Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-02-20

the CnL or q COnTen,t0n Ter Q7IcTdlng Gfe COJs
st,.ll,on of the state.
(coNcLuDED]
In the election of a President Of The Uniiet
States free negroes and three flhs o. saves , a..
represented They are counted in The eiectora
vote oil every State for the President OF The Cnie'
States as fully in their representative numoer a
white persons In The appointment OF inc Z cue
raj Judiciary, they constitute The nominatice
power in their full ratio. In no department
The Federal Government do we find an equal rep
rcsen,ation of free white persons. your mem
bers Of Congress represent federal numoeI:
Your Senator'S represent States Your Pfesl
den, is elec,ed by q combination oil Senators ana
Representatives, each State having lne sam s
electoral vote in number as il has memoirs u
Congress aud Senator'S. Your Jaale'aly =, :.
nominated BY the President, ana conn''ueo ~
The equal vote of the States IN Inc senate. ~
The passage of law from It's frSt ieaaiDS 10 us
final sanction BY the President. we see .ne voaes
OF n majority of free white persons no Where
represented. Search the Legislative, Executive,
and Judicial departments of that Government,
and YOU can point out no branch that derives us
power from the white population. Such prin-
ciple is no where developed, and had such prin-
ciple been ensrahed on the Constitution lheie
would never have been union OF The STATES.
The causes which led TO departure iron inc
equal rights OF man, are not difficult TO solve
u r
into abs,rac, reasoning upon The natural rights Of
man-into learned disquisiiions upon The primary
principles OF political science. The Distribution
Of political powers was The result OF compact,
no, OF argument-of compromise, no. OF pfihci-
pie. We demanded of the Northern States,
which held few slaves, representation ior our
slaves-ihey agreed TO grant representation lot
,hree-fiths if we would grant direct taxes oy 'ns
same ratio We agreed TO the proposition, ano
was created. And hence il became settled, iun-
damenal principle in our Government, that re-
presentation and direct taxes should be uniform,
and appo,tioned among the several States on lsle
Federal numbers.
The large States demanded that numbers
should be represented in one branch OF inc Legs
lature-the small States agreed TO The demanu,
upon the condition that the small states ,he
have equal representation IN the Sehd'e "i'ii ''I
large States The bargain was struck ana
hence one House of Congress represents FeCe-
raj numbers, The other represents States. me
very purpose of the compact, was the e4clu-
sion of equal representation OF Tree white
persons-,he absolute denial OF all control
10 the numerical majority Slavery existed
in nelrly every State, but uneqnally distributed,
and il was rapidly disappearing from The North
ern States. The similarity in the condition OF
the United States al that period, and The State Of
Virginia now, is remarkable. The larger por-
ton of The slaves were situated in particular sec
lions, liable TO he oppressed 5y unequal Taxa
zion The practical statesmen OF those days
would not trust their revolutionary co-patrloiS.
They required political weight by representa-
ton tor slaves-perlec, equality OF representa-
ton aud taxalion--as he fundamental guarantees
eugraited in the organic law. They never
dreamed of trusting 10 a written Constitution
10 any ad valorem system OF taAallon-or 10 lhe
Justice OF a majority-yet, with all The caution
and prudence BY which slave property IS guarded,
those guarantees have no. secured us from iii-
proper and dangerous interference. Time aler
lime The existence Of The Union has been threat
ened BIZ fierce aud vindictive tanaliclsm, Cloth
ed in the garb of religion, OF raising Shouts Tor
the largest liberty. The proposition 10 abolish
slave representation in Congress has been seri-
ously proposed, urged By the same arguments,
advocated on The same principles that pertain 10
here.
