Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-02

that the districts you MENTION as aiming tho snl
icr numbers make NJ the deficiency BY the enumcra-
ton their SLAVE population whilst those
containing tho larger have scaIcey any slaves 20 cu-
mefate--l answer that was not aware oil the exis-
tcnce OF so singular provision in the constitution of
the u States and refer to the instrument Itself to
settle the question.
'Tlc house OF representatives. says the cons.itu-
ton Of the u States, "sall consist of members cho.
sen every second year ty tie people Of tie sepe,ui
states, and the electors in each statc shall have th
qualifications requisite for electors of the mos. nu-
Dcrous branch Of the state legislature"
And again: Representatives and direct taxes shall
be aPlortioned dnos he sereyai states, according TO
their respective numbers, which shall be determined
by adding to the whole number Of frc> persons in
GLIDING those bound to service for tern, Of years.
and excluding Indians not taxed, three Gtas eaU Oh
persons" =
Iperceive at single gaucc that i, is my ;.lstrrc-
ter and not myself that has formed an us cpn
cep'on fthe meaning of the constitution In tho
first OF the clauses above quoted the runners OF the
constitution have designated tho fountain from which
the stream of representation shall flow, aud wa sec
nothing there about the representation of slaves either
direct virtual, but exactly tho contrary The re-
personalities shall IN. chosen By the electors who
choose The members OF the most n,pervus brau,,i of
the state legislature
II isequaly clear that the intent oftl,esecoui clause
is, 70 fix the relative weight, not of the dcrent Dys
Of stofs but of the different states In the house of
lpresentatives.-lt has been said a Thousand times
and it is not the less for having BEEN saii so often
that the constitution of the U. S. is to be regarded
quood many of Its PROVISIONS treaty Of coatcde-
ration among sovereign and independent states who
had right TO stipulate, and did stip.ilae the coi-
tons Oh which they would enter into the league. One
OF the stipulatiors made by the savcholdnr states
was, that they should respectively have Ms much
weight in the house of representatives of tho r. 8
rs If three ths of their slaves had been ir,-, white
people, and they agreed III return to- pay direct taxes
in proportion 10 the federal numbers thus asccr,aiued
Representation IS apportioned among t,s states in pro-
portion to those federal numbers. But when the en-
qury IS how the representatives of any one state
20 Ire apportioned among the different parts of that
state the constitution is silent. Unless indeed we
inter from the FIRST clause above quoted which defines
the qualification OF the electors, and from another
which guarantees TO every state in the union reys-
ent fors, o government" that the trainers Of the
itution intended that tho members Of the house Of
representatives should represent cquaI portions ms
nearly as circumstances would permit the qualified
electors.
BUTT senough TINT the constitution has acri silcp,
on the subject Nlenvesthe queston-what is the pro-
perrule OF apportionmcnt of political power uht
in the house of representatives, among the pcople of
each be decided by the principles which have
already been discussed. How completely these prlnci
PIES have been disregarded, in the apportonneqt ac-
tuaily made by the legislature of Virginia has boon
already shown. Returning then to the immediate sub
Ject of enquiry, which is the extent of the abandon
ment and surrender of rights proposed by the conyen
ton committee certain portions of the people of Vir-
gina, we discover that We asked 20 surrender not
only considerable prop1xion of the weight which
justly belongs to us in the government Of the state hut
like proportion of that which is equally our due in
the Congress OF the u. States of America
For we have right TO presume and our safety and
interest require us TO presume, that the spirit of
systematic usurpaton which has induced the majority
in the legislature OF Virginia representing the slave
holding minority of The people, to set at no,oI,t tho
rights of the nonslave-holdins sections of the COM
monweah in FIVE successive apporti onneuts of tho
members of the house of representatives among the
people of Virginia, will continue actuntc the same
slavcholding minority And if, in the new coustitu
ton that is about to be formed, we virt,aIlv swell
their numbers by agrceing to consider every five slaves
they possess as equivalent to three frcemen in tho
state government, weshal in effect perpetuac the ex-
isng inequality Of representation in the congress Of
the u. States.
1t bc'ioves than, il we would act ike men of
sense, not 70 swallow the gterine bait violent cor
cnia,on contemporaries" without first cnqurirg what
VIII be the practical effects of this doubJe surren1
OF political power and consequence With the prac
tcal effects OF our want of due weight in Ire rorc,
,nEnt OF brSa''a, We IRE already hut too familiar
10 enufneratc MI the modes in which are made 90
feel our political insgnifcancc would be task as
unpleasant as II would be laborious The most i'm
portant of all is total inability to carry in the L.
gslative bodfcs any Of those great ueasurts for the
internal improvement OF the commonwealth in which
we are deeply Interested The people of the cas-.
and the south invetentely hostile to what thnv
sarcastically style ese magnificent eute,pyisesp and
just SO long as they retain preponderance in tue go-
Vcrnnet, VIII tic commonwealth of Vronia cpnti-
nuc to tread the downward path TO povc. 70 and min
into WEIGH she has been guided, and in which she is
now hurried along, by the policy Of tho tidewatcr-go-
verrmcnt.
But the politicians oftfe cast and sor,l, not only
withhold the assistance ofthe state government from
all extended schemes Of internal Improvement; bnt By
inc Jealous and practical enforcement OF their opiuitn
tiat tne genera government has not right to dppro-
pirate the funds Of tho u. States TO such PURPOSES
they actually deprive, do all that they can to de-
ptI7c the people Of Northern aud Western Virrnin,
WHO entertain an opposite opinion, OF the aid which
they would otherwise receive from the 7rcasurv ofth,
Union. That the latter have 10 right to complain #
The eastern and southern politicians for zcaosly as
scrting Their opinions on this interesting questions Is
freely admitted But they have right TO complain,
mat their opinions have than their proper
weight IN the congress of the Union.
I men, Is INC cxCt Of the abandonment surrender OF
admitted rights that VIC asked make with view ~ CON-
Citation. ~ $500 wv w VIZ
we must pTpotaic, aud give solemn In-tiou Co. tic rinci
pc " the virtual representation slaves in the government Of
o state and Oft United States; tho extent Of rating every
hVe saves as equivalent IN political weight three ffccne1,
an ls win Toe moral certainty that by doing shall
netetnaie The whitening misrle OF the lowaud
~ rfr., a.,