Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-14

going Dissertation, except Indians, not paying taxes in
1 each State"
/ will not weary the attention Of the Committee by
reading al the references have made to this volume
the Journal Of the Federal Conv ention with view 10
development OF its in relation l. these
buttons.
After passing snd rcpassing through variou. Selec,
Committee and being frequently debated in Commit
tee OF The Whole the proposition having assumed the
shape in which now stands in the Federal Con
ton, was apparently settled the il,h and l2;h OF
july by vote OF States to B. against striking out the
three hhs" Of the slave-popuiation Had this motion
prevailed, IL would have causod all the slave
ton TO be counted, Delaware at first and South Ger
oina and Georgia to the last, perseveringiy, insisted
By motion on the 2nd Of those dsy,, the attempt was
renewed TO produce ihi: result, when Maryland, Y-
GINA AM North Carolina, voted once more against
| slave population.
What becomes Of 50 mn-h of the authority relied
upon by the gentleman from Chesterfi,tJ as was der
we'd from the supp0son that the principle OF
three ofthe slave population made par, Of In. Ar
tc'es OF Confederation; that, the slsv chong States
were united in its support in the Federal Couve non
and that II carried such eviction, to every mind that
u was intcrDoatel in the Constitution without re-
'''anee! The pages Of thi. volume [h- Journals Of
TIC Ccr-sa::=3l from the 75;h to the I6l. manifest
the contrary The love Of power, did not them tempt
Virginia to consider her slaves parties Z, her ,oci.
conpact-As persons, and not property. And is she,
now, prepared TO 20 to Washington, TO Boston, to
learn the civil aud political condition Of the poou-
lation, within her nits Whether il shall be ro-
garded in her own councils as property or as pea.
Sir, said MIR. NJ is not the slave under our laws a,
much an instrument in the hands of s MASTER as the
Wagon and team Of tho mountaineer, True his life
IS projected from violence and his person from cruetv
so does the common law Of England, which is ours
protect the horse aud the from wan on niurv But
the slave, like either. is by our law, mere property:
and as such, may be TO shipped by his ma
TO Cuba, or 10 Brazil. He may be smugged into the
Unite States from Africa, in violation Of law and ex-
ported again "a an article of msrchandizs; having
known value in the markets. ana being the smba act of
legal aud profitable speculation. sneak not of the re
son OF the law, but Of the legal fact.
do not those who apprehcnd most danger this ape
e'es OF property from innovation, consider the slave
property, The subject OF social compact not marty
to III What sail New Jersey IN the confederation in
me war OF the revolu,ion!-'' That slaves SHOULD be
brought into the account in the reqmisition for land
orce to be supplied by the States to the defence OF
The Union She sustained this demand, by cs.ons NJ
least as pecious IA those which have Just ard for
making this particular property the basis of
ton Should it he improper for spec locs re sons
10 admit them ia for the defence Of the natl vet
we conceive, says their memorial that the proportion
orccs 10 be embodied ought to he xed according TO the
whole number Of inhabitants in the State from WHAT
ever class they may be raised. IL the whole number of
inhabitants In State, whose inhabitants all ohites
both those who are called into the field, aud those who
remain to till the ground ana labor in mcdaniel arts
are estimated in striking the proportion Of forces to be
rnshrd by that State ought even part Of the LITTER
description 10 he lett out in another? As IL il Of ind,-
pensable necessity in every war; that part ofte nha-
b,ans he employed for the OF hu.bandry and other
wise at home, while hers called Into the field
ihere must be the same propretv that persons Of diff
erent color who are employed for this purpose in on,
State, while whites employ for the same
10 anchcr; be reckoned in the account Of the ntsbi
tans This memorial received In IT'S tho sanction OF
three States while divided, and voted ag,ns,
! H..
The argument Of New Jersey in favor OF a eomput,
lion oil slaves in distributing the personal trhen, of
common war; bears striking resemblance to III At which
the member from Chesterfield has so forcibly urged
on the present OCCASION, and sustained by comparison
Of the condition of the pea.antry" Of the West with
that OF the slaves OF the East.
The answer TO both arguments is the same. That,
however regarded eise,ctere Slaves in Virginia are
considered as property, and property onlyand it,
property they exempted at the expense of the com
munity, from obligations which would be oncrou, not
upon them elves but their masters so "a property
y 'hond they NOT add to tina weight of political pow
er Of which they cannot aud should directly par
take and which c.imed for his bene. alone to tho
public injury
IL the Constitution Of thu Uiited States ha, ssemc,
10 supply different rule /, should he remembered that
was founded IN compromise Of principles, for the
SAKE Of uniting States otherwise sovereign and indie.
pendent ny ma ioDa government Of limited power
Its Introduction even there principle of reprssen-
a'ioa, was evidently founded its prior assumption
by majority ri the Of the Confeder ,on as
principle OF pecuniary contribution among the states
allied to taxation. IL price paid, by the small
States Tor their equality OF power, in the Senate; and
mas long cease as was early Anticipated TO be any
curry 10 the property is supposed TO have been ORR
g'nay drsignatcd To protect from that bur
The last House Of the proportion of
The member. from the slave holding, 70 those from the
non-fiavs holding States, was 81 to l22-How that
ITO with augmented, by the approaching census I
need not intimate 10 the COMMITTEES.
~ 'ns po'nt OF my argument, il is proper, to aIl,y
me apprehension which has often been expressed in
THIS debate that TO Adopt the basis of
commended by tn. Legislative pee for our S,a,s
government, would To hazard that part;on Of re-
presentation in the Federal Legislature derived fro,n
computation oil Ihrec-hiths Of the slaves OF the Com
monwesIib.
This attempt upon our fears would seem TO imply
hM representation under our present State Govern.
menis founded, in part, on comp,it aiop of slaves
ha' 81 The Senate we know To have been ai,potton.d
~ ISL a, nearly able, the free white popu
ision OF The state; concession, compaibIe with the
exis,Ing Constitutions, because made under H. and paid
for, by doubling the land of one portion of the State
snd proportionably reducing that Of another
The origin Of the represe niaon in the House Of De-
egatss was ably developed in early stage of this
debate, by nv learned friend from Brooke (Mr Dol
drdge) In The work OF venerable member Of this Con-
venuon Marshall on the Colonies" il will be seen
mat the hrst Representation of the 'opc of this Com
monweaIth was Of "settIsmrnts" then seven in nun.
her. The assembly which their dclsg gates formed was
sa''ed TIE "Hoise OF BIrgesse+" from the names Of
lhosc settlements, rs elizabeth CITY, Jas Civ Chars
CI'y' when nam's by singular adherence 10 usage
they retained A. thy d, after those settlements
weretor judicial purposes erected into counties
Representation IN The House OF BlfgesseS fhsref,r.
prec"ded the exstence of countes AZ the counties did
the existence Of slavery; for that calamity was ntoc
ei amopg us by the Dutch, alter the origin Of county
representations The repre- ssniation which has ever 49,
eSiSted in thu House Of Delegates.
In the constitution of this branch Of the General A..
sembly, therefore, slavery forms no original feature
and 10 change lie foundation by an amendment which
shall derive it's effect from perocal of te
people could expose the State 10 los Of power in the
councils Of the Union
" Otherwise. what may be said Of that very amend.
Inent Tor which these gentlemen have zealousy con-
tended, and which propoees the mixed basis OF white