Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-14
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slave representation bu. by the greater preVa.ence
OF AMBITION and public spirit among snca OF ...I
citizens IS possessed leisure and wealth. seventy
wears ago, Edmund Burke said before fafiia H'eii
in his sueecl, on cancellation with America, maj
The spirit Of liberty was 'imore high ard hauSny
in the Southern Than in The Northern colonies.
sIn ViroiEia aud The CaroIinas thcy haze 'as'
mul,;luce Of slaves. Where Ibis Is The case, ~
any part Of lie weird, those who are iscc ale ~
far Tie most proud anu jealous q .nen 49,, ;.
. Freedom is Ia them nj only an enjoyment, hu'
Lind Of rank and privilege. Not seeing lhcie
mai freedom as in countries where II is col-
mon b. ssins. anL as broad and general as me
air may be united with much alject loii, win
orea, misery, with all The exterior 81 scfvitaae,
libe1ty locks among them like something that Is
more roble and liberal Snch were al
Tie ancient commonWealths-snch were cur o"-
thic ancesors-such in our days were me Po.es,
and such will he all masters ol slaves, VINO dit
M, slaves themselves" These remarks Of
gnrke account foI Southern influence more cor
rcc,ly than the logic OF john G.. Adams. THIS
high estimate OF liberty did exert an immense M
huence upon the character and Intellect oil me
South. and prompted her soils 10 engage IN me
public service cheriiully and jealousy. Ter
patriotism inspired confidence. TIE popularity
which they acquired, and tic high honors winch
lhey received, were The Just and appropriate re-
wards OF their devotion 10 the cause OF RepuDl-
can Government, and mol the Tonnage reluctantly
paid 10 the slave representation.
The relative representation oil he Slave-hoid-
ing and non-Slay c.holding States IN Congress,
disproves The assertion OF preponceraiiLS IN
ilueLce on the part oiihe South The non Save
holding States have now majority oil q IN TIE
House OF Representatives. and by withdraw
ing the slave representation, the Slave-kold-
ing States would lose twenty-one members,
and thereby increase The majority oil mem
ters from the free States 10 Is. In li90, ne
e-holdins States had ~ repre- sen'a'ves cni o
lU6: they now have SIS out OF 223 members com
posing The House Of Representatives. From 1870
10 1910, their representation in The lower house
was diminished from 46 10 81 per cent. oi Inc
whole number in The House Of Representatives.
The political power Of The non-siavehodlns
States has greatly augmented, and that q the
saycholLing States declined during The lasl haii
century. The census returns Of each decade III
con,esltv Prove The position. In The Senate, Ike
slaveholdinc States o6ce had 10 out Of 80 SeE&-
tors. or more than hall; now they have 20 out q
s. The new States Of Iowa and Florida are mel
embraced in these statements, and II inc!ndcd
wou, not change the views presented. In ne
face Of these facts. the Southern States have been
invited 10 concur III supporting an INNOVATION,
the immediate effect O. which wou.d be 10 de-
privc them OF nearly one fourth part Of The po!lil-
cal power which they now possess IN one biahch
Of Congress. Iic Tciahrc namicr OF members
from the Southern States has diminished, and VIII
probably continue 10 decline. To MAINTAIN ise
position which they held on tie floor OF The House
al Repre-, cnlatives in 1890, lhev ought 10 return
lOl on Of The 223 members OF which tic llcuse
i, now composed. By the present superintendent,
according 10 the -iths principle, the 90 mem
bers from the Slave-holding States repre.cn, each
SIP $50 persons, ard 23 ,073 SOB dollars Of CAPT
la!, which is vested in agriculture, commerce.
manufactures, trades and The fisheries. II their
whole regulation Save as we'll as tee, were re-
presented they would have lG2 members. The
lO2 representatives from Tie Slave States would
each represent II ,lG9 persons, and l9,9G6,s6
dollars OF capital; the l33 representatives from
tie free Stales would then each represent 1l.l09
persons, and 20i0G, 52l dollars ofcapital' When
the articles Of Confederation were under DISCUS
SIGN John Adams Observed that Reason, justice
and equality never had weight enough on The lace
Of tie earth 10 govern the councils oil men. Its
interest alone which does il, and it is inieres.
alone which can be trusted, that therefore the in
lcre>is, within doors, should be the mathematical
representatives OF the interests witfou, doors. =
There is much force in these suggestions, and,
according Ia them tie Slave States ought 10 have
l03 representatives, instead OF SS As al present.
or CO as implied in the proposition OF Massachu-
sets.
The relative representation of the 'lavehoidirg
States has diminished and while this process q
reduction has been steadily progressing sla:ery
has continued 10 receje further and further from
Maasa chuseliS. The greater the p0;ca power
Of The Tree States The further that slavery recodes
from Massachusetts, the more hostile she becomes
10 the ins ution and the more prciudicial she g.
teens it to hsr interest and happiness. She came
cheeIfuily into the Union and ratified The Ccnsti-
luton a, time when there wee sla:es IN New
Tlamrs!ire, Rhode s'anj. Connecticut, New
York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania. IN l,>uO
The slave population North OF North Carolina
WAS IS rer cent. ana in 1870 il was rcdnces .
- per cci,;.--,hc fact exhibiting great eniiSra-
ton Of the Saves from the North 10 Inc South.
So long as slavery prevailed in The Northern
States, Massachusetts said nothing against '.s
slave representation, nor did she Then oPPose The
recovery Of fugiliv. slaves, but the Northern
States having abolished slavery, and many q
Their citizens having, VITA 'her H~''a. inreh"nsat
ana s,aaciiy. sold their slaves 10 Southern plan
,ers, Massachusetts opened Ter eyes 10 al ne
horrors Of lie institution, and turned amazingly
pious and rhanhropic As The alleged cause
o! evil rcceded, she though, the liability 10 INJURY
vas augmented; rattle snake being, in her OPT
MON. more dangerous a, distance Of ore mic
than one foot To The nasal organs o. hiassa-
cbusc,.s the odur ot a slave is offensive iii Inc
ratio al the distance 10 which he is reino@ed BE-
vond her territorial i..iits
Ito be coiiinrcd.)
Census Tables
.-T,rrC, .o,,l.r ,nearir~ Of The