Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-07-19

REPRESENTATION or THREEFtFTuS OF THE
SLAVES.
trust have shown the grant injustice II this whole
attempt to fastn upon the North the charge N WELD
ing thc powers of the Federal Government 20 Oh pre-
judice Of the south But there is great fact
nectcd with this subject, seldom prominently brought
forward which ought nrcver 10 close the lips Of the
south in this warfare of sectional repoach Under the
old Confederation the Congress consisted Of but one
House aud each state large and small had but single
vote and consequently an equal share ia the government
II government 1t could be called NJ the Union. This
manifest injustice was barely toerabc in state Of
when the mminencc Of the public danger tended o pro-
ducc unaniuity Of feeling and action When the
ny was relieved from the pressure NJ the war and dis
curdaut interests more and more disclosed themselves
The equality " the states became positive element "
dlscoutent and contributed lis f share the downfi
lot that sho-lyed and illcompactcd frame Of Govern
ment
Accordingly when she Constitution or the United States
was formed the great object aud the main difficulty was
IN reconcile the equality Of the states, (Which gave TO
hngde Island aud Delaware equal weight vita Virginia
and Massachusets with prupori0natc representation
of 'he People Each of these principles Of vital inn
porlancc the first being demanded by the small states
as due 20 their equal Independence and the last being
demanded hy the large states I'm virtue Of he fact that
the Constitution the work and the government u
the People, and IN conformity with the great Law n
which the Revolution had is origin that Representation
and Taxation should 90 hand iu hand.
The problem solved IN the Federal Convention, by
system of extremely refined arrangements Of which
the chief was that there should be two Houses ia Con-
grcss that each State should have equal representa-
zion IN the Senate, voting however not by States but
per captd) and number Of Representatives in the
House III proportion To It's population But here
midable dmculiy presented u-tlf growing out " the
anomalous character of the population uf the Slavehud
ing states, consisting il did Of dominant and subs
lcct class, the latter excluded by local law from c
Joymcnt OF all political rights and regarded simply as
property la this state Of things, 10 just cquta-
Die that the Sayehollug States iu addition 20 the NUM-
her of representatives TO which their Tree population
titled them, should have further share IN The govern
meut Of the country, account Of The Slaves held
property by small portion Of the ruling class While
property every kind 10 the unn-savehuling States was
unrcpresenicd, was b just that this specie, uf property
forming large proportion o The entire property of nc
south should be allowed 20 swell the representation Of
the Slaveholding States
This serious difficulty was finally disposed of iua man
her mutually satisfactory, hy providing That Representa-
urcs and ducc Taxes should be apporuoucd Among the
states on the same basis of population, asccrtlincd by
adding 10 the whole number NJ free persons thrce.hhs
Federal Treasury would be mainly supplied by drccttax
alton While therefore the rule ad6pted uaye 40 tie
south number N representatives out OF proportion
the number Of her citizens, she would be restrained from
exercising this power 10 the prejudice of the North BY
he fact that any increase VI the public burdens would
aIl l NE same increased proportion ON herself For
ne additional weight which the South gained ia the
fiesidentpl election by this adjustment the North re-
oclttd no compensation.
But now mark the practical operation Of the compro-
mise. Duect taxation, instead VI being the chief
source NJ the Treasury has been resotcd To- but four
times since the foundation Of the Governments aud then
Tor small amounts in 1928 two mi lions of dolars.in 1873
three millions In 1915 six millions In IS ihrepni d..
again, In all fourteen millions thc total rai,td by
direct uNationi ~ seycntitVo Years less than aver
age of 2O0OiO dollars year What number II pres
cogon,.1 mas IN io,n,r O9nscsse. hI'e mo-.
iwciity mcrrrts. n. 6ehrif ,fbrr lstct '.. 5,,rg
ono eleventh part of the entire House
As the increasing ratio of the % s.ct Of population
has NOT greatly varied b. Is probable that thc South BOO
virtue of her slaves hos NNa1 jIet about the Same
proporuonaic representation in the Booze H excess ~
mat acctung from her hr. ..t' ioa. l-It A- la.ey
happened in our political divisions t1 tim tltt l.-
ufes have been carried hy a,le uainfff. his ,Nc,ss
mas been quite sufficient 20 assure o.. ualtity
ON all sectional questions. 10 euab.4 .u. ,IrSt her
ri ifinlHH BOO ID ..ff.f o.
great political revolution OF that year 4td Bis siDrt Of
lseii 10 account for that approach TO monopoly Of the
b'NeIhmtht "hich she has ever enjoyed.
