Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-01-15

power. And that, IN apportIonlng Representa-.
'ion, which - political power, among the dit.
ierent districts or geographical divisions Of a
common wealth, there should oe given to each
district, a number Of representatives besriag the
same proportion to the entire representative boz
dy, that the whole number OF such citizens. in
the district, bears 10 the whole number in the
commonwealth And AS the proportion Of
such citizens to the entire free population ia
generally the same throughout svery part OF the
commonwealth, q result, sufficiently near TO the
true result. viii be attained. by assigning TO
each distslct number otrepresentatives bearing
the same proportion 10 the whole representative
body, that the entire free population ofthe dis
trict bears to the entire free population OF the
commonwealth
II the principles which have thus endea-
soured to illustrate and explain, are among the
elementary truths OF the science of govern
ment the spportionment OF representation, or
political power, recommended by the conven
ton committee, is unjust aud Indefensibie.--
And IL IS not going too far to say. that they
must, themselves, have been sensible Of the
incompatibhty Of their scheme of spportion-
meni With the true principles Of government.
They have, themselves, done homage, unwiI.
Ing homage, 20 that sacred principle OF equal
liy, an almost intui,iye perception Of which
has been engraved by the Almighty on the
heart of man How else are We to account fos
their abandonment OF the principle of distribu.
ton OF political power. which has prevailed so
long IN the commonwealth, that 10 defends IT,
seh by the pleas ct "iong acquiesoeuce and
venerable antiquity" Why il the established
system of the equal representation OF the
| counties, which, few years since, was cen.
sldered masterpiece of political wisdom, a.
bsndoned. now, without STRUGGLED Because
the coamon sense of the age and the Common
sense OF the committee revolts al its gross in.
equality.
II. then, the convention committee have
themselves recognized, by implication. the e.
quality OF the political rights Of the citizens in
the different sections OF the commonwealth,
why have they proposed distribution OF poll
teal power which violates those equal righn?--
Because, it may be said. the siayeholding ooun.
try has so Iosg enjoyed monopoly OF political
power, that. to reduce It, at once, to its proper
standard, would occasion violent resentment,
heat and luminosity This ia an evil deeply to
be deprecated, and to be avoided by all posi-.
bic nesns.-Bat 1vul It be avoided by the Course
proposedf--it is not obvious that tue snaierify
are vide awake to the true extent of their
rights. and deeply impressed with The fragrant
injustice OF any course OF proceeding by which
they shall be still longer withheld Under
such circumstances, how can you expect that
they will be satisfied with halt way iusticel--If
you adopt the system you propose, will not
they too be disconnected. and provoked, and
driven, perhaps, to the determination TO righl
ihemse'ues?-Whioh is the greater evil.--thst a
small minority OF the people should be render.
ed malcontent by the enforcement Of Justice and
right, or that the majority should be tempted,
by what they conceive to be wilfet injustice, to
shake off the oke which they have borne %
long. and resolve society into its original ele-
mepisl
This, you admit, would be great evil. Bat
you hope that matters will not be carried TO
that extremity. Il is not the part Of true wis.,
DOM you say, any more than that of msgnan-
nifty, 10 insist pertinsciously on every jot and
little Of ones rights Some allowance should be
made tor the prejudices of those whose pretea
siss, however groundless, conflict with our
righs. however clear Conflicting claims aud
pretenslons can never be adjusted. unless the
parties concerned are actuated by = spirit OF
mutual Cancellation.
All shis admit TO be correct, as general rt.les
foy the government Of The conduc, Of men. |
admit that Cancellation, per 80, is = good thing.
But when any given scheme OF concston in
wolves in itself an abandonment and surrender OF
admitted rights, the man or the body VI men TO
whom il is proposed, should critically examine,
before it is adopted. the erfent Of The abandon
'nenf Of rtsM proposed, the ertens Of the epiis
which are likely to be produced by insisting on
the strict enforcement Of the right. and the CIR.
cumstances under which the scheme OF concii.
lation 10 proposed
First. then, a. TO the ersenf Of the abandon
ment and surrender Of rights, proposed by the
convention. committee TO certain portions of
the people OF Vrginis.--At the very threshold
of this inquiry, I meet with topic Of some
,eoeity, (strange Is that may seem, when the
nature of the topic is regafded,) and OF consd-
cradle interest. imesn the origin and cause of
the grossly unequal representation Of the free
white population Of Virginia. in the popular
branch Of the Congress OF the United States
How does it happen that, while the congress.
slonal district composed OF Monongaheia coun.
~, &c. &c. contains 4i3l3 free white inhabit.
ants, and the district composed of Kenawha
county, &c &c. 3o733, aud the district compo.
sed OF Washington County, &c. &c. 3747S, the
Underwater district of Sussex, 60. &c. contains
only 23003. and that composed OF Y ork, &c. SC.
only 24i43l Here I am met. ct once, bv an
lie exclamation OF surprise at my ignorance. You
forget that the state 10 divided into districts on
the basis of "federzl numbers that, by the
constitution of the United States, arse.kftA Of
The SLAVES are entitled to representation in con
gress; and that the districts you mention, e.
containing the smaller numbers, make up the
deficiency by the enumeration Of three ffths
of the slave population. while those containing
the larger have scarcely any slaves to enumer.
ate.--l answer that was not aware Of the exis.
tence Of 50 singular provision in the const;tu-
ton Of the United States, and l refer to the
Instrument itself to settle the question.
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