The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-13
ca;vod tho h;ohest ;udicial sanction in this

local bias-of Nelson, of Sprague, Of Cur
It's, of Parker.
Among the rights Of the States none
certainly is more vital than that OF rePrs-
scntation In the national counciis accoiu-
inc To the rules established by the Cohsli-
tution-a right which cannot, without q
! virtual act OF revolution, be dcnicd 10 u
| State fulfilling in peace and loyalty It's 3D.
locations TO the Union. Instructive les
sons for the present are often learned by
a recurrence to the past and in this view
a massage OF our early constitutional his
tory i, we'll worthy Of being recalled. In
looking back to the proceedings and de-
bates Of the Federal Constitution, as / had
occasion to show in the second volume of
the Life Of Madison recently published, it
is seen with how much jealousy and
alarm the eastern States contemplated the
future growth and power Of the new States
of the West. Mr.. Gouveneur Morris,
though of that time a delegate from the
State Of Pennsylvania, was made the
spokesman and Interpreter of this jealous
feeling of the eastern States. He said:
"He looked forward to that range Of
new States which would soon be formed
in the west. These States will know less
! of the public interest than the old will
have an interest in many respects differ
cnt in particular, will be little scrupu-
lous of involving the country in wars, the
burdens and operations of which would
fall chiefly on the maritime States"
"Among other objections" he added, ait
must be apparent they would not be able
to furnish men, equally enlightened, to
share in the administration Of the COM
mon interests. II the western people get
the power into their hands they will ruin
the Atlantic interests Finally, ne said
"Sceing the dangers from this quarter, he
should DC obliged to vote for the vicious
principle of equality in the second branch,
in order to provide some defence to the
northern States against il and he also
declared that "hc thought the rule of
representation in the first branch ought to
be so fixed as to secure to the Atlantic
States the prevalence in the national coun-
cils.'
This hint was Immediately taken by Mr..
King and Mr.. Gerry, of Massachusetts
and the latter, rcpeatingth the alarm sounded
by Mr.. Morris, and declaring that elf the
western States acquire power they will
abuse il, will Cypress commerce, and draw
our wealth into the western country" &C
tually submitted to the Convention a pro-
position that, whatever might be the future
population Of the new States of the west,
"thc total number of their representatives
shall ncver exceed the total number OF the
representatives of the old Statcs.' This
invidious attempt on the part of some of
the old States to bind the infant Hercules
Of the West in perpetual swaddling bands
met with an indignant protest from others,
and especially from the oldest of them all,
Virginia. Colonel Mason said
"The new States Of the west must be
treated as cqnalS, and subjected to no de-
grading determinations. They will have
the same pride and other passions which
we have, and will either not unite with or
speedily revolt from the Union if they are
not, in FALL respects, placed on an cq'at
footing with their brethren.'
Mr.. Madison said "With regard to the
western States, | am clear and firm in the
opinion that no unfavorable distinctions
are admissible, either in point ofjusticc or
policy
The proposition of Mr.. Gerry and Mr..
King was Observation-Disclosures, Con-
necticut, Maryland, and Delaware voting
for it: New Jersey, Virginia, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina. and Georgia against
it, and Pennsylvania divided.
The great principle of the equal right of
all the States to representation in the ma
tional councils by one and the same rule
was thus VIGOROUSLY and permanently
established in the Constitution against all
the efforts and devices OF sectional jealousy
or ambition to thwart or defeat it. What
is now the sweeping exclusion of ten
States of the Union from a common repre-
sentation in the national councils but a
reversal, by a subordinate and brief all
thority, of the supreme decision of the
Convention and the people, and an effort
to revive, in another form, the injurious
sectional discrimination attempted and
overrulcd in 1887? Each State has an in
hcrcnt interest and right in the equal, con-
stitutional representation of all the States.
If the West, for example, shall think that
the representative voice of the South
would be with her in any question OF ma
tional policy which may divide the public
councils, she has a direct, immediate inte-
rest in the equal and just representation
of the South; and to withhold that repre-
sentation is the same thing to her, prac-
tically, in the decision OF every such
question, as the ~undisguised and open mu-
tilation and retrenchment OF her own re-
presentation. And what, it is well worth
while to consider, may not be the danger
to so many of the States having a repre-
sentation in one branch of the Legislature
out Of all proportion to their population of
once setting the example of breaking in
upon the solemn, constitutional ad justment
OF a subject involving such delicate and
precarious interests!
In writing to you thus, my dear sir, ]
have been borne along by the current of
my thoughts, and by an earnest solicitudc
for the preservation OF the Constitution,
into a statement Of my views on topics
which certainly require no discussion TO
you. You have sounded call the depths
and shoals" of constitutional learning, as
YOU have done anu will long continue to
do, I trust, of the public honors of your
country. Ny career, if career it may be
called, is ended. Still, as a citizen, a pa
triot, and a man, | cannot but feel the
deepest interest i'll whatever concerns the
e~ventful future of our magnificent common
country. | accept without hesitation or
reserve the constitutional amendment
already made for the extinction oi'slavery-
a contamination long and anXiously sought,
though in q different mode and by other
agencies, by many of the wisest and most
illustrious citizens of my " State. In
all other respects my fcrvent prayer is that
the Constitution of our fathers, with the
admirable wisdom and harmony p%ervading
its complete adjustments, may be defended
from the rude hand of hcadlong innovation
ar wanfon pnrrOachmpnt and that il may