Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-24

the condition Of this State seventy years
age? The first among her sisters
Where Is she now? Where will she be
twenty years hence, unless She IS stimulaT
ted by some new power to give her lie
and energy and new action? Where
would she be but for the energy and en-
terprise of the west My friend FROM
Aecomac (Mr. WIsE) can answer that
question better than can.-He would
say "dwarfed !" but there is no doubt
that, instead of standing where she ought
to stand, the first among her sisters, she
has refrigerated comparatively by this
miserable policy of sitting the energies
of her people.
In consequence of the strong effort that
is being made to retain in the hands OF
the Shareholders the legislative power, l
have directed my attention to the eondi-
ton of the slaveholding portion of the
State. / have taken the twenty-five
counties having the largest slave popula-
ton over that of the white; find that in
them the white population is 81, 435, and
the slave population is $685.; making
an excess of 80, 500 of slaves over the
white population. That since the last
census these counties have increased in
population but TIT, and decreased 4,903.
These counties have 1854 white persons
over twenty years of age who cannot
read and write In many of these coun-
ties most deplorable state of ignorance
exists. There is in the entire State about
l in 224 over 90 years of age who can
not read and write. but in these slave
counties there is about in III of that
unfortunate class. The 90 counties allu-
ded to are Caroline, Essex, Greensville,
Gloucester, Charles City, Hanover, James
City, King George, King and Queen,
King William, Lancaster, Middlesex,
New Kent, Northumberland, Northamp.
ton. Prince George. Spottsylvanis, Surry,
SUSSEX, Warwick, Westmoreland and
York In most of these counties the
lands have continued to decrease in value
for the last thirty years.
have referred to these countiesAout OF
no disrespect to any one. For the mem
bers representing them, l personally en-
terrain the kindest feelings. The course
of the governmental majority forces it
upon me. 1 have carefully endeavored
to ascertain if there was any good reason
why one person in these 22 slave coun-
ties is to have more than double the po-
litical power of those residing in the %
counties in North Western Virginia, and
constituting a portion of my constituents
having the fewest number of slaves, to
which 1 shall hearafter particularly refer.
have looked at the great landed in
terest in the entire slave region and find
but little to relieve the picture. I am
sorry 10 tell my honorable friend from
Mecklenburg (Mr. Goode, that in his
county, since the last assessment, the
lands have Gcprccia;eG 90 pei acre, In
the county of Greensville it is most de-
plorable. My friend Mr.. Chambliss)
will pardon me for making reference 10
his county again. In 1880 the lands
averaged 1918 per acre, and in 1910
they deprecated to 81 SO, and in 1850
to So 90 per acre.
Mr.. Goode. Tin his seat.l There is a
railroad going through the county.
Mr.. Lctcher in his seat. What
would the land be worth without the
railroad
Mr.. Camden. suppose that getting
a railroad has prevented the lands from
depreciating still more But for that
railroad, doubt whether the lands would
be worth having.
Now, take the Greenvills district
We have this state of things; white
population of 5000, slave population
of 24,O82 and $685. white persons over
the age of twenty years that cannot read
and write-a number greater by 1,l36
IL, IL IOlo lar. IN
that district at the last presidential cleo.
ton. In that great slave district, to
which we have been referred over and
over again, there is one person over TWEEN
ty years of age in every six of the whole
population that cannot read and write, to
say nothing of those under that age who
are equally unfortunate. Now, refer
to these facts for what purpose? Why.
to show that it is not the true policy Of
the STATE to invest the control of the le-
gislative department in this slave interest,
am as much opposed to abolitionism as
any member on this floor. am my sell
slave holder. detest an aboGtionist
in every form. But whilst I am protec-
ting this property, whilst am for secu-
ring it to its possessors, 1 do protest
against placing the legislative control Of
the commonwealth in the hands of that
interest under pretence of securing it to
its owners, and to prevent its undue taxa
ton.
The committee will, trust, excuse me
for very short time, for referring to the
effect of the adoption of the mixed basis,
in aPPortioning representation according
to plan A.
The following is the ratio in the four
grand divisions by the mixed basis =
Tide Water, AM give delegate; Pied
mont, 5,2O6 give one Valley, 6,O43 give
one; Trans.Alleghany, 8,o87 give one.
True ratio, 5,74O.
mt II n Won Mr.. Chairman and IN