Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-03-12

fused over the whole State, giving protection
10 property by representing taxes, we must be
convinced that some sound, wise ard prudent
principle of representative Government, con-
trolled the judgment Of the statesmen who
| framed those Constitutions. Ii lis not my nur-
pose here to point out the weighty reasons
which governed them, but merely to remark,
that inequality Of representation, as applied 10
free white persons prevails to as great extent
! in other States, as in Virginia; that the appor-
ti,nment of representation on an apparently ar
bitrary ration, pertains to many other States,
! and is founded on true and correct principles
Of representative Republic. Ny present OBJ
iect is to collate the various presidents, thai
they may give authority and weight to the
| conclusions shall deduce. With this view,
pass on TO the examination of the Constitution
| of the United States, and the apportionment
of representation there established.
/ The second section Of the Constitution OF
the United States provides: Representatives
and direct taxes shall be apportioned among
the several States which may be included
within this Union, according to their respec-
tive numbers, which shall be determined By
adding to the whole number of free persons,
including those bound to service for term OF
years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three
! fifths of all other persons. Each state shall
| have at least one representative. Here we
find every free negro in the United States
counted as one white person--five slaves as
three white persons. We see free negroes
and slaves recognised as persons fully entitled
to representations Free negroes, three-ftlhs
of slaves ard free white persons are placed in
the same column and added up together to find
,hor rs oorh Mate We
do not feel that we are contaminated by such
an opposition, or oppressed by such an emu
mera,ion. We do not denounce this apporton-
ment as aristocratic in its features, subverslve
of all primary principles Of Government, anti
Republican and monarchical in lis tendencies
We demand slave representation as right, We
claim it as privilege, and we hold those as
fanatics and enemies to our Government who
would recklessy attack that compromise
Slaves are protected by Observation-Disclosures
by guarantee of political power.
The practical fruits of slave representation
will show its importance 10 the Southern States
The number of slaves in Virginia is 446, 1887,
three -fifihs Of which are 269, 39l. There are
also 49 .942 free negroes. which added to three
fifihs Of the slaves, make 3l9, 233 as the rep
resenta,ive number of colored persons. They
are as fully represented as the same number OF
white persons. The white population Of Vir-
pipia is 74O.96s, which entities Virginia to
ten and half members of Congress. The re-
preventative number of slaves and free negroes
entities her to four and half members Of Con-
gress, which added together make her fifteen
representatives. Of these fifteen members OF
Congress Eastern Virginia has nine, five on
her white population and four on her slave pop
L., ood no
on her white and the fraction on her colored
population. Cut off this slave representation
and Eastern Virginia would have only hve
members Of Congress. Let us pursue the In
yestigation The number of slaves in the
South is, in round numbers, two millions and
a half; the representative number. OF which is
one million and a half This representative
number of slaves gives twenty-one members OF
Congress to the slave-holding States. Those
States now have eighty eight members, sixty
seven of whom are apportioned ON free persons
and twenty lone on slaves, nearly one-thrd as
many on slaves as on free persons, including
free negroes The free States have one hun
dred and thirty-fve members of Congress, the
sIaveholding only sixty seven, based on free
persons Cut off your slave representation,
and the North more than doubles the South In
power on the floor of the House of Represen-
tatives. These are some of the practical re-
suits of excluding slave representation. Let
us pursue this investigation.
The same article of the Constitution declares,
that representation and direct taxes shall be APP
portioned among the several States according
to their representative numbers. The true
principles of Republican Government, as un-
derstood and practised upon by the statesmen
and patriots Of the Revolution, are here set
forth-that representation and taxation shall go
hand in hand-shall stand upon the same toun-
dation-and that broad platform shall be the
numbered free persons and three-iflhs Of all
slaves. Washington presided over the delb-
erations of che Con~ention which framed the
Constitution. Franklin, Madison, Pinckney,
and host of others, eminent Tor ;he!r patriot
ism and brilliant public services-illustrious for
their wisdom, purity and virtue-dlsilngtulshed
for their ardent devotion to liberty, to human
rights and Republican institutions-unlted IN
The deliberations, and sanctioned this principle.
They>did not lay down their primary postulate,
that political power should be apportioned &C
cording to free white persons. They did not
declare that taxation should be no measure OF
representation They did not exclude free
neg roes. nor slaves, in distributing representa-
lion. 1t was not then a struggle for power by
those who did not hold that species of property,
to get possession Of that power for purposes OF
taxation.
five look to the Senate Of the United
States we find still greater Inequality OF rep
resentaton prevailing. Each State has two
| Senators. without regard to its population
( The State of New York with population OF
two millions and half. has no more Senators
than Delaware with a population of seventy
eight thousand. The voice of one freeman
in Delaware balances the voice of thirty SIX
in New York. These inequalities prevail
throughout the organization OF the Govern
ment. Does New York complain! Does
she ask that majority o: free white c'ti-
Gems shall have controlling power in the
Federal Legisla,urel No, MIR. Speaker. no.
She knows full well that political equality Of
the States was recognised in the formation OF
the government for the protection OF the
small States, and to demand a surrender OF
the protective power. is to demand dlsso.i-
ton of the Union. The equality Of States in
the Senate, and the representation OF slaves
in the other branch Of legislation. are wise
provisions springing from prudent Jealousy
Of the numerical majority. 1t was not deslg