Now, though the consideration Tor which the North
agreed TO this arrangement may be slid have wholly
nv uo' nleah sh lWes OF hgh party excl .tmcnt II has
never oeth alluded 10 as hardship The Hartford Com
'eAu9n spoke OF u as grievance which ought % De
Icm'utd but even since our political con'ruverscs have
turned almost wholly on the subject uf Slavery, am not
aware hat This entire failure uf The qui, iln or which
Inc North gave up the South what has secured her u
hcl the almost exclusive control OF thc government OF
he country, has been frequent prominent subject
OF complaint
W. WI, ,titsl' el le 9'4ih ESQ "l.h iIr the gucv
'nees urged by the south as her justification for bringing
ip9n the country the crimes and suefings NJ civil
.uu anus az the prostitution OIL goyeInment ldmied
~ -, a., hs 49, IN - 49,. ''' ''" na' srri' aiu
,rotcc,cd ANA fy,J f W. , 'vvn enneely
In, ~ ~ ,i,r..'n,,s - , 49, ~ -, ~ .
~ ~ ai W" "a, Va e G 49,, h1. /, i, nee
,u,Je men ,bere ,o o,. & W. ,; t W. y. , ".''r
lnstitr,ion@ ,y,s ~, NV h, ~, ,s u. =, ,, Ia
ent momen, '''O'' anu p'' as ~ ''' p'''
a., ,,,, 49,, 49,, - . -
-" 49, - " Ni+Oo,'' ''"- u " 'i'
ChDlNH olAlEo
Ana now let US rise from these disesardcd appeals TO
we nun Oh history ana thc Wc''ne9 'uNl'uc, 90 we
oeoess"n ocnpol OF argument ana contemplate ue
2 lt 4sa'S o''"Ie us, ln 'iA A''h' P"llleai ltaN
, ny shoWd we not rs ' heu' n"n"t ihe claims "I B.
vac 9eeeuhB STATES alAno"e"ee N,l, ,iu' 'e' .
lha put 'n enu "a, once 10 'he N"' ny sno.i a., we
not answer ihr question: ny a'NnH "hulher' ' why
should we what nave we /" nope from lhe pursuit OF
,uat 'o"iAe le"oc nut we were az CAGE n'ioIe'-
Wy , .e we no, az PtAoe ~" me Noi'h nag nor
waved inc war &c mas been breed upon MS ia self de-
ieuvt ana w. "n'e tney haa me Oen'ulloh ana The
LAVE ne ENe'u'ti N9neIe'', ana 'h' Oo"its tU con-
"u ~ l'sSiN'S' wy Nouul' F"','H'" VII" i'sHl
S''s eou Oohsu,uuoha Iemeu,'s' mas Riaped me
W. yl -S',ll 'nu 'pu'n n'fe 20 NV, 100 peace "h'n
% u,hu9 ~ o"'oh ste uiigE'n ana "ulle'm' means oI
''s'n' ~ uulA'Ou olgv ' rue N,iy 'N't ln'hR I
' S9'on tey,su'1,u' VIII give usi IL "hi give
W 'ul.ns ""' no""WH H"u''--l'n' 10 prepare 'he |
i , Wy ",.iab'e' ~ u in rs WV nN'i'V P'Ip,l- /
W .'..'l,} az e''ihoi' 'l'eu ''t'el (
az ~ '"' tePisa' d" 'N'lAH'luR presentation OF :
d NV Wv V,',' 'Nl't Nh'n az tue causes
U ul5NeHluh ~ ,nu'nulo4 mniPleN Mheu unequal I
Ic'onhe laws shah nave Tea 10 gigantic system 90 /
sn.Bb,ins Mhen Yeheta, ""Wpeae OF saves sha take
PHe ".hs he ptuFr WIN no hluehi OF rennllluh aud
o." e thousnhu causes OF mutual ihauon snail he cal-
~ ln'o a1uph' Nn loher oil low miles NOT marked
~ ,u,N uouieH''es anu h't AYuQJe,t 20 common Ju-
''ll5uh VI Hv1'Auhs power We ou peH'Ntin peace
.is'Ns"uF ueneS e. mat temVu''a 1y lhe
"fh l " ~ i,"'la' Hoh .t ultI, a"eH ioI,
'oI otnes'h lne ins OF 'he oist-,Pangied banner and
we sacred shleld OF common Nationality. mat was
D N nN faf|a.