, 1856-10-24
From the Chicago Times.
every Stakeholder has Five Votes. >

y
the opposition is, that owing to the pecu
lear nature Of the institution of slavery
every STAKEHOLDER has FIVE votes, while d
Northern man has but one vote. Strange
as it may appear, we met a man the other
day who was willing to wager that such
was the fact. We need not add that he
was eloquent upon the outrageous advan
tage slave owners have over free white
men of the North. This Misrepresentation
has been exposed often but as it is often
thrown in the face of the democracy by
these freedom shriekers," we will explain
the truth Of the matter again.
The subject is regulated by the Consttu
tion, which, in Article l, Section 2, has
the following
Representatives and direct taxes shall
be apportioned among the several States
which may be included within the Ulion,
according to their respective numbers,
which shall be determined by adding to the
whole number of free persons, including
those bound to service for term Of years,
and excluding Indians not taxed, three
ffths Of oil other persons"
A few words will explain the practical
operation Of this provision. In the State
Of Illinois, all persons, men, women and
children, including all negroes, are inclu.
ded in that population which is made the
basis Of representation in Congress. Sup
posing the ratio of the Representatives was
one member Of Congress for each hundred
thousand inhabitants, and that Illinois had
population Of one million of whites and
three hundred thousand negroes, yet, as
the negroes Of Illinois are free, Illinois
would be entitled to thirteen members of
Congress. But, change the scene to Ken
lucky. Say that Kentucky has a popula-
ton Of the same number, and divided in
the same proportion between whites and
blacks-yet, because her negroes are slaves,
she is not entitled TO thirteen Representa-
tives. She would be entitled to ten, for
the million Of whites but her 100000
negroes can only count $50, 900, as federal
population, aud are less than sufficient to
entitle her to two Representatives Three
hundred thousand negroes in a free State
count, in the appointment Of Representa-
tives, as so many white persons, but the
same number Of negroes in a slave State
are only counted, for like purpose, as one
hundred and eighty thousand persons. The
result is, that the slave States lose, under
the provision Of the Constitution, two-Gfths
of their negro population, in the appor-
tionment of Representatives.
The negro population at the North is
but small, when compared with that at the
South. But, in the proportion that the
negro population Of the South is greater
than at the North, so is the loss of the
South, in the matter Of representation
Estimating the slave population Of the
Southern States at the figures furnished by
the census of 1850, we hnd it stated to he
3,l9S,32I. This population is, numerically,
nearly equal to that of the six New Eng
land States, and the States Of Michigan
and California added. The aggregate
population of these eight States was, in
1850, S,2Os,357. Their aggregate repre-
sentation in the House Of Representatives,
is thirty-fve members.
While every man in these eight States
black and white, is counted in the appor-
tionment Of Representatives, the same
number of persons at the South suffer q
reduction of two-6fths. The advantage Of
this provision IN the constitution is wholly
on the side Of the North. Where the ad-
vantage is, can be distinctly seen by inqui-
ring what the effect of its repeal would be
Abolish the distinction, and the North
retains its present condition; but the fed
eral population Of the South would be in
creased in the proportion of two-6fths of
the slave population. a.
The voters in the State of Illinois are,
exclusively, the white male citizens above
the age of twenty-one years. These men
vote for themselves, for the women, chill
dren and all the negroes in the State. The
voters in South Carolina are the white
male citizens above the age of twenty-one
years, aud they vote just as the men in ILL
nois do, for all the women, children and
negroes Of that State.
The only difference between the people
of this State and South Carolina is, that
ninety-three thousand seven hundred ne
groes will give us q Representative in Con-
gress, while at the South it requires over
one hundred and fifty thousand persons Of
that character to entitle State to Rep
resentative in Congress. When an aboli-
ZIONIST tells you that slave owners vote
three times for five negroes in their States,
answer him, that the only difference be-
tween the free States and the slave is, that
at the South five negroes count as but
three persons, while here they count as
FIVE.
NEw HAMPsHRE.-Concord, Sept. q
One Of the largest Delegate Conventions
ever assembled in New Hampshire con-
vened in this city for the purpose of ma
king nominations for the Presidential and