Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-10
n nothing can ever overcome them b spirit of COM

and nothing can ever overcome ttel o SPIRIT OF conf
promise ,,,,,. ,,or;,d AZ. n1,~,.,,:,
Nv when on the subject of compromise two pro-
-, are again submitted to the committee one
s ,hon Is that the two principles originally pro, ,osed
ebaii remain distinct; of theia constituting, the
basis Of the house of delegates and the other of the
The other proposition is that the true princi
fGna'e shol be combined and made the basis OF both
houses This latter proposition presents the exact mid
H. nund between white population exclusively anil
,,o 5ass Of white population combined with taxation
orJ ybot b.s been demonstrated the basis Of federal
numbers
we are engaged on the subject of compromises
oromise of principles which neither is willing tc
s,,rrtr,,Jer The very term implies mutual ncesson
Sa CONCESSION must be made on both sides, but the
onantum to be made by each must depend on the rela
tiia situation Of the parties, and this mus bu
drred before the right Judgment can be forp led on the
subject.
And after stating the position of parties in the Con
yeution he says, then,
"Takinr this view of the state of p,rtics, it i:
r,on;fst that to obtain Just compromise. concession
mn,t not only be mutual-it must be equs also. Til,
claim. Of the parties the Eu:E ought t.
cnnc.d. 70 the other much lie demands from thai
otLrr and thus meet middle ground. There can b,
no hone that either will yield more than it gets
turn" As each party claims fourteen ms ority here,
AK that each will yield to the other much as tina
other claim. and divide equally.l
What is that middle ground. One pa rty propose:
that the House of Delegates shall be formed the ba
ala of white population exclusively and the Senate
the mixed basis of white population and taxation OF
tbe federal numbers The other party, proposes thai
th, whit. population shall be combined with fedora
the basis Of representation in both Houses This last
praposition must be equal All feel it to be equal. Il
Tho two principles combined exactly and thus com
bned form the basis Of both Houses tbs compromise
must b. perfectly equal.
us the other proposition equal ask the gentlemen
who make it. if they think it SOL The party III favor
the compound basis in both Houses have declared the
conviction that there is no equality in the proposition
They at least think it unequal How they acced,
to proposition rs a compromise which they firmly be
lieve to bo unequal Do gentlemen of the opposite par
ty think il equai If they do why refuse to take Wha
they offer us After tie warm aHguage-to use til,
milest phra.e-whch has been mixed with argulnen
on both sides heard with indispensable satisfaction
propositions for compromise proposed by both parties il
the language Of Cancellation hailed these auspicou
appearances with much joy as the inhabtaut Of tn
polar regions halls the appearance of the sun after hi
long absence of six tedious months
1t will thus be that among the good the vrtuous
and wise men of that day, he not looked upoa
dsturbcr Of the public peace, and f,thcss to hi
high trust who offered to compromise this vexet
question Let me be judged by such me!l the la
nented Marshall rather than by the Soons of the pre-
sent day Once more desire to call attention, partic
larly aud emphatically to the views OF MIR. Madison
He says
The plan proposed by the gentleman from Nprthamp
ton freed has been from Of lis elements (aratoA,
appears to be entitled favorable consideration"
Taxation being stricken OUT the proposition thet
in the opinion OF Ar. Madison entitled to favorable
coz .i1eratiun Who shall delme the name Of tl
great man by charging him with giving representation
instead Of protection to property aud that protection III
proposed to give by regarding portion of the slaves
persons las recognized i'll the constitution of the Unct
Statss and not property to be counted as souls an,
, not dollars.
Mr.. Leigh in submitting this proposition of comprom
ise in the form in which it assumed amendment {,
the proposition Of Judge Upshur, of the white popula
ton aud federal numbers combined, distinctly took h
ground that while it equal and just, III twenty-five
years from that time the power must necessarily depar
. from the cast That twenty-five years has not We
elapsed. Five years hence will show presently Mi
Leigh prophecy would have been fulfilled Fortunate
w. perhaps, for of the east for those who attach th
iecc Importance to the question Of the basis OF rep
, rescnaton, this Convention SHIELD five years Garlic
than the time prrpheced that the power would depar
from the east and depart foerver he did
the possibility of claiming superiority for the eas
longer than they would be entitled to hold it.
+ Mr. Thompson said: " lie had understood il to have
been admitted all along, that the period would arrive
when the balance of power would pass into the hands
the west The PERIOD if he recolected right had beer
fixed by the gentleman from Chesterfield himself a
about the year 1865"
Dir. Leigh replied that he had said that if the au
dors calculations were correct and the mixed basis
should be adopted in both houses the increase of pUp
aton and taxes in the west might give them the bal
ance of power about that time.
Now what desire to know is if instead of present
ing 10 this Convention for its consideration arbitrary
rule have done for the purpose of avoiding offence
to ethor section Of the State, If had presented
promise hero based upon precisely the principle
that Nr. Leighs compromise was-Mr Leigh that gift
ed champion of eastern rights, the az of that
ton as he was held to be-endorsed by John Marshall
in its broadcast latitude, it, say had proposed my
compromise, not arbitrary rule, but rule
founded upon combination of white population allr
federal numbers it would have been acceptable to the
cast, and especially to my colleagues Would the
east have accepted this compromise then ably sus
tanned and then carried into effect because the PROPOSE
ton that carried the proposition of Mr. Gordon
of Albemarle, who desired as ] do to avoid the
recognition of one basis the other but to make it
btrary, and without recognizing either federal numbers
white population or the mixed basis to give n certain
number OF representatives to each of the grand divisions
Of the State equal about equal to that which this
combination of federal numbers and white basis would
give; say if presented my proposition in that form
would it have been acceptable to the cast would
man have risen here in his place and charged with
sacrificing the interests of the east and Of my constu
ents
Well last Thursday night, when l read these pro.
ceedngs, although it was at late hour of tie night
determined not to rest my had upon my pillow until
had worked out the result of my proposition to
certain how it would compare with that eastern propo-
stion Of MIR. Leghs and Marshalrs. and the sun was
peeping above the horizon when got through my cal.
cuaton and laid down to rest III peace and saLsfac-
ton. Here It'll
According to the principles of the compromise pro.
posed by Mr. Leigh, aud sustained by Judge Marshall in
1920, which TO combine white population with fed
era numbers, and strike the average my compromise
would result as follows:
White population in the east il 40l,l04
west is 494,T63
! Total, S95SGT
which, dvivided by l5O the number proposed for the
Aouse Of delegates would give 5,972 as the ratio on
the white basis
4o lo+ white population in the east, divided by 5,o27,
would ee the east to representatives 6 fraction ESQ.,
1914 1853 white population in the west by same division
would give representatives So fraction 5000 for which
allow Que representative, would give SO; total l50
Federal numbers In the east 695,30S
west 540,441
Total 1,o35,749
which, divided by 50 gives S23S Us the ratio Of repre-
sentatlon on federal numbers
695S0S federal numbers in the east, divided by $685.
would entle the east to representatives, 81 with frac
ton OF 1910; 5iO,4+ federal numbers in the west would
give representatives Co. with fraction of 1911 for
which allow enc representative would give &c; total
$50.