Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-07-06
Slave Representation.


At the present time, when the wings and
abolitionists are trying to keep up sectional
excitement and ALLEVIATE the north from tho
south, by the circulation of gross receptions
and exaggerations, it is proper occasionally to
show up the flimsiness of their pretences. On
| the subject of slave representation, they have
uttered more falsehood thap on many other
subjects Of slavery agitation. They really
mike many men believe that man who owns
slaves actually votes for them, putting into
the ballot-box three votes for every five slaves.
They urge against the Nebraska bill that
shareholders could rush into the new territory
with their slaves, and in eecting the Legsla-
ture they could cast three votes for every five
slaves, thus outvoting their opponents and set
Ting the question of slavery in the territory in
their favor When democrats deny this alb
surdity, they are denounced as slough faces"
or defenders Of slavery" All abolition ar
guments wind up with the application Of these
terms to their opponents.
The N. II. Patriot, with view to the cor
recton of this popular whig-aboIition absurdi-
ty, states the sum and substance Of the matter
of slave representation as follows -
. The Constitution of the United States,
Article l, Sec. 2. provides that representa-
tives TO Congress shall be apportioned among
the several States according to their pOpula-
ton, which shall be determined by adding to
the whole number of free persons, three
fifths of all other persons. This is the found
alton Of slave representation, and all there is
in the Constitution on the subject. Every in
telligent reader will see that it applies solely
to the dDp0rti0nmcnt of the number of repre-
sentatives to the several Statcs-not to their
election. For instance under the present
apportionment, about loo. GOO inhabitants elect
a representative to Congress. In determining
how many members n State Is entitled TO, all
the free inhabitants are taken. and then to
these are added three-ffihs of the slaves, and
as many times as l00, goo is contained in that
sum, SO many representatives Is the State en-
titled to. A State having 700, 600 free inhab-
itants and 500 600 slaves, is entitled TO ten
entatvcs-ihree-ffths Of the slaves add
ed to the number of free persons making a
representative population of 100000 This
is the only way in which slaves are reckoned
in the matter of representation they are
reckoned Just as our women children, pau
pers and insane persons are counted, except
that they count but three-hfths OF a person
each instead of whole one. They are voted
for in no other way than our wives and chill
dren are voted for; 4 master votes for his
slaves just exactly as a man here votes for his
wife and children, ana an no other ray. They
are counted IN making up the number of in
habltants for the apporllonment OF representa-
uvcs among the States, Just as our women
and children are counted for that purpose
with this difference, the slave is reckoned but
ihree-ffihs of an inhabitant, while the day old
infant here is reckoned whole one.
But the wing and abolition papers and ora
tors allege that slaves should not be reckoned
at all in other words should not be regard
ed as human beings! This very consistent
position is cminently worthy of a faction whose
leaders are ever ready to trample upon the
laws, to resist by violence the legal authori-
ties, and TO commit riot and murder, under
the prelence Of reEar;Lior one Of these same
slaves They say that to reckon them is to
give the South undue weight in Congress.
The a5surdity of this, taken in connection
with their pretended desire for the freedom Of
the slaves must be apparent. If all the slaves
in the country were free, they would count as
other persons in making up the basis of rep
rescntation. There arc over three millions Of
them, and they now count 1900, 600 inhabi-
tants, and thus entiile their States to Is rep
rescntatives; while if they were free they
would count as 3 900 900 inhabitants and enti-
tie their States to 80 representatives,. Thus
if all the slaves were free, the South would
have II more representatives in Congress
than they now have. And they would be
elected precisely as they now are-by the
same voters For free negroes ate not al
lowed to vote in the Southern and many Of
the Western States, and Congress has no
right to legislate upon that subject. SO that
if the slaves were freed to-day, the relative
political power Of the Southin Congress would
be thereby greatly increased, for instead of
having 80 members as they now have, they
would have at least I02."