Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-18
f,.,;,,y,5 ion f4.a! Pace,

,,,h,rt-e that Kentucky convention 1heI Pa>seu ai
~, directing this reopie 10 asse"oIe ~
.h.r ,bav uo,h form themselves into an independent
or not Did they require in TIE election .. mem
mrs "a TIA. convention that taxation ard population
,hould be combined and representation based upon
,hem They did no such thing They gave !" ene,l VI
,he counties in tho district OF Kentucky tive rsgesena
nves in this convention: showing once that tue p''n
,ple OF taxation aud population combined he'e, i' ~
.astant entered into the mind. OF those men WHO VIZ
&c .n- under our old constitution, Now u may ne sa'u
that This convention was organized rely Tor inc Puf
noso Of determining whether this poop ':ere willing 10
form an inependen! State not That Is true but ms
ct Of the legislature further than that; 1t lald
The cornerstone there first poa equ"htv anu teh au
thorized this same convention 10 ueteriniH whether
NV ,rouli call another convention to form constu
tn FIR the State provided the people wished il. Now
do Won no, sec tha, the foundation laid there in this act
Of the legislature not upon the mixed basis bit upon
the basic Of the people. And We in this example
what easy transition II Is when you once lay inc cor
nor stone Alright to settle down upon proper principles
This convention that met in Kentucky did determine 10
form m independent State and they did call eon'rn
ion to form constitution for that new state ANA
upon what basis did tina, convention N representation
Why they fixed it upon this suffrage basis. No" We -,
how these ancestors of considered tais question u
entl,men eau construe ae: of theirs INTO an &c
Knowed, ment Of this principle IN our own state lne
we see these very men discarcin That lfhcipc "ish
they had 10 apply it TO others Now %e Sec rs nave
before remarked that when you lay your
ryh, law down great principles and place tie power
where il rghtfullv end naturally belongs What an 'a,
,,opsi,ion il is IL government -io,iiaS "i.
this principle tha; YOU lay down Here III 's instance
Of Kentucky, by laying your conversions rsht. you
o-.a n nrnc;ple upou which foundation n G"vcrnmsnt
~" boon r.cte ed there upon this suffrage basis And
,tnat that yhen YOU lay down correct principles III 'e
g;nnino put The power of forming the government IN
10 the proper hands. it soon seeks It's 'rue
upon right principles VII, JUST Is 'ef'"'S Nv ''"
az water will flow 10 the level
We will come back 10 own State now, aud We
viii see how this thing operated Here We nave a le-
,1n,ure With two representatives, IRON each county
imr;oy All this long qerod from .76 TO lSaa-3o rep
resen,a,on was moi based upon ''"r ,aA''"n '''
,nm,a,ion combined, but upon an arbitrary basis II !
nav - express H. by which the small counties hai
.nnal weight and equal power with the larger ohr'
Nell things progressed il that way tor tine Al
tha, DIV there was very !:t'ie Known OF me "e'' -
,cos on known a bowling wilderness, roansd ovef
!, oysce. and wild beasts and The pioneers VINO ii's
,,nd il were Jus. beginning TO make AZ; opening IN 'e's
yss,crr Wills This question that asl;ats ana INA,
has beca adtang this State OF ours e"'iu i"' 'i l'
-, ,hon zion But this west continued To grow. ans
49,, nav county tina, was for,ael there gave thri. Y"
,at;onal representatives IN the Legislature " ell the
asa he-an 10 grow desperate for TINS eastern people
ibav Nv. that this growing west y tney continued I"
form additional counties there w"t1a no. "!'S IVA
he,, !, political power bat il hat state OF things con
-in,a1 would finally rule the Commonwealth "i Wy
,;nin The consequence that III The year y. 1873
o. lSo4-I do not know personally TINS i"c' Tor am
1no Young 10 have known any thing oi item At 'iie
me-bu, am informed that ab"at ina, 'i'e we IL.
n,oat impossible for tho western people TO get hew
co,n.v and whvi Under that Constitution As soon n
,,,er county was formed il gave two ad,tona rep
raasntatfcss in the Legislature NoS, the 'as''rii people
,.,I not cut pp their counties IN thai way because
- -ars smalT cryugll already, nearly So | an
s,,,os that 20 keep pace with the growing prosperity
nj weigh: Of tho vast n the legislature that
oo,,eIt upon The formation o! Lew counties that
whenever the lessla,ue agreed TO make Rev county
n the vest they formed new one III The east 10 'o',
t.-baiance IT, But that state 81 things e"uu o' is -
because there was vast extent o! territory III Tic
IS. s,li - he filed up aai | Am crcdiby informed
IN, far ,ina il was anos, impossible 10 gel county
fviaed al al in the west. At that nme tue west ma
~, mn 70 somo thirty-fve counties, and lew more nj
dtona counties with the: increasing popaa"on ana
their vest exeu. Of territory, oI!d give them an 10
eeoiancr in the legislature Tho eastern people began
20 GROW desperate The legislature were refusing the
vest new counties and the people had 10 roe my OF
one hundred miles TO get TO their court houses anu 'e
ostern people saw at that this would 90 no longer
The saw that they must either form ne" Counties or
,he constitution and secure themselves IN the
eacenlss,cv in power b. some other mode Vel the
o,so,uenra y;as that convention was called n le-9
,ha western people also agreeing 10 that COW
Although thew lad Gn equal representation wth Al!
