Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-14

attention uugh', lhcItitre, 10 &c pau y F'ofe:'
in lie choice Of lLo:e Lanos.
no man knew moie ihotou@hiy tne ieaso''
which induced lie Convention 10 adorl me sail-
oGs provisions The toiisii'u.'oh' 'l'ah
der Hamilton. Letu> So what he SAID on me
sut;ecr Of his .ed,yci ann,ter in the Convcnion
held in the safe Of Nv loiG, L decide lie qUts
lion II ratifyinc or rejecting lie Federal Coh>i-
iutCn.
"Tl,e fls, thing objected To- (>aid he'd is, that
clause which allows q representation ioi '"I e.
fifth, Of The n.r,c,s Much has btcn sad q NE
imrropr;cty 6; rep,esn;.;ng men whe Ea:e no
wili III ,heir own Whether this be r; asoning or
defamation. will noi rtsunc 70 say. II y 'ne
unfortunate si,nation ii lie SouEei n STATES 10
have d great part Of ihcir population, d We. q"
property, in blacks. The regulations conifialneu
of, was one result Of The spirit o! accommodation
which governed The Convention; ahd "''h"u, 'h''
indulgence no union eoud possibly ma oeen
formed. Bu', sir, con> eins some l'ecui'di hu'
iages which We deiye zen t!ieiii u ~ q w..
that !heY should he grained. The Southern
States possess certain staples. tobacco, ice, lnt-
60. &c. which mus, .e capital otjtcs IN treaties
OF commerce with iofeisn nations: and Ire ad-
yaniaaes Itch they necessarily Produce IN those
treaties will be Eel, throughout all The SIaies.-
Eul The iasice Of This Plan will appear in an
o.hef view The iest rrit,Ts on G0rcrnmchi Aare
L.M ilok y,p,,se,,taijoa siei.la lie eoWl"nndsd 81
ycyeorsaz9 ,yorcr,s. THIS rule has been adopt
e.! IS far as il could bc, in Tie constitution oil
New York II will, however, hy no means be
admitted. that the slaves ale considered ailogeh-
er as properly. They are men, though degraded
10 tie condition OF sarery They are persons
known 10 Tie municipal laws oil The Si"ies which
lEey in'iabit, as Well a. 10 tie laws OF nature
Bal representation and Mc0i,on 20 fo.efhei, amt
IN nat ri ~
il be irlil 10 compute these slaves in The assess
ment Of taxes, and di>caj them from me esd
mate n,he arporlionmen. OF representatives,
Nonld | be just 10 mro>e singular puidcii,
without comforting some adequate advaniasei-
Another circumstance onsht 10 be consider
I'd. Tie rule we have been scakins OF
is a general rule, and applies 10 all The States
Mar ~, hare a g,eat Hp3T5sT 81 pcor'c m g"nr
Sia'c, w,,ci are not reprGencd al III, and hare no
u0ite N tcar Government; these Will be lnciu6cd
inlhe Observation-Disclosures nor shrce-lii.h>,
bit tie niolc. This proves that he advantages oil
the plan are not confined 10 he Southern S'a'er
but extend 10 other paris oil The Union. (tilloi ;
Deba.cs) Wesec, then, that Alexander Hamilton
maintail ed that the Southern States had IS Just
claim 10 representation for heir slave labor a. The
Northern States had Tor their Tree labor. Lei II
be remembered, that he had tie Independence 10
say this The PEOPLE Of New lo!!., amost Ill oil
whose DAY aboTeis were Tree white men.
Remembering The poliical principles, the concllIa-
ton and lcl hsarance Of The eminent patriots who
framed The Constitution, John Quincy Adams ar
rai2ns tic slave representation and cohiemns Ii
as "repusnanl 10 the first ard vial principles OF
republican popular representations 10 ihe sell
evident !ru,hs proclaimed IN Inc declaIa'i"u 81
Independence 10 TIE letter ana spirit o he Cor
Il 10 tl.l4sf
OF the whole people OF all the Zee States. j was
saii by great statesman Of ihe last century, hai.
