Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-01-15
(Whole No. 1871

designated the fountain from which the Steam
Of representation shall Flow, and we zee no,h-
Jog there about the representation Of sIs,es.
either direct or virtual. but exactly the coo,ra.
ny. The representatives shall be chosen bv ,ha
electors who choose the members Of the mssa
numerous branch OF the state legislature.
u 10 equally clear that the intent Of me an.
cond clause is, TO is the relative weight. not Of
the d.ssren' esrts ffhs state. but Of The dSreas
siafes. in the house of representatives. has
been said thousand times, and IL 10 not the
less true for having been said % often, that the
constitution OF the U. s. 10 10 be regarded.
suoad many OF lite provisons, - Q treaty Of
confederation among sovereign and indepen.
dent states who bad right to stipuIs.e. and
did stpulste, the conditions on which shev
would enter into the league. one Of the stpu.
iatisns made by the siavchoding states Vas.
that they should respectively have as much
weight IN the house of representatives. Of the
United States, 90 If three-hfths Of their slsvea
had been free white people; and they agreed.
in return, 10 pay direct taxes in proportion to
the federal numbers thus sscersaincd. Reore.
sentstion 10 sppor,ioned amsng the sfosss in pro.
portion 10 those federal numbers Hut when
the inquiry is how the repre- sensssives of any
one state arc TO be appoftoned among the ali.
terent parts OF that state, The constitution =
silent. Unless, indeed, we Inter from the iirsr
clause above quoted, which deiines the oualiR.
cation Of the electors, and from another which
guarantees to every state in the Union a rebs.b.
hcan form Of sovsrnmeaf," that the trainers Of
the constitution intended that the members oe
the house OF represe natives should represent
equal portions. as nearly - circumstance ould
permit, OF the qualified electors.
But II is enough that the constitution bas
been silent on the subject. II leaves the aues.
uon,--whst is the proper rule ofapportionmsns
OF political power. or weight in the house Of
representatives, among the people OF esoh
state, ito be decided by che principles which
have already been discussed. How complr,ele
these principles have beea disregarded. in the
apportionment actually made by the legislature
OF Virginia, has been already shown. Return.
ing. then. 10 the immediate subject Of inquiry.
winch Is, the extent OF the abandonment and
surrender Of rishts proposed by the convention.
committee to certain portions Of the people a
Virginia, we discover that we are asked to sur.
render, not only Considerable proportion cf
the weight which justly belongs to us in the ca.
vernment Of the state, but like proportion a
that which is equally our due in the conrre.a
OF the United States of America.
For We have . right to presume, and oun
safety and interest require US 10 presume. thss
The same SPIRIT OF y stematic usurpa,inn which
has induced the majority in the Legislature "a
Virginia, representing the slsvehcIdina minor.
y OF people, to set at nought the rights or
the oon iisvcholdlng sections Ut the common-
wealth, in i've successive apportionmen,s of
the members OF ths house Of repres eatsti,s e. !.
mong the people Of Virginia, viii continue \.
sctua,e the same s'ayeholding minority. Ana
u IN the new constitution thar il about In r..
formed, we virtually swel their numbers nv a.
greeting TO consider every five slaves they nas.
sess as equivalent 20 three feemen in the .,.,~
government, we shAil, in effect, perpetua,e lie
existing inequality OF representation in the cons
gress OF the United s,atea
II behoves US. then, il we would set IN.
men OF sense, not to swallow this gitterinse
bait, yclcpt Cancellation and compsom,sr
without first inqnirina vhas will be the nrsci;.
cal effects Of this dsu6le bartender Of pol;,ic.s
power and consequence. With the practical
effects OF Our want OF c1e weight in tie roveyr.
r'snf Of Virginia. we are already but too f.mi.
liar. To enumerate a. The modes in which xe
are made to feel our political insienifcance.
would be task 40 unpleasant as il would -
Iaoorious. The most important of all. il oos
total inability to carry, IN the legislative bodies.
any OF those great measures for the internal
improvement OF the commonwealth in which,
we are 50 deeply interested. The people u
me East and the South are inveterately hostile
to what they sarcasticaily stgte sssagss raxu;6.
cent enferprises;" and Just 90 long "a thew ,,,so
apreponderance in the government. viii The
commonwealth Of Virginia continue to tread N /,
downward path to poverty and ruin. into which
she has been guided. and in which she Il now
hurried along, BY the policy Of the sidewarter.
government.
But the politicians Of the East and the sou,A
not only withhold the assistance of the ssase
government from all extended schemes Of inter.
nal improvement; but by the xeasus and brac.
teal enforcement Of their opinion that the ee-
neral government hss not right to appron,;s,a
the funds oft United States 70 such puroosss-
they actually deprive, or do ell that thew can
to deprive, the people OF Northern and ives.
tern Virginia. who entertain On opposite op,r.
ion. Of the aid which they would otherwise ~.
eeiye from the treasury Of the Union. Thss
The latter have no right 10 complain OF the Pa.
terra and Southern politicians for xeaousl, sssers.
ing their opinions on this interesting questions
freely admitted. But they have right to com.
PLAIN, and they do complain, that their opin.
ions have more than their proper weight in shs
congress of the Union.
This, then, is the exteRt Of the sAandonE,ens
or surrender Of admitted rights thai We ara
asked TO make. with view to concilistion.
We must pcspetuste, and give . solemn
sanction TO, the principle OF the virtual repre-
sentssion Of slaves in the government Of tho
state and OF the United States, 60 the extent %
rating every i've slaves 80 equivalent, in polisi-
cal weight, TO three freemen; and this with tho
moral certainty that, by so doing, we shall per.
petuate the whitening misruIe Of The iowlznd
govsrnment.-His fos the friends Of reform in
the legislative bodies TO say whether they arc