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


ment was instituted; that the soundes,
principles Of Republicanism do sane
ton some relation between representa-
! ton and taxation; and, that distribu-
'ion Of Legislative power, founded On
representation of property or taxa
ton, has received the appreciation OF
the wisest statesmen and the truest pa
tries; that,this principle was settled in
! the Revolution, sanctioned by the Con-
stitutlon of the United States and
confirmed by the precedents afforded in
the Constitutions Of the old thirteen
States. From the Revolution 10 this
day, the weight Of precedent, auhori-
+, ty and argument susiains our claim:
The contest is narrowed down 10 a
conflict between numbers on one side,
and property on the situated IN
distinct districts, l'avingn no commune
~ ct feeling or lnterest--separated by
natural boundaries, located in, and de-
fined by geographical divisions-the
one belonging by position to the At
lan'lc seaboard, the other in part TO the
great valley of the Missippi, where
numbers may combine in masses,o act
uponproperty in other districts The
array is portentous and fearful. 1t is
one which the lessons of all history
teoch nc IN avoid o,.,E4, rl,n lNL,.
property is held by one portion of a
community, and the right to control
that property is claimed by another
portion, residing in different section
when all protection is denied TO pro-
perty, by excluding all representation,
and omnipotent sway is olaimed forth
numerical majority-when it is boldly
declared, that mere majority of the
white population, so situated, may at
their pleasure alter, reform, or abolish
the existing Constitution and Govern
ment-may take to themselves ma
jority of representatives, and exercise
all powers oflegisla,ion at their discre-
tion-property is no longer safe. The
individual citizen would hold his prop
er'y no longer by legal tenure and con-
stitutiona guarantee, but at the mercy
OF his rulers. For the better illustra-
ton of the claims advanced by each
party on this floor, | shall proceed to
examine the relative situation of the
Eastern and the Western divisions of
the State IN several different views
In doing so, it is far from my purpose
to reproach The West with its poverty,
as some gentlemen have charged, but
solely to furnish fair and candid ex.
position of the actual condition of
wealth, population and taxation, that
each party may see the extent and the
foundation of the claims of the other
shall conduct this examination in
such manner as to excite the least
possible sectional feeling and preju-
dice. @
1t is true, the West contains small
majority of white population, and thar
statement embraces their whole claim
to majority Of representatives. Let
US very briefly compare the two grand
divisions in other respects-and first,
as TO total population. Blythe cen
sus Of 184G, the East of the mountains
contains population of SOC, 942-the
West a population of 432, 855-making
the total Eastern population nearly
twice as great as the Western. This
vast majori'yis to be totally disregar-
! ded and sto give TO us no political
weight. The slaves in the East, num-
Der 395, 250-and in the West 3d.
/. 737-being more than seven to one.
Yet, this great preponderance of tina,
peculiar species of property and per-
sons is to be denied all protection in
the distribution of Representations
The federal numbers in the East are
GAS, S42-1and in the West All SEQ
This enumeration Of persons, which
constitutes the fundamental basis be.
! tween the Northern on-slaveholdine
and the Southern slaveholding States
is utterly repudiated by the report ane
bill ofsthe minority. Take the bill O
the majority, and each Eastern mem,
4 Der would represent in the Convention
1886 persons, or 1913 Of fedora
numbers; and each Western menbe
would represent 945.s You are Gale,
Iopon to make asstill greater tlelartur,
4 from the federal number basis, and /,
lay down the unqualified principle tina
slaves are not TO be regarded as person.
land as property,they are not emit
tiled to representation-that they, ar,
I merely fit subjects, for taxation and OPP
preston, and are to have no relation.t /.
representation as persons, properly. 0
|, | sources of taxation. This is one view
|ofihe claim advanced by the report ant
bill of the minority-let US exanin'
. another.