The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1866-12-22


to our subcribers. s-ua IN sa- |
Equalization of Representatives.
From the late speech of Governor Nor
ton, delivered at New Albany, Indiana,
we make the following interesting ex-
tracts in regard to equalizing represen-
tation: -.. s+' E
There are two kinds of representation
in Congress-the representation of the
States, and of the people. Each State
has two Representatives, or Senators, in
the Senate, while it is intended that the
people shall be equitably and equally
represented in the House.
In the original formation OF the Con
stitution, representatives were appointed
among the several States by adding to
the whole number of free persons, ex-
cluding Indians not taxed" three-ffths
of all other persons were slaves, and, in
effect, every five slaves were counted as
three persons, in making up the ratio of
representation This is very hard pro
vision for the people of the free States,
but it was demanded by the slavehold-
ers, and conceded by our fathers in COM
promise, they believing that slavery was
fast passing away, and could not indure
| quarter of century, and it became
finally an almost intolerable burden and
injustice, as it gave to the South rep
resentation of twenty-five votes in the
House of Representatives and in the
electoral College for President and Vice
President, on account of the property.
According to the census OF 1860, the
eleven rebel States, not including in
their number Kentucky, Maryland, Del
aware and Missouri, had white popu
lstion of 5,002, ,051, and had a negro pop
i uiation of 3,750,O31. BY the last appor.
tionment, which allowed one represent
ative for every 125,O00 people, the white
population of these rebel States would
entitle them to forty-two representatives
and the colored population, now that
slavery is abolished, and each negro
counts as one person, would entitle then
to thirty representatives more, making
seventy-two in all.
! By the same census the seven North
western States had q negro population
of $4,000, $4,000 of whom lived in lndi
ana, and altogether making but hal
enough for one representative. And nov
in these eleven rebel States the negroe
enjoy no political rights or consideration
whatever. They have no more voice il
making the laws by which they are gov
erned, or in choosing their rulers, thai
the beasts of the field, and yet as TIL
Constitution now stands, their late mas
ters will have thirty votes in Congress
|, and in the electoral college on their az
, counts-just equal to the united vote c
Indiana and Ohio. In other words, tn
white men of these rebel States, nine
t teen-twentieths of whom are rebels, an
, were engaged in the late rebellion, Ca
vote down Ohio and Indiana, by repr,
senting the negroes, who are stripped {
: all political rights whatever.
G The negro, for himself, amounts
/ nothing, counts for nothing, and his e!
9 istence is utterly ignored; but b
amounts to man, and counts for
/ man, for the benefit of white rebels, b
J. whom he is surrounded. The white PEE
f pie of the rebel States have forty-tw
Votes for themselves, and they will hay
\ tU1IGy NOIcS LlOfc lOI tIlC hCSolOCS.
Democratic politicians appeal to I'll
l. vulgar prejudices of the people, by clair
o ing that this is white mans Cover
: ment but what kind of white man
c government is it which has thirty vot
IS in Congress, and thirty votes in the ele
r. tofal college, based on negro represent
s tion? This advantage which the reb
States now have is monstrous, and is n
y to be quietly endured. No Northel
n- man, who has the least respect for hil
Of self, can for moment consent that th'
II shall retain it. Even if they were 10
:, al-if they had tried to sustain the Go
III ernment, instead of trying to destr,
a. it-they could have no possible clai
d. to it. s
q They have thirty votes in Congre
> that have no constituency, thirty vot
10 as from thirty rotten boroughs under t
he English system And these thirty vot
,e Just balance and set off the thirty vot
n sent up by three millions six hundr
:, and forty-two thousand white peoI
u from Ohio and Indiana.
ID These eleven rebel States have 9th
be advantages in the Government, which
+ seems to me ought to satisfy the mt
:" avaricious Democratic politician. Th
le have twenty-five votes in the Sena
ti- while Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with
joint population exceeding theirs n gu
ter of million, have but six yottss.
This is gross inequality, and wou
seem to have but little foundation in r.
~ son, yet it was part OF tire original ii
CHI ory of the Government that tho Stat
,st without regard to their populatit
"a. should have equal representation in {
Senate, and we arc not seeking
"s change it.
IN, In order to correct the shameful abb
~, apd iniustica 7 have heen describi1