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

voice Of tho people should DO spoken
through their representatives.; and any
attempt 10 restrict that voice, either by
constitutional provisions or otherwise, is
an nsurpation and infringement upon their
fightS' But We have the opinion of
smother member Of that body. Mr.. Will
son said, -"Fhat taxation should be in
proporhop 70 wealth. but that represent
;ion should accord with the number of
freeHlen, That government ia a collec.
.tioN of tho results Of the wills Of all.
Thatlt any government could speak the
, will oil, all, 1t would be perfect; and that
sofsr as 1t departs from this, it becomes
imperfect" Q
Gould words be moro plain? Could
correct principles be more clearly and ex-
plieitly laid down? How different from
the declarations Of those who endoavor
hero to sustain the usurped powers of the
governmental majority.
BY the provisions Of the articles of con.
federation, the suffrage or representation
of each State in Congress were equal
The taxes for the support of the govern
nnnt thus organized, were to be levied
upon lands. An effort was made to base
the contribution upon population. Some
desired to have those contributions upon
tho whole population, slaves as we'll as
froe whites. Hear, what Mr.. Chase of
Maryland, said on the subject: "That
negroes in fact should not DO considered
as members of the State, more than cattle
and that they had no more interest in it."
We have the views Of gentlemen repre-
sentinG the slave interest at that time
They place this species of property in its
proper condition. How does that accord
with the remark of the gentleman from
Piusylvania. (Mr, Whitley that portion
Of the sovereignty is in the slaves? Mr.,
Chase, at that early day, told you that
negroes were property. nothing more than
cattle or horses ; as such we coucede that
they are to be protected but not represen-
ted. y
Mr.. Madison has been frequently refer
red TO on this question, in connection with
the formation OF the constitution OF the
United States. If the committee will bear
with me for moment, think | shall be
enabled to satisfy every mind that Mr..
Madison at that time, was of the opinion
that the free white population or the suf-
fEagc basis was the true one to be adopted
for the government Of the States. Mr.
Patterson, in the Convention which form
I'D that constitution, said Has man
in Virginia number of votes in proper
ton to the number of his slaves? And il
negroes are not Represented in the States
to which they belong. why should they
be represented in the general government
What is tho true principle of representa-
ton? II is an expedent by which an as
sembly of certain individuals, chosen by
the pSople, is substituted in place of the
iReonvcnicnt meeting + The people them
selves. II such meeting of the people
was actually TO take place, would the slaves
vote? They would not. Why then should
they be represented Mr. Madison re-
minded Mr., Patterson, that his doctrine
of representation, which was in its princi-
pie the true one, must forever silence the
pretensi0ns of the small States to an equa-
lily of votes with the large ones. They
ought to vote in the same proportion in
which their citizens would do, if the peo-
pie Of all the States were collectively met.
The committee will recolect that in the
formation of the constitution Of the United
States, the most difficult question was that
OF the suffrage Of the States in Congress.
The small States claimed that among
soTereigns there should be an equality Of
suffrage the large States contended the
States parted with portion of their soye-
Teignty, and that that rule did not apply,
We all know that the vexed question was
compromised by giving to the States equal
suffrage in the Senate, and representation
IN the House OF Representatives upon fed.
eral numbers, We see that whilst Mr.
Madison was compelled to admit that Mr..
PattersoAs doctrine of representation WAS
correct he seized upon the remarks OF Mr..
Patterson to refute the professions of the
small States in claiming equal representa-
ton in both branches OF the national legis.
lature.
Now, what arc we to understand from
the remarks OF Mr. Madison? Could he
have been more direct and plain spoken
upon the question OF representation He
says that the views OF Mr.. Patterson are
correct. and that the States ought to vote
in the same proportion as their citizens
would vote if the people of the States were
collectively met. And yet, notwithstand.
ing this, Mr.. Madison is used as authority
by gentlemen upon the other side, to sus-
tain the mixed basis principle ! But, sir,
have not done with Mr.. Madison upon
this subject, l will show this committee
that he repeated the same remarks some
time afterwards. He said, still, speaking
upon the question of representation: cit
had been very properly observed by Mr..
Patterson that representation was An ex-
pedient by which the meeting of the peo-
ple themselves was rendered unnecessary,
and that the representatives ought there.
fore to bear proportion to the votes which
their constituents, ifconvened, would res
peotively have"
Here we have second declaration up.
on the subject; Mr., Madison admitting