Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-04

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RICHMOND, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4.
MR.. ADAMs's MOVEMENT.
/, is reported at Washington, 'ha' tne oom,a'e.
nine have taken up the resolutions OF massac"us
NJ, Rbetts Mace had net been tiied. lie report -
that Ness-s Adams and Glddngs, orr n0'ts = nave
snnnorted the resolutions; and that Mtssrs' u'itnei,
md Josenh r npersol of Pennsylvania, have opposed
HON We ARE happy to have this opportunity OF lhahk-
mo Mr.. lngersoli, Though he is Whg) His pre-
sent course is truly consistent with the manly reply
some questions put to him, on the eve OF MS
m Conoress BY some OF the AbolItlon's's own tne
Ta,o IF the Philadelphia Gazette be polite enough 10
.snd us copy of the correspondence that we may, al
be same time pay our respect TO the author, ana sno"
unon what irresistible grounds ne supported the pro-
visions of the Constitution upon this SUBJECT
From Mr.. Adams, we have nothing patriotic ID eA
meet on the question. He is pledged TO go for the
mandment IN the Cons,itulion-and, his feelings To-
wards the South will prompt him 10 rush INTO e3.re
,;es II is said that he 10 preparing an elaborate re-
mort in favor of The amendment-and inus we are " o
indebted 10 this common ds!nroeF OF the peace; io' "
other discussion on another uei'ca'e anu ag''i'"s
ton. ~, ,h;s
Could We believe for single moment, that this
,roposition is likely TO receive any serious and import
an, euppo,t from the Congress OF the u. osa'es we
would at once invoke the solemn protest OF e'aiy
State which values this blessed Union FOR, lei thH
infatuated man be absurd enough % declare .hI oo"
,rary, nothing could shake the present feastai COM
nact so ea.fully such attempt The fabric coulo
M, survive the conclusion for moment
We man have occasion to 60 into the history OF that
clause of the Constitution, which secures certain pro-
norton Of to the slave population OF the
South. We content ourselves Tor the present WIN
stating that this is the same amendment winch was
urged a, most critical period oil our history IN ia
mary 1914 in the midst Of foreign war, by the &C.
lebrated traitors of the Hartford Convention memory
The frs, amendment which they pr'Pesso 20 Tue Gus
raj Constitutions ran in the following words:
uE;rI. Representatives and direct taxes shall De
,n,ortioned among the several States which may be
included within the Union, according TO Their respect
i've numbers of free persons. including those oouho 20
service for term OF years; excluding lnoIans not
taxed and all other persons (Most oil these very e@
uressions are embraced IN the proposed resolution
of the Legislature of N1assachusetts)
We shall not specify, at this tme the feelings winch
were produced in 1914 and 1915, by the proceedings
and resolutions of the Hartford Convention II IS sui
6ciept for MS 10 refer of The TRANSACTIONS which
were called forth by the above amendment II pro-
duced one tremendous explosion in oil The South-but
i, a. not confined 10 The South Of the Potomac Mr.
Niles in his Register, "entreats the good people OF
New England to pause for one moment. we nave
heard eays hey that our Constitution was framed IN
sprt Of compromise that there were arrng preJudces
10 be conca,ed and dlscordant interests to be har-
monized The Hartford Convention avail them
selves as might be expected of the popular camor re
spectng the representation for slaves. An amendment
Of the Constitution is proposed, which alters tile rep
resentltion in the lower House, so that the number
from each State shall be in proportion to the freemen
Not word, however, is said Of the infinitely greater
inequality that results from giving 10 each State an equal
value in the Senate. They ure not conentsd with the
certain and solid advantages New England olready
possesses over the rest of the Union. They must be
cor hn
house is changed that in the Senate must, and 'oA be
chonged ,cih it, cannot conceive more fragrant in
stance Of folly and mprudence than the Rhode ISLAND
members Of the Convention were guilty OF, when they
signed this report She has now an advantage over
the rest Of the Union OF hundred per cent in the
National Councils for her free population would, If
this amendment adopted entile her 10 but
representatives. and if the principle were carried to the
representation of the Senate, she could nerer hare
single member IN that House Yet, these modest gen
tlemen, Mr.. Daniel Lyman, MIR. Samuel Ward, Mr..
G. Manton, and MIR. b. Hazard, recommended to the
State to persevere in its efforts till this amendment IS
effected Let Rhode Island do il, and she puts the
reel t, instrument that will perpe,uate her own IN
significance.
When these propositions were submitted TO the Lee
p.latures of Pennsylvania and New York. they called
forth strong opposition from those States The LIE.
rislature of Pennsylvania adopted strong Protest-in
which thew stated that The trainers of the Cons;itu-
ton thought wisely that slaves to be considered
would be unjust 10 condemn their owners 10 taxation
on their account, without some indemnity. They,
therefore, compromised the conflicting opinions They
agreed to consider the slaves men, but as whose
value the loss of freedom had deprecated and, ming
ling the hopes Of power with the chances OF taxaton
they decided that three-ffhs only Of these unforiu
nate beings should enter into the computation OF
Represe nt,tives," &c, &c. The Legislature OF
New York, in protesting against the movement, re-
marks upon the ncongruity of proposing an amend
mcnt stdep,iving certain States of portion Of their
representation in consideration of holding slaves, up
on The ground that is unequal IL its cperstnn; with
the fact that "nothng suggested IN favor OF equaIz-
ing the representation the Senate which the Statss
of Connecticut and Rhode Island each equally repre-
sented with this State, which contains four times as
many as the former, and fourteen times many the
latter"
Yetare Massrs. Adams, Gddings & Co., rushing on
headong. "ke fools. where angels fear 10 tread !"
The "nferna genius of the former, cannot be graft
fed with less than public aud continued agitation OF
this delicate and exciting subject
One point more The Albany Argus says "Great
stress has been laid by the Wing presses upon the fact,
that The Massachusetts resolutions, which were the
subject Of the latest abolition furry in the House Of
Representatives. were passed by the same Legislature
which elected Marcns Morton Governof-as, if their
coming from such source must needs stop the mouths
Of the Democratic PRESS in reference 10 the course OF
Mr. Adams, and the abolition aglietors in Congress, at
this and preceding sessions. But the history of these
resolutions seems, yet TO be written and when all
the facts out, suspect it vii! out, also,
that they of Wing origin, exclusively got Up for
political effect, at the heel of the late session, and
spirited through, such things sometimes are to the
surprise of many Of those under whose supposed sane.
ton they purport TO have been passed One, at least
of the members of the Massachusetts Legislature, il
appears ignorant of The existence of any such
solutions until Mr.. Adams drew them out Of his ma
gazine of combusbles, fred the fuse and threw them
INTO the House of Representatives.. The New York
Evening Post Of Tuesday says:
"The history Of these resolutions is singular enough
A member OF the Massachusetts Legislature informs
me, that he not that any such resolutions
existed, until Mr.. Adams sent them to the Chair
lie accounts for their production by supposng that,
at The close of the last session of the State Legisa
ture Whg full of zeal for the cnus. of obtain
ing the votes of the Abolition party for Mr. Briggs,
brought in these resolutions by way ola coup de main
The opposite party could only einde the unexpected
trick by passivey allowing The resolutions to pass
We refrain from touching this morning the subject
OF abolition Petitions. The Baltimore American says,
SIN the Senate of the United States the difficulties
which year after year perpexed the House of Repre-
aen this ephact have bepn avpidad The Sc