Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-08-14
Mr.. Burlingame's Speech again.

There were two or three salient points In
Mr.. BURLTSsAME's speech. on Monday
evening, which we were compelled to pass
over without special notice, in our article
of yesterday. We wish to refer more at
length than we then did, to his onslaught
upon that provision of the Constitution which
allows an enumeration of three-ffths Of the
slave population as the basis of representa-
ton. By this elause Of the Constitution,
ave slares are counted as three persons, and
upon the aggregate thus made up of negroes
and whites, the number of Representatives
in Congress and OF Presidential Electors Is
based yy this system of enumeration.
about !, 10000 slaves are represented, and
the number of Representatives in the popu-
lar branch Of Congress is about twenty more
than it would be, were the white popula-
ton only enumerated. The entire number
is ninety. If there is anything in this to
justify the violent assaults of Mr.. BURLIs-
q w and others of his kidney, upon the
Sch. L.. them place the issue where it be-
,aazs. This S-srfare is upon the Constitu-
& n itss.f mon the ,uen who framed il, and
upon the States who of'ted it. 1t was the
wotk of those glorious fathcrs OF the Re
public" for whom Mr.. B. profeSsed such
profound reverence, and to whose standard
of action he proposed to bring back the policy
of the government II Mr.. B. and his fan
aticai, hot-headed supporters wish to make
open war upon the Constitution and its COM
promises-if they wish to villify and asperse
the character and conduct Of those who
framed that sacred instrument, let them do
it like men, openly and above board, and
not seek to cover up their purposes under
the pretsxt of resistance to Southern arro-
gancs and aggression. Divested Of this
fimsy concsalment, the sober-minded patri
otic men Of the country will be at no loss to
fathom the glaring iniquity of their object; I;
-. ~ill they fail to administer to them the
.c.,h;nr, ,--buks which they SO richly deserve
.,.,;,;o.;. are the last that ought to OBJ
80 ~ ion Of Southern negroes
Is persons, and thus allsw.. . 'A''. ' .s'
an element in the basis of rep 90"
Had they their will, the slave p,. .S-'
would be set free, and then every five
groes would count Jfvs instead of three, as /
under the present system If negroes are
persons, at all, why they not much 50,
south Of mason and DxoN's lAs,. as they |
are north of it7 Here all negroes are emu |
merated. IL we may be allowed to avail
ourselves of Mr.. BURLrNeANs's mode Of ar
gument, here, in the north, the man who
has in his employ five negroes. is entitled to-
six votes-one for himself and FIVE for his
negroes. He is better of by two votes than
his Southern brother who owns FIVE slaves. |
But enough on this point.
Another point of violent attack, by Mr..
BURLrSeAME, upon the institution Of slave
ny, upon the South generally, and upon the
,sotire Democracy Of The country, was the
.Fn. -itiye Slave Law IN his TRADE against
,b;. ..n. ,farious measure Of the slave drivsrs
and their cringing minions, the Northern
donob-facas - be did no discrsdit to the
teachings of THEoDoRK PARKER, WEN
DELL PHILLIPS and WM. LLOYD GARRISON.
But unfortunately h.s was here again but
ting his own fanaticsl tvains out against the
rocky battlements Of the ,consfitntlon--agafn
assailing the motives, and ,,iliifying the con-
duct Of those stern old patn 'ss' ene iA."'''
oi the Republic, who seemed 20 nii 70 'A.s'
a place in his affections. The 0onsnt ''on
is positive and imperative in reg 70 TO-
claiming and restoring fugitives from 's''''e'
The present law merely supplies the nscesSa'
ry means to give effect to the Injunction
By the enactmsnts of that law, Democis<
and all other good eit zens are willing 70
abide. Not so, Mr. Bu RLISeAME and his
crew of higher-law fanatia'. To show whe'e
the stood, in reference to gi, ing up fuglhve
slaves, he referred with mucl1 emphasis 10
Vermont Judge, who, when al 'Pealed to sie
in sustaining the Constitution an the laws
exclaimed:-"Bsfors you can Touch tina
-. g you must show me bill of 3. ne IRON
Ar Al. lightly" -s s ras
of the beautiful incident g.
US speech that the Jour. ma
-,.s.~s s,e.o,;o. notwithstanding the en-
- .na m.,o With which Mr.. B. express
ed his sentiments, and IL -
with which they were greete, L