Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-21
THE WHITE BASIS.

& large portion Of our readers viii recolect how
oonclusively we two years ago showed up the hum
bug about 1.-The white basis" as once proposed py
Gov. JOHNSON, and how little actual capital Inc
wings found in the said humbug after the snnJect VI
il had been explained. Notwithstanding theeAPe-
renee of the wings then, their know nothing Sucoe
sors are irving the same experiment, ana IL
willmeet with the like i'll success we purpose
examining the matter in this article, and re-expo
sing it.
II ;s represented that Gov. JOHNSON, while
senator in our State Legislature, advocated obo-
zion measure in this, that he proposed to district
the State so as to exclude the slaves from repre-
sentstion The charge is grossly false. The con-
sitution of the United States recognizes slaves as
persons and provides that fire such persons shall be
estimated as three persons in apportoning repre-
sentation among the States In 1912, the State of
Tennessee had already been awarded her represen-
tation in Congress- and had already Tecered in this
award her slave representation. The question was,
how this representation, thus already awarded to
Tennessee, should be spportioned among her own
peope. The constitution of Tennessee, unlike the
constitution Of the United States, does not recog-
nizs slaves as persons" but solely as property
10 apportiOning representation in our State Legis-
ature, white persons, twenty one years Of age and
upwards, alone are counted. The slaves, being by
our constitution property, are not counted at ALL
Gov. JOHNSON proposed to divide our eleven Rep
resentatives in Congress in the same way, among
the voters, and not among the property" He re-
garded the right to this slave representation as a
State right and not as one belonging to individuals.
His proposition, stript of all mysfcation and mis-
representation was simply that the qualified voters
of the State should WELD the political power of the
State. That is exactly what his proposition was;
snd our readers will therefore see that the repre-
sentstion that Gov. JoHNsoS's proposition would
have deprived the State of a portion of her repre-
sentation in Congress, as charged by his enemies,
ia entirely and wickedly false. 1t would have de-
prived the State of no portion Of her power, but
would have placed. that power in the hands of the
qualified voters of the State, without regard to
property. The principle of Gov. JoHNsoNs propo-
stion is already in operation in this State in regard
to every thing relating to the exercise of political
power, State and Federal with the single excep-
ton of Representatives to Congress. Our Senators
to Congress are elected by men who are them
selves elected on the white basis. We have two
or three electoral votes for President on account of
our slaves; yet these electors are chosen by gene
raj ticket and consequently all the voters of the
State are equals in their choice. There is not the
slightest difference in principle between Gov. JOHN
sons proposition and the law as it now exists in
this State for the election of electors of President
and those who think that proposition wrong mnst
also assert that the present mode of choosing cleo
tors is wrong. They will not do this; and, in not
doing it. while they asssi Gov. JoHNsoNs PROPOSE
ton, they show themselves to be insincere and
hypocritical in their assaults.
- We have intended this article as explanatory
of facts There some other features of the uues.
ton which we shall probably refer to after we see
how this explanation is treated by the know-noth-
ing organs.