Delaware State reporter., 1853-04-26

remove from the county OF Sussex or oil Kent to
the county Of New Castle he should at once lose
one-haf his political rights. Yet it is so, in fact,
under the present state Of things. In Kent,
thers are 16,0S4 free white people; in New
Castle, 81, ,765; more than twice as many.
Yet, if resident of Kent moves into New Castle
county, he becomes but half man as to his
political rights, and resident of New Castle re-
moving into Kent county becomes double
man, as to political rights. Is this correct
principle in a republic? Will the Convention
recognize it +? Sir, we are all citizens of a COM
State, in ichich there is really no contrmtefy
sf interests. On what principle, then, will you
deny to individuals in the aggregate, those per-
sonal rights, political and civil, which you award
to them as men? Will you take them away by
indirection on account of the aggregation Of
individuals in certain space, which is called
county? Because there are large number
within certain bounds, will you take away from
each of them certain portion of his political
Eights2 This is practically the effect of the
present system; and yet man would be
exposed to odium if he undertook to advocate
the doctrine that a mans civil or political rights |
should depend upon the property which he
might hold. If not dependent on property, on
what principle can they be made dependent, on
local residence? The right of representation
exists in men not in land, and if not proportional
to numbers, you represent land and mol men,
which is at war with the whole theory of your
form of government.
have heard, as | have previously stated, but
a single semblance of objection against the
adoption Of the district system. was told that
the people of Sussex had had instiled into their
minds The fear that spirit of fanaticism was
abroad in the county of New Castle, which
might hazard the possession Of their property in
slaves, if they permitted an increase i'll the repre-
sentaion in the Legislature of that portion of the
citizens of the State resident within the locals
limits known as New Castle county. Sir,
know that this has been a false statement to the
people of Sussex. think have a right to ask
them to believe me on this point, for if any man
in this State has openly, publicly, at all times,
'fandoa all occasions, taken his Stand against
these doctrines, it is the humble individual who
now addresses YOU. Yet, in the county of New
Castle, among my fellow men, think | may
fairly say that it has never impaired the just
influence which might otherwise be entitled
to from any services whichI may have been ca
pable of rendering to them. But in order TO
remove this apprehension, and in order guard
against the spirit of fanaticism growing up in
any part Of the State, am willing to insert q
provision in the Constitution that the Legisla-
ture shall not have power to emancipate slaves
without the consent of their owners There
docs not remain. any interest of any kind which
should cause citizen of Kent or Sussex 10 be
lieve, that Representative, elected from Local
district in New Castle county, would desire tc
lcgislate in manner injurious to his rights. i
no such objection exists, on what ground car
you deny the equality which belongs to every
man, reside where he may!
have also proposed an amendment in refer
cnce to the free negro population of this State
] consider that our great evil is the cXubcranct
-
Of our free negro population. In the State o
Delaware we have much greater proportion o
free negroes, in comparison to the white popula
tionS than any other State in the Union. W.
have awhile population of over II 900, and W,
have among us over $4,000 free negroes, or, il
other words, the free negroes constitute one
fifth of the whole population of the State In n
other State Of the Unien does. such proportion
exist In Massachusetts and the New Ensfan'
States generally, the proportion is not more thai
one in about 200. In New York, it is about tn
same In many States, it is not more than on
in 800. Maryland is next to us, and there tn
free negroes are about one-siXth. 1t has bee
some time since | have gone over the compar
son, but of the fact that the State of Deawar
has a much larger proportion Of free negr
population than any other State No man ca
examine the census returns without being sat
fed. This has been so for probably twcnt
years past. The evil has grown very grca
and in my Judgment, it is time that it shoul
be checked. The S!atesof Indiana and lllinoi
where there are not more than from 1000
5000 free negroes in each State, containing mo
than half a million of people, have passed stril
gent laws, preventing the immigration of II
groes into the States. There are such laws
the State of Maryland and in the State of Vi
ginia; and in Virginia it is now proposed to pa
laws with view to the removal of the free II
groes now there, in large numbers. The Sta
of Delaware should guard herself against III
evil You cannot make violent chang
You cannot do injustice to individuals lie
in the State, by driving them out of it, u
less under very imperative necessity of imn
diate urgency, which, | hope, will not occt
But you can, and ought, to guard against t
increase of the evil and so provide, that in I
progress of population the whites shall gradual
become the sole population in the State.
there any gentleman around me,-let him col
from what portion of the State he may, who dc
not know that the existence of this large propC
ton Of free negroes is a serious injury TO the
dustry and to the advancement of every coun
in which they exist. Does he not know that Il
population, in the general, with exceptions
course,-arc lazy and ignorant? lfyou look
your prisons and poor houses you find tn,
filled, in great disproportion to numbers,
this class of populations Their existence in sll
large numbers amongSS as being such grc
evil, is it not right and proper that you, folio
ing the example of the larger States around W
should endcavor to rid yourselves of it, or
guard against its increase? ? You should qua
against It IN the Constitution, and not leave
to the chance of fanatical feeling accidental
prevailing in the Legislature and so varyi
your laws. You should adopt it as stern a
Ilnalterable rule of political necessity that
State of Delaware is to be a ,chate State, and Il
it is not intended that negroes shall constt
any portion of the freemen Of the State. If J
do that. the white population will, in the gr
ual progress of events become so numerica
great in proportion to the black, that the efi
Of that class Of population would not be njr
Gus. The proper way to settle the question
slavery, in regard to the few slaves that exis
the State, Though the Convention has moth
to do with it, would be to repeal the laws VIII
nrevent men from selling their Slaves out Of