Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-11-25

tunity which the distresses of the times
offered, Unified on proportion of power
which, on any fair and equitable terms,
did not belong to them and they succee,
ded IN obtaining ii. Ii is natural enough
alto TO iuppofe. that the slave holding
States would with their negroes to be
represented and they, in great meat
ure, fucceeded. But it is evident, thar
in this compromiie bctweeu the fmall
and ilave holding States, Pennsylvania,
New York, or Mailachufens gained
nothing in this particular, they could
hardly DC said 20 be parties to The con
yention, as they answered to neither of
these descriptions # Stass The princi
pie is certainly very unequal, to al
mott every practical purpose. IL places
IS 600 people on an equality with a
million. Ii gives Louisiana, Mississippi
or Indiana, which are entitled to only
one Representative, The fame voice in
the Senate as New. York, which has AZ,
or Pennsylvania, which sends 2s j he
effect is, that it gives them a veto ON
theie latter States, by balancing them |;
II negatives their proceedings in the
lower Houle they have the tame voice
in all appointments. and may Therefore
be conlldered on nearly the fame footing
as it regards power.
We ipeak not of any eaen'ial evils
which have hitherto arifen from this
part of the Contribution bccauie it has
happened, that no ferrous conflict of in-
tereit has as yet arlfen between the fmall
and great States. Much lefs 90 We in
ilnuale, that they arc not rsligiously
bound, by every confederation of morality
and policy, to adhere 10 The terms of the
convention. But we advert 10 the EHce
Of alarm contained in this principle,
ihould the interetts OF the Two millions
of people ever be controlled by one tenth
of that number living at diltauce, of
different puriults, manners ard habits,
and lituated on waters that lead TO othes
Chimes. Perhaps, under the original or
ganization of the government, there
would have been no ground of apprehen-
Con bar the inequality and evil effects
of the principle increaie in geometrical
proportion with the exteu6on Oh empire.
The States, notwithstanding the delegat.
ed power to the general go.ernment, are
till free anG independent s0veyfignticS,
New I ork for inilance, which makes 70
brilliant diiplay on the map of the
Union extending from the great Lakes
to the Misunderstanding on the St
Lawrence, and repoGng on the bolom of
the ocean-embracing an extent OF ters
rtory equal to England. more fertile
foil Astounding in all the means of agri-
culture, commerce and Manufactures
this State has all the attributes of tove-
reignty Legislature, Judiciary and Ex-
ecutivc; financial fvtem, numerous
aud well trained militia, arfenals in
fhort. Che is completely an imperimi in
imbsrio," clothed with every fpecies OF
civil and military authority. She will
fhortly contain million and half of |
people and we have no heGtation in
laying, that, contidering her local Gtua
ton, in and of herfelf (he is perfectly
competent to repel the sfault of an enc
my that may attack her. Even ST Do |
mingo de6e6 III. cologal power of buon
aparte, when the Tea was laid open TO
him. NewsYork during the laa year,
paid into the United States Treafury
about ten millions Of doILars-tea dollars TO
a i6al beldes supporting an expeniive and
magnificent state government. Ii may
be iaid, perhaps. that the people do not
pay the whole of this fun, but that a
comfortable proportion of it arifes from
the inducement and colveniences which |
the city and harbour afford as an entire
pot. But the fame inducements would
exit if the States had ever remained fep-
arate. The merchant will ever make bis
lhipments to the port which is mott prof
table or convenient 1t is upon this
principle that Hamburger, and many 9th
er cities in Europe, have arrived to fuch |
wealth and fplcndour. ind it is immas
terial to the people, whether they pay
tax to another government from mine
within their dominion, or from the pro-
ducts OF labour as it regards the two |