Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-07

. Stb from the newly acquired Territories succeed.
will stand before the end OF the decade, twenty,one
northern States TO fourteen southern considering Della
ware rs neural9 and torytwo northern Senators to
tyysntv EIGHT southern This great increase OF Sena-
tors added TO the great increase OF members OF the
House of Representatives and electoral college on the
r nj the North which must take place under the next
Jcaade will efIectualy and iretrievably destroy the
eouilbrium which existed when the Government COM
Had this destruction been the operation of time, with
out the interference of Government, the South would
have had no reason complain; but such was not the
fact 1t caused by the legislation of this Govern
ment, which was appointed as the common agent Of
ALL and charged with the protection of the interests
and security of all. The legislation by which it has
been effected may be cassed under three heads. The
rss that series OF acts by which the South has been
excluded from the common territory belonging 10 all
OF the States the members OF the Federal Union, and
which have had the effect of extending vastly the por
ton allotted to the northern section, and restricting
within limits the portion lett the South. The
next consists in adopting system OF revenue and dis
bursements by which undue proportion OF the bur-
den of taxation has been imposed upon the South, and
undue proportion OF its proceeds appropriated to the
North and the last is system OF political measures, by
which the original character OF the Government has
been radically changed. | propose to bestow upon
each of these, in the order they stand, few re-
marks with the view OF showing that il is owing to the
action of this Government that the equilibrium between
the two sections has been destroyed, and the whole
powers of the system centred in sectional majority
The first of the series OF acts by which the South
was deprived of its due share OF the Territories orglna-
ted with the Conederacy which preceded the existence
of this Government. 1t is to be found in the provision
of the ordinance OF 1887 Its effect was to exclude the
South entirely from that vast and fertile region which
lies between the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, now
embracing five States and one Territory. The next OF
the series is the Missouri compromise, which excluded
the South from that large portion of Louisiana which
lies north of 36 deg. 80 min excepting what included
in the State of Missouri The last of the series excu
ded the South from the whole OF the Oregon Territory
All these, the slang OF the day, what called
slave territories and not free so that is, territories be-
longing to saveholdng powers, and open to the emf
the Of soS wS we e1 hs 'fs em fss
miles, extent of country considerably Seeedng the
entire valley of the Mississippi To the S&&fh was left
the portion of the Territory of Louisiana ng south OF
Sc deg 30 mn, and the portion north OF included in
the State of Missouri; the portion lying south of 36 deg
30 min including the States of Louisiana and Arkansas,
and the territory lying west OF the latter and south Of
sc deg 30 mn called the Indian country. These, with
the Territory.o f Florida, the State, make in the
whole 283 SOB square miles, To this must be added the
territory acquired with Texas 1t the whole should be
added to the southern section, it would make an in
crease of 1926 500 which would make the whole left to
the South 609U23. But large part OF Texas is still in
contest between the two sections which eavesit uncer
tain what will be the real extent OF the portion OF terri
tory that may be LETT to the South.
have not included the territory recsny acquired by
the treaty with Mexico. The North is making the
efforts to appropriate the whole to herself
by excluding the South from every foot OF 1t. Ii she
should succeed it will add to that from which the South
has already been excluded 52607S square miles, and
would increase the whole which the North has appro-
priated to ersclto 764 023 not including the portion
that she may succeed in excluding from in Texas.
To up the whole, the United States since they de-
cared their independence have acqued2 1878 O46 square
miles of territory, from hch the North will have excu
ded the South il she should succeed in monopolzing
the newly acquired territories, about threetourths of
the whole, leaving to the South but about onefourh
Suchis the trst and great cause that has destroyed
the equilibrium between the two sections in the Govern
ment.
The next the system of and disbursements
which has been adopted by the Government. 1t is well
known that the Government has derived its revenue
mainly from duties on imports. shall not undertake
to show that such duties must necessarily fall mainly
the exporting States, and that the South, the great
exporting portion OF the Union has in reality paid
vastly more than her due proportion OF the revenue; be-
cause | deem it unnecessary, the subject has
many occasions been fully discussed Nor shall |, for
the reason, undertake to show that far greater
portion OF the has been discussed at the orh
than its due sare and that the Joint effect OF these causes
has been to transfer vast amount from South ORTIZ
which, under equal system OF revenue and dsburse
mens would not have been lost to her IT, this be add
ed that many OF the duties imposed, for reve
nue. but for proectonthat is, intended to put money,
not in the treasury but directly into the pocket OF the
manufacturers, some conception may be termed OF the
immense amount which, in the long course Of sixty
years, have been transferred from South to NORTH.
There noe data by which it can be estimated with
any certainty; but it is safe say that it amounts to
hundreds of millions OF dollars. Under the most mo-
derae estimate it would be sufficient to add greatly tc
the wealth OF the North, and thus greatly increase he
population by attracting emigration from all quarters t6
that section.
This, combined with the great and primary cause
amply explains why the North has acquired preponde-
rance every department of the Government by its
dsproportionate increase OF population and States The
iormer, has been shown, has increased in fifty years
100000 that OF the South. This increase of po-
pulaton, during so long period, is satisfactorily ac-
counted tor, by the number OF emigrans, and the in
OF their descendants, which have been attracted
the northern section from Europe and the South,
consequence the advantages derived from the
hnf,r fboC had
tanned all the capital which has been extracted from her
by the fiscal action OF the Government; and, if it had
not been excluded by the ordinance OF 'S7 and the Mis-
souri, compromise from the region lying between the
Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, and between the Msss
sppi and the Rocky mountains north OF sc deg. 30 min
it scarcely admits of doubt that it would ave dvi-
ded the emigration with the North and by retaining her
own people, would have at least equaed the North in
population under the OF lS40 and probably under
that about to be taken She would also, if she had re-
tanned her equal rights in those Territories have main
tanned equality in the number OF States with the
North and have preserved the equilibrium between the
two sections that existed at the commencement OF the
Government The loss then OF the equilibrium is to be
attributed to the action OF this Government.
But while these measures destroying the equili-
brum between these two sections, the action OF the
Government was leading to radical change in its
character by concentrating all the power OF the sys
TEN in itself. The occasion will not permit me to
the by which this great change has been
consummated. If it did, it would not be difficult to
show that the process commenced at an early period of
the Government; that it proceeded, almost without in
terrupon, step by step, until it absorbed virtually its
entire powers; but without going through the whole
process establish the fact may be done satisfac-
iorily by very short statement.
That the Government claims and practically main
ains the rghto decide in the last resort as to the extent
of its powers will scarcely be denied by any one con-
versant with the political history Of the country That
it also claims the right to to force to maintain
whatever power she claims, against all opposition, is
equally certain Indeed, it is apparent from what we
daily hear that this has become the prevailing and fixed
opinion OF great majority OF the community
n ow, | ask, what limitation possibly be placed
upon the powers OF government claiming and exer-
csng such rights And fnone can be, how can the
separate governments OF the States mant ain and protect
the powers reserved to them by the Constitution or the
people OF the several States maintain those which are
reserved to them and among others the sovereign pow
ers by which they ordained and established not only
their separate State constitutions and Government of
the United States! But if they have no constitutional
means OF maintaining them AGAINST the reht claimed