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

teen Senatorial DitlIicis, cicl t!SC.lie olic Stna-
tor, which Shall ever remain indiyisbe. The
House Representatives was appo''ionet accord
ing 10 qualified electors. THESE were lie provis.
ions oil The old Constitution. have had no &C
cess 10 the new Constitution.
The other States have their representation ap
portioncd chiefly upon an equal ratio OF White in
habans. From tbs examination The House
will perceive that mol one oil Inc CD thirteen
States has adopted The basis 81 free white inhahi
tan,s. New York, which approaches mosancar
Is, has given Ike veto pov'erlo her Governcr, aid
requires lwo-thiIds passa iaw, ai,el The reio.-
And Pennsylvania, The next neafcs., mas her re-
presentation on taxable inha bitants Win Inc vc-
10 rover in The Governor Every ether STATE 0!
The old thirteen has adopted an arbitrary apPof-
lionmenl in ore house, or both, Of coIn,y repre-
senlalion. ar the basis o!taxation, or federal num
bers, or both combrei. The equal representa-
lion Of free white persons has found III precedent
in lie old thirteen. The primary principle Of re-
presentation Of PERSONS as eonfradiHine pishtGton
pyoJr,t., has rot received their sanction. Nor
has il, by either OF them, been regarded aslhe in.
fallbc element Of political power. No pa!ticu
lar rule has obtained The consent Of eve;y State
and no uniformity exists in different S'aies-lhe
peculiar circumstances o! each controlling the
aprolionmenl according 20 the varying and d.
verse Interests 10 be represented. Representation
is arpollioned according 10 taSal:Cn-lo fedora!
numtnrs-to free whites and Mfcc-fniS 81 al CO.
iorcd Jcfsoms-to counties cqually--,o counties in
arbitrary ralios--to ratable male polls-,o TAXA
bic inhabi,ants-;o qualified ccc,ors-io free
white inhatitants-,o total populalion--l 10 differ
ert ratios Of total population 10 counlies-o diff
efeni combinations of these yar;ousy- suited 10
The mul,form and diversified Interests Of the
districts, counties, towns townships and parishes.
in different States; so organized rs 10 ahoId he
safest guarantee and bes, security for The pTo'ec
lion Of The rights Of persons and The rights Of pro-
peny. Commencing with Maryland, therce Viz.
ginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia,
We have five contiguous siaveEoldine States
which have planted a def nsirc authority in he
organic law Tor the protection Of slave property.
These p,eceicnts certainly deserve the mosl
serious consideration. Wien W. fine slave
holding States, and even free States, whose popu-
la'ion and property are equally diiused c"eI he
whole State, giving protection 10 properly by re-
presenting taxes, We must re convinced ltai some
sound WISE and prudent principle oi I rspfesen'
taiiYe Government, controlled The judgment OF
lie statesmen who framed those Constitutions
Il isnot nv purpose mere 10 point oul me wei2hty
reasons which governed them, but merely 10 re.
mark, that inequality OF representation, IS sp-
piled 10 Tree white persons, prevails TO IS sreai
exen! in ohei STATES, - in Virginia nat he
apportionmenl Of representation on an APPARENT
Is arbitrary ratio, petains TO many o.heF s:ales,
and is founded on True anG correct pTlncipies oi
a representative Republic My present object
is to coate tho various precederis, tha, they may
give authority and weight 10 the conclusions ]
shall dednce. With this view, pass on 10 the
examination Of The Constitution Of The United
States and The apfor.icnment OF representation
there established.
the second section o! the Constitution OF The
United States provides: Representatives and
direct taxes shal! be appa.ioned among the sevc-
raj Slalcs which may be included within this
Union, according 10 their respective numbers,
which shall be determined by adding 10 The whole
number Of free persons including thcs. bound 10
service Tor a tenn Of Yeas. and excluding In
clans no! taxed lhree-fl;hs 81 all cher persons.
