Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-31
The Next Advertisement.

We find the following paragraph gong the
rounds of our exchanges
THE New CENsus.-Thc apportionment
for members of Congress, under the census
of 1860, will make great change IN the rep
resentation of several States, Judging from
the votes at the recent elections IN some OF
the Western States. Illinois, with nine
members of Congress, has given 2oo,ooo
votes. while Massachusetts,, with eleven rep
resentatives. gave only 10000. Wisconsin,
with only three representatives, has gwen
vote within fraction of that of Massachu-
sets. Compared with the votes OF many
other States the discrepancy is still greater.
The elections at the West were, however,
held under excitement and called out fuller
vote than in most of the old States"
We doubt not there are plenty of people IN
the Southern States who will be profoundly
surprised when they are told that the North
crn States will have just about double "a
many Representatives in the lower House OF
Congress as the South, after the next appor-
tionment of representation i'll 1860. We
have. for ourselves, done our best to keep the
people enlig htened upon this subjcct-haying
alluded to it repeatedly-but there seems to
be not only great deal of ignorance of the
fact. but even painful degree of indifference
towards it, among those who have considered
it as a thing certain of occurrence.
And vet it is most significant eircum-
stance. From the organization Of the Gov
eminent to the present time, the South has
had the means Of preservation in her own
hands Hperchance a sectional majority tri'
umphed over her i'll the House, she telt Sc
cure i'm the Senate. But even the Senate Is
now about to have secure majority OF anti
slavery members The power Of the South
is passing away so rapidly that We may al
most consider it gone already.
The Northwestern States have increased III
population since 1850, with unexampled ra-
pidity. Look at the fact stated in the above
extract-that Illinois, in the late election,
cast two hundred and fifty thousand votes
Virginia. at the outside, has never cast more
than one hundred and sixty thousand. Nir,
GINA has now thirteen members OF the lower
House of Congress, and Illinois only nine
After the appOrtionment of 1860, it is likely
that these figures will be reversed-and that
Illinois. which came into the Union but the
other day, will weigh down in the National
Councils the influence of the Mother OF
States and of Statesmen" and the first settled
of the original thirteen Colonies, Is there
not something in this fact which should in
duce us to pause and take fresh bearings?
After 1850 thcn-no matter what the ratio
of representation may be-the anti-slayery
States will have at least double as many Rep
resentatiycS in the House as the States OF the
South The power to check-mate this major,
ity in the Senate will be gone-for the Union
is now composed of seventeen free States to
fifteen slave States, and the number OF the
former j. soon to be increased by the admis-
sion of Oregon, Kansas and Nebraska. 1t
is manifest proposition, then, that If sec
tional animosities and quarrels continue, the
South. in very few years, will be at the
mercy of dominant Northern majority.
We have alluded to this matter for two
reasons. First. to show the current of events,
and 10 prepare the public mind for future
condition of affairs which is inevitable-and,
secondly, TO hold up to popular condemns
ton the unwise policy of Government in en-
courarin" emigration to the Northwestern
States, and thus giving the political control
of the country to that section Of the Union.
The way in which this has been done is plain
The chief agency in the business is the grant
Ing away of the public lands to railroad cor
porations, This is one of the greatest stimuli
of emigration. And then unnaturalised for
eigncrs have been induced TO 60 there for the
reason that the right of suffrage, by an infa-
nous piece of legislation, has been granted
to them before they become citizens. Cheap
lands and the right to vote have done the
business. Foreigners, by hundreds Of thou
sands, have poured into the Northwestern
States, until Wisconsin, with three Repre-
scntativcs i'll Congress, now polls AZ many
votes lis Massachusetts with twelve =
Lynchbmy liyiHida.