The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-09

v9,..s.,a-s = lss1o.sss ,tss{s at - -
g. - ''s-.. 7s-~ ~ * s;sf5s s;sessa (y(1I.1
a,eii ass5 szssEasr Ts11', 3.
The Representation Quesslen.
Speaking of the constitutional,
amendment. so-caIled, the Chicago
Times has the following:t s..a,te4 ~
The total population Of the. United,
States in 1SGO was. something over.
81 200, 600; OF which the Northern
States have 10, 000, 600, Including
200, 900 ssdisfranchissd" negroes, and
the Southern or late slave States had
2.O00, 600. The latter included A, 900,
900 slaves, two-t!1iras of which NUM-
Der were counted.in the basis Of rep-.
rescntation. Under the appointment
made upon this basis, the 81 North
ern. States have 156 seats and the IS.
Southern States SIS seats, fthe total
number of seats being limited by law
to 241.} -,
Now, by an examination OF the
census tables, it will be seen that from
1850 to 1860 the white population in
the Northern States increased at an
average rate of somewhat over 63 per
cent, while the white population in
the Southern States increased ut nm
average rate of only trihe above AZ
per cent. The slave population in
creased at the rate of g. Is per cent.
while the free negro population in
creased at the rate of only 1923 per
cent. At the same relative rates of
increase, the tables of population in
1870 will stand rs follows:
q Northern States, whites. 6. :. 80, ,G44 600
negroes. 224 600
y Santh"rn States, whites Ill, 500 900
negroes ..... 1, 4S0, 900
Total, South. 80. -. Is, $40 900
The basis OF representation then,
as the Constitution now stands, will
be the total population of both sec
tons, to wit: 46,70S, 900, divided by
24l, (the number of seats,) giving
l93,767 for every constituency. It
will thus be seen that, under the next
aprortionment, as the Constitution
now stands, the 81 Northern States
wall be represented in Congress by 1Gl
members, and the Is Southern States
by only SO members. Instead of the
Northern States losing % members.
they will gain 5, and instead of the
Southern States gaining %, they will
Lose 3-and this without my radical
tinkering of the Constitution to bring
about such n result.
We have not taken into consilera-
ton the new States That will be admit
ted before 1870, and which will tend
to make still greater the proportion
OF representatives fro m the Northern
States. Nor have we referred to the
many causes that have been Mt work
to change the ratio and relation of
increase, especially in the Southern
States, since the census Of 1850. We
have calculated the rate of increase
IN the Southern negro population at
the general average of the increase of
negroes In state Of freedom shown
by the census statistics; whereas the
fact IS we'll known to be that, instead
OF increasing, the number of negroes
III the Southern States has greatly
decreased since 1850. Good Judges
estimate that the negro population of
the South is 1900, 900 less than it was
in 1860. This fact would still further
diminish tho proportion of represen-
tatives belonging to that section,
unless it should bo made up las we
think it may be) by an augmented
general average of the white increase,
These are the conclusions which
facts Of the past and the certainties of
the present go to establish. They
illustrate the falsehood and absurdity
Of the only argument the radicals
have ever attempted to make in sup
port Of the proposed amendment to
the Constitution. They show that
the assumption upon which the pro-
posed amendment is ostensibly based,
to wit: an increase Of the political in
fiuence of the Southern States at the
expense Of the Northern, is q sham
and deceit, intended to humbug the
people for the benefit of political
cheats and demagogues.