Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-29
Bradford geporter.
Towanda, Thursday, March 29, 1866.
HON. G. r.. BUCKALEw,s SPEECH.

alew. one of this States Senators in the
Congress of the United States, made
speech, ostenibly on "a proposition to alter
the federal Constitution, but in reality on
the reconstruction, OF re-admissiOn of the
late rebel States. MIR. b. has always borne
the reputation of being man Of brains,
logical, eloquent moderate in his political
bias, and temperate in his language. If
we except the last, the speech before us
does not well sustain these antecedents :;
and when we bear in mind that it was
carefully written out, and then read to the
Senate, the reputed greatness of the author
is still more diminished.
He starts out by drawing comparison
between the senatorial representation of
the six New England States, and the other
States of the Union, showing that the one
has a senator for 100000 of Ler population,
while the Middle and Western States re-
quire 500, 900 inhabitants to secure a sen
ator and in the seeded States it used to
take nearly 100000 to get senator Ag-
gregating these, he shows 100000 to be
the common ratio of all the States, the New
England States having $4,000 less popula-
tion on each senator than the common ratio.
Next Mr.. B undertakes to show that the
New England States owing to their pre-
ponderance, have most of the honors and
offices of the Senate, while the State of
New York has none, and Pennsylvania only
one chairman Of IA sentorial committee
Yet the former has more population than
all the New England States united and the
latter only few thousand less Then, by
multiplying the l83, 900 deficiency on each
senator, by twelve Mr.. B. makes over two
millions deficiency of population on the
twelve senators from the New England
States. This is terrible in our senator's
eyes but he forgets that these six offend
ing States, have sent more than two mil
lions of their population into New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin. &c. and, that,
besides making the rugged, barren hills
the poorest portion Of our country, in the
most uncongenal climate--the richest and
most productive, they have aided in sub
DUNG and enriching the majority of the
other States, thus fully emitting themselves
to the advantages they possess.
The obvious purpose however, Of this
comparison and its resulting deductions,
is to excite prejudice against the New En-
gland States This has existed i'll the dem
ocratic party for many years, especially in
the Southern wing of ii, and it has been no
credit to the democrats, and great damage
to the country, and it is not clever, to say
the least OF it. in him who would continue
and extend it.
Mr.. b. does not take particular pains to
show up the fact, that the sole cause Of the
preponderance Of the Northern States in
the senate is owing to the withdrawal of
the rebel senator's Previous to this, and
/ for forty or more years, these Southern
States held this preponderance, but demo-
was all right when Shareholders were at
the head of the chief committees, and their
hackers held all the offices. This could ex-
ist for half century, and awaken no mur-
murs from Pennsylvania democratic SEN
at0rs. Now, however when through the
villianous conduct of the cotton States. the
Eastern have the power thrown into their
hands, It is great wrong, according to
Nj Buckalew's sage inferences He for
gets too, to tell that the party in power in
/ the senate never gives the Craftsmanship of
the important committees to their oppo-
nents. The democrats never did this and
the republicans having the power and the
Eastern senators being all republicans. it
follows, as Il matter Of course, that they
would have important influence. Again,
the senators of the most experience in a
party are placed at the head of committees,
and it has happened that most of the old
! senators came from the Eastern States
This is accidental, as is also the fact, that
both Of the senators from New York, and
those from Pennsylvania, are new, and the
latter both i'll the opposition. So that the
attempt Of our senator 10 make IA significant
argument out of the slight put upon these
two States, turns up failure But the
only thing Pennsylvania complains OF, is
/ that she is miSrepresented in the senate.
There is, however, another view Of this
case Mr. Buckalew croaks considerably
because thc six New England States, with
population Of three millions, have twelve
senator's while New York and Pennsvlva-
MIA, with double the population, have only
four, and no influence at that and how
stands this matter in the S0nth In 1860.
+ when the census was taken which gives
/ the New England States their three mil
lions of population, the six States If Del
aware. Florida Arkansas, South Carolina.
Louisiana and Texas, with a white. pop-
uation Of a little over a million and half
"A mere trihe over 0De-haL' the amount the
New England States had Yet democratic
senators never complained of this advan-
4 Al. l.