The Arkansas banner., 1844-09-04
GENERAL DREW.

A raInor has reached us that some Of the uhscu- i pulous opponents of Gen. DREW, are attempting to prejudice his interests in the Northern countless by nisrepreseatiag his course in the State Convention, in 1886, which framed our present Constitution, in regard 10 the .s basis of Representation. ;
 We learn that it is asserted, by them, that Gen. DREW was in favor of mixed basis, of whites and slaves or what is faniliarly known as the "federal basis of representation. This charge is not only unlounded, but directly at variance with the truth and is renewal of an old charge which was started in 1885, when he was candidate for the Conven- ton, growing out of the fact that he was slave holder. He disproved the charge, then, and was elected. His course in the Convention disproyedit 1t; and, of course, it remains false, in whatever form, or aspect, it may be presented now. The truth is, and 1t may be seen by any one who will examine the Journal of the Convention, that Gen. DREW, true to the principles upon which he was elected, was always in favor of bosing the representation upon the number of free 1ctite males alone.
 Upon this question, of the basis of representation, there was warm contest between the Southern and Northern divisions of the State the South con- tending for the mixed or federal basis, and the North for the ecjite basis General DREW, we repeat, was in favor of the lcjie basis. So warm grew this con test between the North and South, that it seriously threatened dissolution of the Convention.
 The Legislative Committee, which was charged with the arrangement of the ratio and basis of rep resentation, reported, through majority in favor of the Southern view of the question; whereupon, Col RinegoId, one of the Committee, made mi norty report intended 10 be in favor of the Northern view. See Co., Ringgold's minority report-Con- rention Journal, page 3l. General DREW was of opinion that, although the majority report favored the present wishes of the South, and the minority report favored the North, in like manner; yet that the true principle, contended for by the North, was lost sight of in both of the reports In this view of the case he offered an amendmentto Col. Riaggold'8 minority report, embodyng the principle contended for by the advocates of the oe basis of representa- tion See this amendment of Gen. DREW's-- Con- penfioa Journal, page S. The two reports, and Gen. DREw's amendment, were referred to special Committee, of which Col Fololer was chairman By reference to the Journal, it will be seen that Gen. BREw's amendment was, in substance, adopted by this special Committee, in place of the two re- ports and reported back to the Convention was in corporated into the Constitution, and stands as the provision establishing our basis of representation in the Legislature.
 Thus, it will be seen, that, by his wise and iudi- cous proposition, Gen. DREW satisfied the South, at the same time that he secured to the North (the most Populous part of the state) the just principle contended for-the principle upon which he had been elected to the Convention. This proposition consisted in adopting the white basis, as the fanda- mental principle; but allowing to the South an equal representation for the time being, subject to nodif- cation, at subsequent enumeratons of the people, in accordance with the fundamental principle above named. This satisfied all parties, and harmony and success were the happy results.
 When Gen. DREw returned home, from the Con vention, in 1886, similar report, to the one we have noticed, was put in cireulation and, by sone. more interruptions than the rest, he was called "a traitor to the North" He made 10 reply to this gross injustice, until the Convention Journal was published; and then he had no trouble to do so for, finding the difficulty they had involved themselves in, those who had been most busy in misrepresent- ing him. became the most active in doing him justice
 Our statements, in regard to this matter, are based upon the familiar history of the times, and of the Conventions and may be fully verified by any one who will refer to the Convention Journal, and the Constitution itself.