The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-07-08
Cuba and the House.

The south have now go members in the
lower house. Slxtyseven thousand of the
people of the southern states have repre-
sentative, but it takes 105, 900 people of the
north to send one. We now take the esti
mate of population for the year 1854 Thus
we perceive a citizen of free state has two
thirds as much political power as the citizen
of a slave state. Each northern man is but
two thirds of man. The southern states
have now twenty-three more members than
they are entitled to, on principles of pure
justice, and pure republicanism These %
men represent nothing, represent nobody.
The constitutional provision that allows five
slaves to be counted as three freemen, was
concession, boon, gift, compromises
concession that would not be listened to, if
new convention was called to make new
constitution, not for one hour nor for one
minute. The south ought to be grateful and
esteem themselves too fortunate, if the north
do rot question the wisdom and equality of
provision so radically subversive Of equal
ity and republicanism. E,-r
But what we now complain of, is the in
solent and audacious attempt to increase
this inequality, by the conquest or purchase
of foreign slave territory. 1t is said there are
100000 blacks and 100000 whites in Cuba.
resentatives, four of whom would represent
nobody. While it would take more than an
hundred thousand people in Ohio to supply
representative, a little more than half that
number, mostly Creoles, in Cuba, could send
one. To the whole state as state the rep
resentatives are apportioned, but the voters
cast their individual ballots only as in other
states, A free citizen of Ohio would enjoy
half as much consideration and influence in
congress as a mongrel who could not speak
our language, or know anything about the
interests of our common country. Farmers
mecanlcs, working men of Ohio how do
you relish the idea of being equal to half of
mongrel Creole?
We know it strikes some men with terror.
the idea of questioning the infalhbiity of
any provision OF the constitution, but we
have no such squeamishness. Inquiry has
but just began. We trust that our remarks,
showing that In the senate each northern
voter is but two-fifths of man, and that
these remarks, showing that in the house he
is but two thirds of man, will reach some
Islumbering sleeping, plethoric brethren, who
have been wondering for years by what kind
Of machinery and appliances the south had
ruled the nation with rod of iron for half
a century.
We have no reverence, no, not even re-
Ispect, for the principle on which such rep
resentation is based. Let US analyze it. Five
negro babies in Cuba will be represented as
fully in the house, as the three most venera-
BILE citizens of Toledo. Worse vet, five of
the stolen and imported Africans landed on
the coast of Cuba last year, fresh from Afri-
ca, speaking yet their native language only,
afford their chivalrous masters as much po-
litical strength as the three most respectable
men Toledo possesses. What say you, fell
low citizens, are any three of you willing to
be neutralized and extnguished by five mig
ger babies, or five native Congoes? If you
like the amusement, follow your leaders, and
launch into this crusade for the seizure of a
foreign land.
Let us awake then to the atrocity about
to be committed by the annexation of Cuba.
Let us resist to the last extremity, any ac-
ton calculated to degrade the north still
lower, and give greater power to those who
already possess an undue and inordinate
share. Let us remember that it is subject
of boast all over the south, that Cuba must
and shall be obtained, to ensure the perpet- /.
uation of slavery, and clothe the institution
with moro nolitical D0Uer