and each of the counties lying east oi e huse .e'
bv sa0 that the state Of things was wrong hat some
nj them had power that they not justly eated 10
,,no, onr principle Of republican government and they
,Scnselye Joined with the eastern portion ol The No
rronwealth TO correct this evil and called e9ve''i'u
nd when that convention assembled th' eSl Vas cor
"A as Jar as this unequal representation Was con-
cernel That Ell, corrected BAT "a correcting 'na'
~, what . wrong did you inlet upon your western
i.ahr.3 Instead Of Masking lie representation esla'
- was Intended D. Tho Western people "he" ry agreed
20 this COW eron. yol hAed upon u!eni III ~ oi'a
~ ssa basis UNPARALLELED. sill not SAY IL n! reub
ruc~alX Llt government, Tor
49,. -rnose Of keepn tho rsin- 81 government IL that
,r,cu!ae section Of The Stat" ln1 what was TIE c"F
.t q, he western people when tha' WAS done ih-y
,b,r The; had been dup"a, they saw i'; had been
'w 80 lila convention not = eanalile the rep
of In, S..,c III, 10 div. iairiy and
,nes.j. on according Il, Us. prntpes oi rcPnbiran'
am throughout The State. h, Ley saw ina! III r'.
hoy wcr, os,racise. hy this constitution III ~
rnsv sav il. although they had agree! to COZ illn It,
,b, nc, we're taking per TO their bo.oms tha i"s
49, ,;,,,, hcn, i. the heart since When
constitution was formed how did the peop:e oil Tue
w., ,s..,,, III They their dilemma; they saw
,r. ,heir EASTERN iricnl- had placed them me; "a"
hc. -., constitution must inevitably work Tor ali time
50 ,n, IS i lasted ;aia-;:ce, wrong aal oppression
mo-, ,ben ana what course Ga. 'hcy p;f-'e III ''e
,'s.H,.,lr,. They had not u majority .; 'lc people ~
~, ,;,a we.. al Tie Ridge !hc: could q' control
,,, ,h.r and this constitution Win n! u "ppF,7
,o.s. wrongs: and injuries va. No''l n!'o" 'n''"
.tsn vn,.s rwo.;hiris 81 The western poop, vo'ei
r,ns, i. ana why did they do that lhey &'.A'S,'
80 ..a, IN. old basis wrong that II was ui"qai'
ia; The. vote against the new They vo.r against
t,,,.. ,i,r saw j! to bind them with lisaiieh,7
tho, bv never in all probability could nd themselves
-, ho,, az !, resort 10 physical :orce And how nave
,as;r nr.l,coons beeu verified The, could not "p'
- ,hn, constitution cause il was adopted y .al'
,,,y Of ,he people it this Commonwealth And by .h'
r;nc;,,s tia. ,hey alw4rs have maintained By the
;S;pi, hat all true republicans a'i' to some eS
10, - Least. they bound to saoin TO tnat t'n'
IL 3sr were boi, to aoit, because was astsSa
20 b. ,ao;y Of he people ia TINS c9mn"n%s"''n
my ya,c aiast il, but Willingly Submitted TO II.
Vow Tie tables a. ,nrael; now they have majority
navy the power o: the peep, q The C"mnlonwealth ms
banged places II i'm, taken tiars.. location ano
- AUD tie majority Of the people wher" THO ninofity
,a us aud the minority now where then the MAORI
- .,.ia Aud when the voice Of tho majority :" the
~ nj .hi- Commonwealth comes " anu asks the
.":n~.y for cbsase under tn, constitution 10 '"sao
- a,o, uyon just priaeir'' 'hey are net ~
IN, .so,it aud tod ,ha, ,hcr rights have been teIs'
"a Tho AK change in ,his constitution nl9n the
.src rrais tia, they submitted 70 The 3ld one. incy
,,,c,y ,h,, ,aeir rights Ead beea invaded aac Trey
80 tha, ,hey would :ot H. tie i;rre - ihe'r growth
a"rs,sed stand on "a equality with then fellow citizens
"a tss sa.t We; the majority had 50 ds'rse4 ls east
u -'aor., said ;hat this shonid be the constitution o
~ - s,s and this western people, ever loyal ever OBJ
Nj - the laws and consu'"" OF Their tona''E' sue
~ ~ i though il was wrong IN prineilis -'o,s