have reviewed the basis Of representation ia
the Federal and State Constitutions, TO show that
Republican preceden,s and the weight OF auho-
rity are opposed 10 an equal representation oil
free white persons that no such rule has been
sanctioned in the Fedora! Government, aud that
no such principle has prevailed in the State TO
yernmenls have shown, that STATES nave
adopted different arbitrary bases Of representa-
ton 10 suit their diversified interests; and that
arbitrary and unequal representation Of free white
persons exists in the Federal Government and
In many State Governments. This arbitrary APP
poNionmenl durs not render the duvcrnu)ent an
ii-Repuolican, arslocra.ical or monaEchcal.-
These epithets apply with much more prophet,
10 the United States, Georgia. Sou Caroline,
North Carolina. Maryland and other States than
10 Virginia. They are used without sufficient
information respecting the true principles OF
representative Republic, or correct knowledge
of the science OF free government.
Appeals have been made 10 the Bill oil Rights,
and 10 the Declaration Of Independence, 10 prove
that the present basis Of representation is repu3-
rant to both, and that all their principles have
been outraged and repndia'ed. | will venture TO
assert, Mr.. Speaker, that they who wrote those
charts knew the npor, of the words they used
and the extent OF the principles they laid down.
Such is certainly charitable suggestion, and
favorable conclusion for the reputation aud cha
racer OF the statesmen Of l776. have still
remnant Of respect for the memory OF The illus
,rious dead and am slow 10 believe that their
descendant. excel them in purify oil motives de-
voton 10 human rights, or wisdom in public
councils Let rs, then, compare their principles
with the actual condition OF things then existing
and draw our conclusions from their manifest
Intentions.
The Declaration of Independence asserts ave
hold these truths 10 be self-evident-tsot AZ men
are created cqual-ihat they are endowed ny their
Creator with certein unalienab!e righls-tha,
among these are life, liberty andthe pursuit Of hap
pinessn This broad declaration which is laid
down as a seif.erident truth, was made by States
holding slaves in large numbers. The Adolf
iionis,s assert that slave representation is repne-
nant 10 the scJ-cr,dent truths OF the Declaration
OF independence. Mr. Adams, in solving The
question, "How people holding slaves could is
sue such Declaraton1' very charitably con-
cludes: 1.-THE answer of reason and OF friendship
was the Declaration Itself IS he Abolition OF sarc.
~" We need not follow the lead OF Mr. Adams,
nor curiously scan The precise and 'uli extent OF
the words. |. is sufficient for us to know, mat
10 human being :hen living construed those
words into the abolition OF slavery or gave
10 them the construction now placed upon them.
Whilst they asserted the natural equality oil
men, they gave equal representation 10 States IN
the Senate and representation 20 Federal num-
hers in the House Of Representatives. lhey
gave suffrage 10 those persons in The Stale, who
exercised il in the election ofdelegaes. This was
their practical commentary. In declaring the
natural equality Of men, they did not pretend TO
confer on them equal political rights, or equal
representation. The same remarks are applica-
Bile 10 that portion OF the declaration which as
serts that the people may alter or abolish their
government and institute new. The new Con-
stitution required the assent of two-,hirds of the
States before il became the Constitution OF The
limited States. and then il was binding only on
those that adopted it.
The Bill of Rights declares, chat all men are
by nature, equally free and independent" &c
This principle was laid down by the largest slave
holding Stale il the Union. What was It's true
meaning7 Wherefore was j, inserted in The Bill
of Rights2 1t was certainly not designed 10 en-
large or extend tile civil or political rights OF any
man. Irwas mol intended to declare that all men
are entitled to equal representation or equal
right of suffrage. Representation and SUI
frsge are political rights derived from com
pact, flowing from an organized government
and sprinsing from an adopted Constitution ?.
They have no relation TO the natural rights
OF man. What construction did the states.
men who adopted the Bill Of Rights place
upon this clause What practical commentary
did they make1 They limited suffrage, anc
gave equal representation 10 counties, large ant
small. They did not draw the conclusion from
their own language, that free white persons are
.n,;,,,1 - onu,l renreSentation They placed