il lie conid not give peace 10 bis country, re wou'd
give peace 10 his conscience. Weduult whether
MI. Adams will give peace TO either. l. was re-
served Tor him 10 make the discovery, ha the
Federal Convention, in allowing The .lavrs Ia be
represented, had, through Ignorance or Deliberate
design violated The h,sl and vital rrircil les
II republican popular representation. W ere The
memh:rs Of the Federal Convention now living,
they wanld nc surprised 10 hear ha 50 crave an
indictment had been dawn up aeains, them by AZ
Ex-Presidenl Of Inc United Slales. They might
smile a, The Leiusion of The author, bu, in c"n,rm
rlal ng the wonderful results winch have flowed
IRON The operation Gf ,ha, Constitution which
tEey crcaIe,i-in viewing the prcsres. OF The ccun-
tfy. in population aud power, wealth and renown,
lhcy could no, fail 10 read their proud acQu'ia IN
the atmirng eyes Of millions Of i:eemcn lnvo-
king The continued blessings al Providence upon
heir country, and praying tha, lie cclice which
they reared with 50 much care nd skill, might
n&l he torn down by RUTHLESS hands they would
avail, in cheeIiulness their summons 10 ahoher
sphere Of action, where their ears could never
hear The disturbing voice ni faction or ianatici>m.
Exne,icrce. the EST Of political teachers had
so fully convinced nc mind # Nr. Madison Of
he ,u.tice and wisdom Of allowing representa-
lion for thrcr-ftrhs Il lhe slave population, !a!
in lS2g. after Ibis principle had been in pracica
operation more than iofiy yeais III the Fedora!
Councils II" recommends; ~ incorporation into
tie ;,n,u,ic,: Constitution 81 Virginia. lie re-
marked llai ''lhe rights q! ,.cf>n and the rights
or property are The otjec.s. Tor ll.r protection Of
which Government vas Institute. These rights
can no, scl! BE- separated. The PERSONAL right 10
acquire property, which, natural right, SI"es
10 property, when acquired, Isht 10 protection
a. d social right. The essence o. Go:einmcnt is
power, ard power lodgel il human hands will
ever be- liable 20 abuse. In Repub!.cS, ths
great danger is that he majority may not snlli-
citnliy IcSpcc, Tie rights oiine minority.
The only efcctnal safeouaId 10 The rights Of the
minority. must be laid in such ta>is and silnc-
ture CT the Governmen, itself as mas alioid, in a
certain degree, directly CT Indirectly defensive
authority IN behalf Of 4 minority having right
on its side TO come more reati; - he subject
before the Committee, viz 'hai peculiar tea
inre in our community, whic. cas ior Pc
cniar division in The basis 0! OIL Government, /
mean he colo!ed portion OF our population. ,
Il We can incorporate that interest ii'o the basis
Of our system, it will be the mos crf'SHe ard IL
fscinal security Mat can be Gtr,Md. such an ar
raugetneni is recommended 10 me ny many very
important considerations. They are acted
upon by our laws, and have an interest in our
laws. They may he considered as making
part, though 4 degraded part oil NE families 10
which they belong. - The Federal number,
rs il is called, is particularly recommended by
lis simphciy, as ccffaiatv, as aetiHf aad rs PR
maatncv - : Wheeler, therefore, We be nix
ing basis Of representation for the Ole branch
or The u.hcr of our Legislature, or for tGh, in a
combination with other principles The Federal
ratio is far0yiie resource with me. entered
into my earliest views OF the SUBJECT, before This
Convention was assembled; and thongs have
kept my mind open, have listened 10 ever Plopo-
s;ion which has been advanced, and given 10
Item all candid consideration must say, that
in my Judgment we shall al ,risclv IN TF.'erTing
IL 70 oilers which have leen brought beloFe Us. >
debates of the Virginia Convention d 1890,
page 53S) Such were tie views OF one who
scorned 10 act IS The organ Of iacticn, AM who
soush! rot 10 become the leader IN agitation or
mischief Mir Madison had supported he same
principle in the Federal ConrcnIion OF lIs,. and
The observations which he made, and The cilcc-
lions in which he INDUCED during he srcee ding
forty odd years, lended only 70 confirm III OPT
Mons ayowed and acted upon in eaiier lie.
Ii the slave representation was abolished, he
spirit Of innovation, a spirit particularly excila-
BILE in Republics, would not be arrested. The ab-
rusaiicn OF one of The great COMPROMISES uFCn
which The Constitution is based, would pave The
way for The overthrow OF another. Should The
slave representation be Withdrawn, The smaller
and weaker States Of the Conisdeiacy woull
have abundant cause lor experimenting dmi-
milton OF their power. Their delegates in he
Federal Convention iGSs-cd UPON such an orsa-
niza,ion of the new Government as would allow
The several States equality OF representation on
The floor of the Senate This was required as a
shield, by which the small States might pro,ec,
themselves against unjust and unequal lss,la-
lion. After hard Struggle, The mere powerful
States conceded claims, which, II refused would
have prevented the adop, on OF the Constitution