Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-02-08

ne application of his Distinction 10 the case
uPur slaves. But we deny the fact. that slaves
t'"nSidersd merely as propesty, and in 40
xect whAiever az persoas The true state of the
e Is, that they psr,ake of both these qualities;
vng considered by oui laws. in some respects. az
fisons. and. In other respects, property. In
fnS compelled to abour. not Tor himself, but for
masef; IN being vendible bysone master TO ano 4
Ter master; and in being subject. all times, 10
restrained In his liberty. AMI clasiiseJ ia his
Piy, by the c~pricious viii of his owner, The
AVE may appear 10 be degraded from the human
tnk. a"d classed with those Irrational animals,
Ehich iall under the legal denomina ion Of proper
y. In being protected, on the other hand, il, his
lie and In his limb, against the violence Of ali
kthcrs even the master of his abour aud his liberty:
lnd in being punishable hin,self Tor all vi lence
Committed against others; The slave is no les.
evidently regarded by the law. as member OF he
tocis'y; not as pat OF the Irrational creation
moral person, not as mere article of propsrty.
The fsdrrsl Constitution, therefore, d, ciie-, win
urea, proprie;s, the OF oui .avss tphr,, Il
ietos them ia the miri hight of persons ana
uroperiJ 1ais IS. IVA fact, their true character
rs ti- Character bestowed on hem Ivy the law
9nder which they live; ani il Will be dispu e !
Saa' these are he proper criterion; because II Is
enly under the prelex', tia, The laws have ,ran-
foTmei the negroes no subjects Of properly. tha
Ia place Is dsniel hem the computation oi nun
bers; aud II u admit Ell. tia, If tie Laws were
Eestore the rights winch have been taken assy
tHe nesioes COULD no longer be refused an squl
Ware .. representations WI htle ohei iahabitant,
Again, the same author says
L " isiit not son,c sun prise also be expressed.
vthai those who reproach The Southern States i,h
tie bAbarous p'ltry Of considering as property a
part oi iher human brethren, should tiir,nsely e.
veontehd, That Tie GnveinDent. which all the
STATES are paities, ought 10 cots der this unf,,i-
nate race more coinp.rsely in the unn. ura II hi oil
properly than the very laws oil which they com
plain"
Again. in page ao7. of the same Essay, i. is
said
After all. my not another ground he taken
On which this aii lie OF The Constitution will admit
iof still more ready defence! We haze hitherto
k,Prccseaed on he idea, that representation ne
iafed 10 persons only. and not at Ill 10 property
Bat IS It q just idea! Government IS instituted
an less for The protection If property than OF
| tie pcrsons .Gfmdip:duais. The one the,el re.
as wen as The otbe', may be considered IS ierte
sea'edby those who are charged with the Gov
eTnmeat Upon 'iis principle is, that in several
OF the States, aud pa icula,ly in he s ate OF New
lo'k,' oae branch OF The Government is in,.,dsd
This tenure has unhappily fot Nev York b-en
discarded in The recent amendments OF ler cos,i
tuition.
more especially 10 be the guardian OF property:
aud !. accordingly elece cal by that part of society
WHICH IS mos inter e-ied In tbs o! lee, Of Govern
meat"
Iic'e, then, wasa distinct ani able exposition OF
the reasons upon which his provision Of the Fed
e'ai Constitution was adopted; lrom an authority
OF The highest ie.pecabiiiy yi,a American pcl,ri
Clans.
Ills question, Nh Nash said, would be present.
ell Tor consideration whenever Conven, ion was
called For ether IN The one, the O i,er CHARGE
Ter OF persons, or properly. slaves must and
wonii De consider Ell Ia The apportionmct OF re;l
sen'aton Ibis view OF the sul;ect, lac obsei ed
had rect connection wi 18th the rom % amt founded
on the inequality of repe n'a,ion; which he sad
II u was 10 tie sie.iIcsscd by Conveniion ouyh t
- be adjusted upon some safe AID equitable rule
Sacb. ior ex mple, a, would result from an as.o
riatei view OF population AMI t0Edtion and moi
IRON IS lite reputation merely. He did not DENY
bat there was asa inequality. this Inie in tie re-
presenlation ssalns the large countess Witch Law
la tie middle ieslsn II the States. But sie, Gus.
a. geH:einen mig Ia, iier this circumstances IN
ieerence TO Ike large countirs, in an abstract nom.
OF view, AMI wien cor hucd our examination
10 mere county !i;li;s and buuDdaricS ye, in i,s
practical operations, II was oisci,e CT no evil.
AN exact equa.iiy-Eever could he had Tie true
rule OF Judi was, 70 look 10 those cal natu
raj su5dtcisions OF the Sla.e, which presented
diversity in The p puiation, the agricultural pro
ducts, and the dusty Of her citizens that such q
"a e'siIy dad exit IN this S;ae; and il Was on,
by attending To tie operation of the .ius upon tie
Interests growing out of nse diyersiIiss. that
comprehensive and fair view OF the practical one
ra,ions OF the Gov crnineni could be had. L., The
operation OF laws OF geaeraI character, The SIZE,
Or the geogra pbical limits oil county were moth
laS iieIe Mr.. Nash illustrated his view OF his
SUBJECT, by referring 10 the situation OF L.ou.ioum
and Pdnce William --Loudoun was a large
county, VIII sc white population alone amounted to
lo''3f. Fnhce w iliiaIn wa paraiivelY small
founiy, with VIII population o! i ,76l only-
e every gentlemen knew tl.at hes were both grain,
counties and in ,s and other respects pc - essej
community OF interest. The representatives. then.
rom Pfncs William IN the en- seton of general
law, were 10 all practical purposes the repre-
zen a'ves Of Lou.'oun. This Hiu.tra ion he pu,-
sneI IN reference To tauquier and Sfaffo.d aud
also IN relation TO CulpeIer and Madison Yet;
upon abstract principles. (Which, he thought, had
hut little 10 do with practical govein.nent) no
one would deny but there exile a great ineuiali
In allowing 10 The county oil Prince William, the
same nnnlber of representatives with tie county of
Joudogn; but, as Tar as lie knew, this .neqlaliy
had never yet resulted in mischief IS l,h " as ow
Ing To causes growing out Of the present rcpresen.
iaion by counties Throughout the state. This was
no doubt an accidental circumstance, but so il
was, that The excess OF repf esentaon was now in
the extreme Western, and extreme Z istern por-
tons OF the state In relation to the " estern por-
ton OF The state from which there was 20 general
an cucry for a conventions (and he hoped his Yves
fern brethren would pardon him for referring to
ihem) they had already an excess ofrepresen,stion
upon that floor OF eight members, il taxation and
wbre population was TO furnish The rule. For
example, The Al counties lying west of the Blue
Ridge have, at his time, 81 members, whereas
according 10 the rule before stated growing out Of
taxation aud white population they ought TO have
only "a; and If taxation alone be look ed to- they
would only have 10. But dscardrg taxation al
together, as well az the present representation by
counties, and regard ding only the bite population
and you swell the number OF their repi esrntstio