New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-02-26

denominate the principle as attroeiousi / think
they but exhibit their ignorance Of the history
OF their country, in thus stigmatizing 1T as un-
democratic and novel But, Mr.. President, j
am not go credulous to believe that my intel
ligent colleagues, seriously entertain such
strange sentiments, We, in this building know
how to discriminate between opinions seriously |
entertsined, and the mere bending to Buncomb |
influences. Il has been very vehemently asserted |
that this basis places the negro footing with
the white man, So absurd an allegation does |
not merit serious notice, were it not pro-
baby intended as the commencement Of
system Of tactics, to be employed at the
ballot box, which is to decide the fate
Of the Constitution that we are about to present
to the consideration Of the people; when and
where, we will find that the absurd and sophisti
cal, allegation will be so amended and improved
as to maintain that the Constitution gives to
the master a vote for every slave he owns; and
there may be many ignorant people unwary
and credulous enough to be duped by such nom
sense, but the mass Of the people will be too
shrewd and intelligent to be thus mystifed by
arguments more BETTING demagogues, than the
intelligent and patriotic gentlemen who have
addressed them to this body. The people will
see that the Constitution, in adopting this basis,
only regards the negro as property, in the same
manner that they do horse, COW, house, or
a tract Of land, and that they have made this
species of property subservient to the purposes
Of securing an important element in govern
ment, to preserve proper balance in the deli
cate and complicated machinery Of legislation;
that so far from magnifying, and elevating the
negro, it places him in the category which is
deemed the most degraded II constitutes him
property, and keeps him in position where,
under our institutions, it is intended he should
| be kept--a circumstance which has occasioned
the loudest anathemas of the abolitionists, with
whom gentlemen, by their inconsiderate course,
are unconsciously siding
| But, Mr.. President, will refrain from the
further notice of arguments which perhaps were
never seriously advanced, to notice such as are
apparently the offspring Of sincere conviction;
and in doing SO, shall give no heed to those
renowned AID talismsnic words under whose
potent influence so much folly, nay, 30 much
mischief has been perpetrated This body has
no need Of the words democrat and whig, nor
shall l regard with the least respect the clap
trap jargon of Young America, Progress, Behind
the age, Old Fogy, etc. they are the unmeaning
phrases Of Ignorance, Presumption and Dema-
goguism--only suitable for the sinister purposes
of stump orators l must do the delegation from
the city the justice to admit that they have in
duleed in no strains of sentimental horror against
principle, which for upwards of sixty years, has
been recognized in our National Constitution,
and been deemed the palladium Of Southern
rights and liberties nor have they placed them
selves in the mortifying position of pleading ig
norance of the existence for some years past, c
} the same principle in our State Convention
No, Mr.. President, they have met the question
if not in a sound, at least in an argumentativ
; manner They have marched up to the ques
ton manfully-they have seized the bull by tn
: horns, and portion Of them, in the faire!
. manner, met the true issue. They do not pre-
tend that the doctrine is one of novelty, or ant
e democratic, for they admit that 1t is prime
pie recognized in the Constitution of ls45, cor
e cocted by a democratic Convention. They can
didly admit, that it only involves question @
: restriction They concede that the city shoul,
be restricted in its power, but maintain that tn
principle of restriction has been sufficiently Sc
cured by the intention Of this Convention TO re
enact the article Of the last Constitution, which
adopts the basis of total population upon whicl
to constitute the Senate To these gentleme
and to their arguments, it is my desire to rende
s every justice The true issue, then, is, is it ex
pedient TO adopt this basis for the House Of Rer
resentatives The city delegation say no, as
5 would be giving the city too small a share G
legislative power. The country delegation, or
large majority of them, maintain, on the othe
hand, that this restriction or limitation ofpoweI
is absolutely necessary, not only to fix a salutar
limit to the fast increasing power of the city
but in order to lodge legislative power in quar-
ter where it would be less liable to abuse
4 to wit in the hands of the agricultural porto
of the State. 1t has been urged very ingenious
ly, but very fallaciously, Mr.. President, tina
r this article, providing the total population basi
is contradictory to the article which provides
? that representation shall be equal and uniform
r but those who argue thus have forgotten, tha
= neither of these articles have been enacted
: they are under discussion, and when they shal
= both be enacted, as they promise TO be, the en-
J, actment will amount to this, that representatio
= shall be equal and uniform, except SO far asst
= qualified by the basis of total population; and Ger
e tainly then the provision will containno contra
5 dction 1t will be clearly the same as the enact
: ment of the article wsth a qualifying proysC
e But, gentlemen say that it is novel and unhear
! of to provide these kind of checks in the organ
r cation of the popular branch of Legislature
t, I admit that it is general principle to go int
h the Senate for the purpose of protecting minor
is ties or to check the dangerous power of section
+; or particular interests But, every useful ehec
n which characterized cur Senate is about to
h destroyed, and none others to be substitutes
:, There is now no difference between the Sena'
=, and the House The smalness of the Senat,
of rial Districts, together with important innovi
l. tions which have been made in the constructiC
le Of the Senatorial body, leave no material diffe
l. ence in the character of the two Houses, exec
j. what consists in two bodies, assembling in ty
4 different rooms in this building, There is on
y one exception, the basis Of total population up
OF which the Senate is based. | admit this to be
O. valuable check, butt is far from being sufhcie
&c one.
lie We have heard some beautiful declamat
i. against restrictions and those who thus d
b. clam, seem never in their lives to have read