Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-24
EDITOR q PRopRwroA
3WMOLE NO, 90.

the gentlemen upon this floor from the
Valley, from Loudoun, and, from Aceomae,
with great satisfaction. You Will aban.
don your position, ,1lhaye heard ID said,
because you have no interest 70 prompt
you to. a strict sdherenee 70 the position ;
you have tak6n. Yon and your eonstitn,
ents stand before the world as high proof !
against the assertion made on this hoor. !
that mankind, IN regard 70 political eifairs,
are governed by interest alone. Instead :
Of aatrpsting your fidelity. You and your.
valley and eastern associates shah DO our
eapt!lnS to lead Us on to victory for lris
pmph We must. Ours is 4 cause, thas
delayed, - 80 ~ 80, So. 80, 80, - -
/ maintain before thli Sommltsss. .hat
the principle Of the suffrage basis "a the ].
principle Of the revolutioh-itis Is the prin.
ciple Of the equality Of soyerelgns, The
sovereignty of the State, for all practical
purposes. Is vested in the voters, aud con, 4
sequently every voter is sovereign, and
entitled 70 equal representation. Our
fathers OF ths revolution aeknow owledgSd
that principle. The declaration of indo,
pendenee. we all know. was adopted on !
the 4th July, l776, and the articles OF
confederation were reported to Congress-
on the l2th Of tho samo month, though
they were not finally adopted until about
1881, You viii find, by reCsrsnse to tho
articles Of confederation, that the suffrage
of the States in Congress, organized by
those articles, was equal, eaoh State being
entitled to one vote, And why Be-
cause 1t was q confederation of sovereign.
ties, each sovereignty, as / have stated,
being equal. At that day any attempt,
as now contended for, 10 discriminate be.
twsOn sovereignS, would have been de.
nounced. | 81. ~,
In the Convention that formed the con.
stitution Of the United States, that great
compact or bond of union between Soys.
reigntieB, It will be seen, by reference 70
the journals, that each State was entitled
to but one voto. This suffrage basis was
then recogniEed-thiS principle, that wo
now maintain, was admitted and adopted.
We are enlightened by very short
sketches of the debates that took place In
the Congress that formed the articles OF
confederation, but have them more at
large in the Convention that formed the
constitution Of the United States.
My friend from Pittsylvania, (Mr.
Treadway,) who / was SO unfortunate ~
TO interrupt at the time he addressed the
committee upon this subject, has refer.
red TO Adams, to Witherspoon, 70 Frank.
lin, and others who were in Congress
that adopted tho articles Of confederation.
He tells us that The question was upon
the basis OF representation in the Senate.
In that. ho has fallen into AN error, be.
cause under the articles Of confederation
there was no Senate. He refers US 70
the following remarks OF Dr.. franklin:
HE thought II very extraordinary Ian.
guAge, to be told by any State, that they
would not confederate with US unless We
let them dispose Of our property"
and which are used before this commit.
tee as tending 70 support the mixed basis.
bog leave 70 call the attention of my
friend from PittsylVania to the remarks
Of DR.. Franklin in the Convention that
framed the constitution, on the question
Of representation. He said, III now think
that the number Of representation should
bear some proportion to the number Of che
represented" Ea-e aa.3s al ..1.l.e
| shall not trouble tho committee By
calling its attention 70 other remarks Of
Mr.. Witherspoon than those referred 20
by that gentleman, (Mr. Treadway.) I.
will be seen, however, by reference 20
them that he spoke Of the sovereignty Of
the States, and maintained that the
States were sovereign until they parted
with their sovereignty. And by the con.
stitution Of the United States, a portion Of
that sovereignty was parted with, and
hence the change Of representation in the
Congress Of the United States. The
gentleman called our attention to the FOL.
lowing remarks of Mr.. Adams aaa I'd
"That reason, justice and equity nsvOF
had weight enough ON the face Of the
earth 10 govern in the counSels Of men,.
1t is interest alone which does il, and Il 10
interest alone which can bo trusted
Therefore, the interest within doors
should be mathematical representative
Of the interest without doors A has
ESQ, B E6O0. q Ca 900 in partnership.
Is it just that they should equally dis.
pose Of the money Of the partn0rshipi"
In these remarks we have almost the.
entire argument upon the other Sidcs--.
They were, as you know, made in ths
Congress that formed the compact or ar.
ticles Of confederation between purely
sovereign States. =
1t seems our friends on the other sido
get their whole argument from Mr.. Ad.
ans. They not only Adoptit in substanes,
but word for word.
But If our friends upon The other sidd
have the right TO refer 10 the views Of
members Of Congress % sustain their
position here, have we not the same right
to refer 70 the views Of other distinguished
members TO sustain ours 7 / beg 70 call
the attention Of the committee 70 what
was said by DR.. Rush when speaking Of