, 1877-09-10

/ Cu1cA0o, 8opt. 8.-It has bcun written that
at takes thousand years 10 form StatG*"
This may not be literally true In modern times,
but 1t Is fart that nations do not spring Into
being with Institutions SO well established ~ to
csim exemption from tho fundamental Law In
dtcated In ths line quoted Infancy, growth,
maturity more or less perfect, and 1nnl dccuy,
aeBm to havo been no less law OF peoples or
nations than Of Individual inen an1, II vigorous
aud prolonged existence Ia desired, tho laws OF
hc1skly development must not be neglected.,
All history y full OF tns sx1rtIon upon tbls SUBJ
icct, but glanco Ut otlf bwn Rrlof as 1t Ia, will
sullica Tor our prcscnt purpose.
Wo Ind our inception In D fcw feeble and scat
tcrod colonies, which, for at,out century a1li
half, managed, With some aid from the mDtler
country, to Matntain themselves against tho
savage aborlKlnea and tho tnany hardshipa lncl-
dent u tho settlement of q nuw country Hut
wtn that mother country lcgan IL l1y her
heavy hand upon them, tic necessity for mutual
sympathy and support became aplarrnt atad ur-
gent; AMI In that Necessity our Organization as
nation llml it, nrtgiD. Tho struggle for tiIc-
pcudenco having resulted tn sucreas, 1t w:LS
found tliat tllcro was marked diversity of opH.
Ions anti local enstums, a. we'll - great disparity
ID territory nna population IN tho late cul0nins
aud honec 8 continuance uI tho Union coulsl ui,iY
be effected by making mutual conccss(ons anu
compromises.
a CONSTITUTION illus formed was necessarily
imperfect, aud contulncd provisions Inconsistent
viii. it, genera! tone. sconc, ami purposes. Tho
lndirert recognition OF cattci slavery, tho pcr-
mission u thu foreign eiayo tsade until! lb0s,
and the arbitrary cInstllut!on Of tho Unitei
States 6ensle, and ita conAcquen. influence III
ths Electoral collrges without ru!crcuce to tho
rulatiyu magnitude Ut thu S1atea and pcoplcs
composing them, were a1i pruytsIona in marked
contrast With tue general splrit of the !!sssu-
lnent. The law Vi growth, lluwevcr, SOON brsan
n 4ARft IT tGtlf Al tf1ta
expired, tho foreign Rlayt-tEale was ulatlo
pEEucy md subjected to the scvrreAt pcnaltles,
aud Uthcr tuperfcctions wera corrected by time
~ amendments of the Constitution, until tlnal
All, ctlattel slavery, was abolished.
It still remains to sunluye the grosa Injustice
In The Organization OF tna Senate, anil though
~ Tue tettns oi Tho consttI!on ~ y would sae,n
nut .oubt TINT tho n.otsc provided for ulakiHg
amendments generally will nppay to this clause
also. Buch amendment tnaY Cs made and stu
preserve ttc only principle which " al c1cuse'!
regard to extent ur population. III nccoMpllsi
this would suggest something His the follow
lux plan: tnstrad Of: giving each stato twa
Brilaturs atld NJ more, Let 1t be- proposal that
enca to population, and ons additional Senator
tuF every mlllIou Or frAetlon exceeding TWO
thir.ls Of million inhabitants, but no stats 10
have more than six Senatars.
~ G1p1AIn kIiG OlNlul4OA W eNEA FlHfMOpt
let III Lake, for example, the CTR Now England
States with all ektiniated population Ut O0U U0
tu 1850, aud tbs State Ut New Yusk, with, say,
b,U0 900, unlcr thu proposed amendment,
New England would have tel, Senatora appus-
tlone.l more equally than now, aud say tWentY-
tive Representatives, alll New York SIX scna-
tors aud thisty-oua Representatives, yiyinR tie
{,0n. 90 II New England majority OF four tn
tutal Senatorial Representation of sixteen. u,la
New York \ majority vi slI In total !ldusc
representation of 1lty-six, thus preserving "
Tue smaller stat9s D commanding power IN tbs
esuatu - an ufIsct to their weakness IN tha
House Of Representatives, aud At thu time
giving the large aud populous etatss q repre-.
ssntation III the eensta md III the Electoral
CalleGea sotAewEaI ulOre commensurate with
Justice aud fair dealing. Nur wuisll ts
cl!anae ad4 materially 10 the total membership
Of tue Senate based upon the usuauk VI lsN},
aud ueFeT " much ~ " make tt III uuxlclly
body.
II auy person wsshcs to test the accuracy OF
this statetuens let him u,aka cureful estimate
for e4sl STATE !a laso, and he will uul that tho
saoption Of this amendment would uut a,lt{
more than eight seuators tu'the present total.
Such change would relnuye I'LL ueaire on tbs
part of the larger States 70 have two or more
Of the smaller States consolidated tntu one, and
1t woull take sw4y. one Of the ehief objections
y the a4mlssiap o{ ucN but sparselY -pcoplcd
States. JusTick.