The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-08-16
EQUALIZA ALTON OF REPRE-
40 : SENTATIVES.

we make the following interesting ex-
tracts in regard to Equalizing Repre-
sentati0n: t
There are two kinds OF representa-.
tibn lin Congress--the representation
ofbthe States and Of thepeople. Each
State has two Representatives, or Sen.
ators. in the Senate, while it is intend
edthat the people shall bo equitably
and equally Represented in the House
In the original formation of the Con-
stitdtion, Representatives were ap-
pointed among the several, States by
adding to the whole number of free
persons, aexeluding Indians not tax
ed, thressfifths of all other persons. I"
These three fiths Of all other persons
were slaves, and, in effect, every. five
slaves were counted as three free per-
sons, IN making up the ratio of r. pre-
sentatioh. This wasa a very hard pro.
visionfor tho people of the free States,
but it was demanded by the slayehold-
ers, and conceded by our fathers in
compromise they believing that sla.
very was fast passing away, and could
not endure a quarter of II century, and
it became finally an almost intolerable
burden andinjusticc, as it gave to tho
South representation of twenty two
votes in the House of Representatives
and III the Electoral College for Pres
ident and Vice. President, on account
Of the property.
ho According to the census of 1860, the
eleven rebel States, not including in
Their number Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware and Missouri, had a white
population Of 5,002 ,05l,, and had d
negropopulation of 3750,03l. BY the
last apportionment, which allowed one
Representative for every 125,00O peo.
pic, the white population of these reb
el States would entitle them to forty
two representatives. and the colored
,pobhlati6ii. now that slavery is abol
ished, and each regro counts as one
persoh .'Woald entitle them to- thirty
Representatives more, making seventy
ywdiinhllJhh. ijiBJE VbiG E9it5
By the same census the seven North
western, States had a negro population
of 65, 900, 10000 of whom lived in In
diana, and altogether making but half
enough for one Representative. And
now in these, eleven rebel States the
negroes enjoy 9 Q political rights or con
sideration whatever. They haYe no
more voice in making the laws by
which they arc governed, or ii choos-
ing their rulers, than, the beasts OF the
field; and yet as the Constitution how
stands, their late masters will have
thirty votes in Congress and In the
electoral college on their account
Just equal to the united vote Of Indiana
and Ohio. In other words, the white
mon, of these rebel States, nineteen
twentieths Of whom are rebels, and
were engaged in the late rebellion,
can vote down Ohio and Indiana, by
representing the negroes, who are
stripped Of all political rights what
ever.
= The negro, for himself, amounts to
nothing, counts for nothing, and his
:, existence is utterly ignored; but he
amounts to a man, apd counts for a
man, for the benefit Of white rebels,
BY whom he is surrounded, The
white people of the rebel states have
forty-two votes for themselves, and
then will have thirty votes more for
the negroes.
yc Democratic politicians appeal to the
vulgar prejudiccs of the people, by
claiming that this is q white man S
Government; but what kind Of u white
mans Government is it which has thir-
ty votes in Congress, and thirty voles
d in the Electoral College, based on ne
gro representation? This advantage
which the rebel States now have is
monstrous, and is not to be quietly en-.
.dured. No Northern man, who has
the least respect for himself, can for a
moment consent that they shall retain
it. Even if they were loyal-if they
had tried to sustain the Government
instead Of trying to destroy it-they
could have no possible claim toit:
They have thirty votes in Congress
that have no oconstituency;thirty votes
as from thirty rotten boroughs under
the English system And these thirty
III yotos.just balance and sctQff the thirty
votes sent up, by three millions six
bGhdredan forty-two thousand Whit
people from Ohio and Indiana.
: ~ These eleven rebel States have 9th
Y or advantages in the Government
a which it seems to me ought to satisfy
the most avaricious Democratic poll
tician. They have Twenty-Five vote
, in the Senate, while Ohio, Indiana ant
Illinois, with a joiut population ex
ceeding theirs quarter OF million
have but six votes
.,5 ~ X This is o gross inequality, and wou.'
seem to have but little foundation il
. reason, yet it was part Of tho origina
theory Of the Government, that tn
States without, regard TO their popu
should have equal representa-
ton in the Senate, and we arc no
seeking to change it, ioa
In order 10 correct tho shamefu
abuse and injustice | have been dc
scrfbing, Congress has passed join
Z resolution amending the Constitute
is,sOf the United States, the secon
clause Of which provides "that wher
Vh over the right to vote is denied in an
- State to any of the male inhabitanl
''g Of such State, twenty one years of ag'
and citizen of the United States, Q
r is in any way abridged, except fo
Dpafficipation in the rebellion, ,,or soti
er crime.i the basis of representatio