Each State shall have n least ore representative
Here we find every Tree negro III Tie United
State, counted az one White person FIVE slaves
as three white persons We see free negroes and
slaves recognised as persons Tally entitled 10 rep
rcsentaiion. Free negroes, thFee.hIs 81 slaves
and free white persons arc placed in The same
column and added up together 10 find The repre-
sentative number OF each State. We Co moi feel
that we are contaminated rs such ar apro.
silion. or oppressed b. such an enumcra-
ton We do not dcnounce this apro"onmen,
as aris,ocratc in lis features, sGbvcrsivc OF ali
primary principles of Government, anii-Repn5
iican and monarchcal in lis tendencies. We de-
ma nd SLAVE representation rs a right, we claim IL
as q privilege, and we hold those as fanatics and
enemies 10 orr Government who would reckless
" attack that compromise. Slaves are protected
by epresenialion-securedL ~ a guarantee OF po-
lilical power.
The practical fruits OF slave representation will
show lis importance 10 he Sou, ern States. The
number Of slaves in Virginia is Ais 9,1. !areatiths
OF which are 269 ,39l. There are also 40. 9l2 free
negroes which added 10 lhrec-tliihs ofthe slaves,
make 3l9, 233 as the representative number of CO.
ored persons. They are as fully represented as The
same number Of white persons The white popula-
ton OF Virginia is TAO 95s, which eniiic. Virginia
10 ten and Il half members II Congress. The re-
preventative number OF slaves and flee negroes
entities her to tour and hall members Of Con
grsss, which added together make her III cen re-
personalities or these fifteen members OF Con-
grcss Eastern Virginia has nine, five on her
white population and four on her slave population.
The West has six, five and a hall on her white
and The traction on her colorcd population. Gu!
of this slave representation and Eastern Virginia
wonld have only five members OF Congress. Let
us pursue the investigation. The number OF
elaves in the South is, in round numbers, TWO mil
lions and a hall; the representative number OF
which is one million and hall. This repfesen-
iaivc number OF slaves gives tweBlY.ohe members
Of Congress 10 the vehoting SlaleS Those
States now have eighty. eight members, Sixty
seven Of whom are apportioned on free persons ahc
iweniy.one on slaves, nearly onehrd as many
on slaves rs on free persons, including free
negroes The free States have one bundred and
lhr,y-fye members Of Congress Inc slave holding
only siy,y.seven. based on free persons Cut
of your slave representation, and The North more
hsn doubles The South in power on the lloo:s OF
The House Representative. These ale some oi
lie practical results Of excluding slave rerIcsen-
aion. Let US pursue this investigation.
The same article OF The Constitution declares,
that representation and direct taxes shaii ne ap-
por:oIed among the several States according 10
their representative numbers. The true prlnci-
pies Of Republican Government, as understood
and praciised ufon hy Tie patriots ana statesmen
OF the Revolution are here SCI lolth-'Ea. repre-
sen:aion and taxation shall 90 nahd IN nan !
shall stand upon the sane iornuatloh ANA 'nat
broad platform shall be tie number OF ifce per
sons and three .fiiihs OF all slaves. Washington
n,.s;ded over Tho deliberations OF the Convention
which framed This Constitution. Franklin, Nadl-
son Piockney, and host of o.hc' IS, eminent Tor
their patriotism and brilliant pnblIc services-ll-
lus,rious for their wisdom, party ana virtue
distinguished for their ardent devotion 10 liberty,
10 human rights and Republican institutions
united in the deliberations, AMI sanctioned lhiS
principle. They did nol lay down heir primary
posiulale, thai political power should DC appoiI,,
TONED according 10 free white persons. They dId
no, declare that taxation should be no measure o.
representation. They did not exclude free nc
eroes, nor slaves, in distributing representation.
I, was not then struggle Tor power by those
who did not hold that species OF properly, 10 get
possession Of that power for purposes OF laSa-
lion. r,c
If we look 10 the Senate Of The United states
we find sill greater inequality Of representation '
prevailing. Each State has Two Senators; viii
out regard 10 lis population: The State OF New
York With a population Of two millions and 2
nall, has no more Senators than delaware WIN !t
rapula;isn of sereniyeight thousand. pc
voice OF one freeman in Delaware balances 'He
voice Of ,hidy-sis in New YORK These ;le. .
Qualities prevail throughout me orsa nizai"n 2,
the government Does New io!k complain
Does she ask that majority OF Tree white CHI
zens shall have a controlling power ID the tede-
raj Legislature; No, Mr.. Speaker, 20. she
knows foil well thar political equality OF Tue
States was recognized in The formation OF The
porernmer, for The protection OF the small States
,i,, dac,- nj s,,rrende. OF the protective power