not seem therefore that the sla yes
| nave increased either as respects the u,ion
AT large, or the white population of the
Save holding states themselves, with so dis
proportioDate a rapidly as to deranre he
oatahce OF power established by the consti
tu,ihn' This may be seen by comparing III .
relative strength Of ;he Representation cans
ed oy the slaves. The 6o7.6e7 slaves of
"t 'fsO furnished according to the ratio oF
| one representative TO $4,000 of three fifths
OF them, twelve representatives out of one
hundred and six, the whole uur1ber of Nom
oers OF Congress. The 996,849 os 1900. bv
TIE same ratio furnished 10 out 642-and
| me i'l3S.260 (the number Of represented
slaves now at the rate OF IS 900 10 a re.
preventative, furnishes 10 out of 1879 which
proves gradual decline in the Compare.
| We representation of slaves. The slave
holding states have moreover advanced. @.
ven their white population, in a greater
Talo than many OF the states of the north,
During the twenty years from 1890 to 1910
| Massachusetts had not added one fourth to
her population, Rhode Island not one eighth.
connecticut not one tenth, whilst durin o
me same period the white population OF
maryland has increased as rapidly as that
| vi massachusetts,. the population of virgins
Ia, North Carolina and South Carolina
more rapidly, Georgia has nearly trebied
heT white population. Kentucky has increa
sea hers hve fold, and that of Tennessee
mas augmented even within ten years to
more tlan double.
\ From these facts - ,r,s.,tI - -