The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-22

i"W HAFti W pass iiouA ptANttu Tvs " %
So careful has il been that, on the pre-
scribed basis OF any Constitutional Con-
vehtion, the aggregate numbers OF the
House and senate gives tie vote; for Id
Senators aud 81 Delegates are equal TO
3 Senators aud 10 Delegates.
The Governor is required by those who
formed the Constitution 10 be selected
from three districts in succession
The power which seized on the Lsg-
islatnre contriyed by that division 10
secure an equally disproportionate share
OF The executive power.
II construed the Eastern Shore all
south of the Sassairas river. but one
country, one Of the three districts, though
il contains only 81 1874 white inhabitants:
while the other slaveholding peninsula of
5S,315 white inhabitants shares with the
| city Of Baltimore and its 18l, 52O white
inhabitants another third of the cxecu-
tive power; and all the residue of the
free counties, with their POI 1923 consti-
tuies the other district
The power thus enthroned in the Leg
is'ature Of the State has perverted the
whole Legislation Of the State TO its per-
petuation, its exempt n from equal bur
thens, its influence in the National Gov
| lnment.
1t mas seized on one Of the United
States Senators, and by law sppropri-
ated bin to the Eastern Shors-Ail but
one OF the counties sou.h,of the Sas "a frss
intensely neutrality-suspicious. only
1881 white Inhabitants, less tbau one
fifth Of the people Of the State, and al
ready endowed with one-t third Of the
Governors.
1t has been careful TO secure the foun-
dation Of its power by declaring, in the
Constitution, that the Legislature shall
not pats any law abolishing the rela-
ton Of master and slave as it now ex-
lists in his state.
HOW SLAVERY CHEATS TIE STATE REV.
ENUE.
The Legislature of 1858, wholly in its
interest by law, forbade emancipation of
slaves by their masters contrary to the
time honored policy of the State.
The same Legislature at tao bidding
Of the lowest instincts Of the same inter-
est, disgraced even itself by law GLOW
ing free negroes to be reduced to bondage
at the will Of the people in certain coun-
ties
Nor has th;g power baen at all above
the most sordid abuses.
1t has exempted the slave interest
from equal taxation and thrown on the
land and the free labor of the State the
burden Of supplying the deficiency.
Other property 10 assessed, by sworn
officers, at its value; and this interest is
valued by law, according to the age and
sex alone no slave is valued above $500
though before the rebellion he would
have sold for 81, 200 or 81, 400; and then
the rate is so contrived that the average
valuation of all the slaves in the State
since 1850 has been Sl69, when the IN ar.
ket vslue would have averaged three or
four times that sum.
Even the administration of Justice
pays tribute to it's powerv
The State is made to guarantee the
STAKEHOLDER against loss from the criminal
responsibility of his slave for the nenro
is property or person. alternately, as will
best serve the interest of the owner
The negro commits a crime as a person.
but by law the people of the State nav
TO the owner the value of the slave CON
victed and sentenced for crime, when
justice required that the loss should fol-
lw the crimiual-just as the owner of =
vicious bull is liable for the damage he
does, and is entitled to no Indemnity for
his destruction in self defence,
This unjust assessment is levied not on
the slaVeho lders of the county, but or
all the taxpayers, and in leyying il th,
slave property itself does not paw in the
proportion of its real value with the
other property Of the county, but at The
rate Of assessment lower than its valu,
relative TO other property, which TO,
slaveholdlng interest has been careful L
secure IL.
Thus the very administration of iusiict
is made subject TO its exactions.
To an interest 30 selfish, 50 crashing
so domineering, the people of the Stat,
are under no obligations.
By our laws alone it exists; their re-.
peal isits death, and by their repeal alon,
can the people of Maryland seize anc
hold the mastery of their own stfairs.
Were the value of slave greater thar
the same man free; did the ownership o.
slaves elevate the master as much above
free laborers as ii does above his slaves
did light and wisdom radiate from the
region where they are held and darkness
dwell where they are not, we might re.
concile ourselves 90 a profitable domino.
tion, submit to beneiciont superiority
turn gratefully for guidance moral and
poliiical-to tue Source of all Light.
Bot as these things are not so-as q
slave is worth less than a free man, and
the master is not above the free white
laborer-as education and intelligence
prevail where freedom reigns, this dom
inaion 10 the most odious of usurpa-
tions.
IL is the domination Of an interest over
free men Of property over people Of
aristocratic privilege over republican
equality; Of minority over a majority.
1t has all the qualities OF an aristoc-
r&cy except its refinement and elevation
II is arrogant, exclusive, selfish, tena-
cious, unjust Jealous Of every thing that
will not submit
IL has for many years bound the State
politically 70 the policy impressed on
the Government by the negro interest OF
the planting States, with which the in
dustry of Maryland has no identity,
and dragged it away from it's natural
association with the great free labor
States, whose manufacturing, mining,
commercial and agricultural industry is
identical with ours, require the same
laws, policy and protection, against which
the planting States have waged incessAnt
war for thirty years.
1t has ostracised every public man who
refused Ia auhmit IN its domination and