The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-01-04
For the Peoples Press.
COMMUNICATION.

The following extract from the speech o
Mr. Campbell Representative in Congress
from South Carolina, delivered in the House
of Representatives at the last session Of Con
gress on the apportionment bill is calculated
10 arrest the attention Of every northern
man of all parties -
"The violent opposition which this meas
ure has encountered from Southern mem
bers of Congress, and Governors of some o
the Southern States, has been 10 me unac
countable. Whether elected as Wings OIL
whether elected by districts oil
by States-ihe members from the South
present an unbroken phalanx upon certain
great questions, thought to be essential to
her prosperity. One of these questions
10 wit, protective tariff-wiil always com.
mand majority in almost every Northern
and Western State. lfeected by general
ticket, the vote of these States would be o.
verwhelmning. In each ono Of them, Row.
ever, there are large minorities who think
as We DO. Electing by the district system,
we are enabled 10 avail ourselves, to con-
siderable extent, Of these minorities; and
thus, in some measure, counterfeit that me-
quality in population which every census
shows TO be getting greater. and greater a.
gainst US.
"We have hitherto looked to the Senate
as the conservative body of our National
Legislature. But look at the map of the
United States. FloIIda is the last card we
have 10 throw. Wisconsin and Iowa will
both be ready 10 come in as soon as she is.
Look still further west, beyond our organ
lied Territories, and YOU will see an I'M
mense region, now ready for the axe of the
pioneer, out of which, before fifty years has
passed away, a dozen non .slaueholding
States may have their Senators in Congress.
Suppose that majority of each, or even of
most of these States mot very improba-
BILE supposition) should be disposed 10 enter
into crusade against our peculiar institu.
fion. as Mr.. Adams calls it,-where would
be our protection with Senate in which
we are thus outnumbered, and House Of
Representatives elected from each State by
general ticket We would have none. No,
not even shadow of protection, except a
dissolution ofthe Union.
"Independent, however, of all sectional
considerations that representation is certain.
ly most congenial with liberty, which most
nearly reflects tbs lights and shades of po-
litical opinions entertained by the consiiiu-
ent body. By the general ticket. the voice
of the minority in State, let it approach ev-
er so near an equality in number with The
majority, is entirely suppressed. So much
so, indeed, that they have not even the poor
privilege of demonstrating against the pas.
sage of measures to which they are opposed,
but must remain dumb under the most az.
gravaied misrepresentation Of their motives;
and quiet, under the creates; injustice! II,
in an appeal TO The ballot-box, what was
lately the minority becomes the majority,
the tables are turned; and the late majority,
being now the minority, are subjected to the
same evils that they, when in power, infic-
ted. Thus, the above named abuses are
shown to be inherent in the system, and
cannot be eradicated while it remains"
The singular fact stated by Mr.. Camp
bell, that while at the South they have no
Northern, psrty-no southern men with