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Show ) 122 'l'liE ~'l'A'l'E CONVENTIONS. From these sources a delicate and difftcu~t contest arose. I t ,u, ccame n ece"<" sary , therefore ' to com promtse., or the C.o n- veutt·o n must }1:' wc dissolved wi thout . efTt•cllllg anyt.b mg.. 'Vould it hn.vc uecn wise and prudent m_ that boc1y, 1n tl11s en· tJ·C a1 s1· tU <n• t·1011 , to have deserted• theu· co• untry? N. o! E 110 hears me every w 1sc man 111 lite Uni ted :;very man '"' ' Stntes would have COitdemned them. . . The Convention were obliged to nppomt a committee for accommoc]..n. l'tort · In thi·s committee the arrangement was formed as it now stands, and thci1· rcpor·t was accepted. .It was a delicate point, and it was necessary that all parl1es should be indulged. . . Gentlemen will sec that, if there had been no unamm1ty, nothing could have been done; for the Con vcn tion had no powet· to establish, but only to reco_mm nd,_ a government. Any other system would have been unpract1cable. Let a convention be called to-morrow. Let them meet twenty timcs,-nay, twenty thousand times ; they ~ill ~a,'e the same difficulties to encounter, the same clashmg mte-rests to reconcile. But dismissing these reflections, let us consider how fur the ar~·angemcnt is in itself entitled to the approbation of this body. 'Nc will examine it upon its own merits. rrhe first thing objected to is that clause which allows a representation for three-fifths of the ne:p·oes. Much has been said of the impropriety of representing men who have no will of their own. Whether tbi. he reasoning or decla· rnation I will not presume to say. It is the unfo.rtuna~e situation of the Southern States to have a great part of thCJr population, as well as property, in b1ncks. The regulat~on complained of was one result of the spirit of accommodation which governed the Conventi·o n, and w·1 thout t 11 1· s 1· n du I g e nce no union could possibly have been form ed. But, sir, considering some peculiar advantuges which we 'l'llE S'I'A'l'b: CONV~N'l'IONS. 123 derive from them, it is entirely just that they should bo grauted. 'rhe Southern Stutes possess certain staplcs-touucco, rico, indigo, &c.-which must be capital objects in treati •s of commerce with foreign nations ; and the udvanta.ges whic·h they uecessurily procure in those treaties will be felt throughout all the States. Bnt the ju tice of this plan will n.ppcar in another view. The l>cst writers 011 govemment have held that representation should be compounded of persons and properLy. This rule has been adopted, as far ns it could be, in the Constitution of New York. I t will, however, by no means be admitted that the slaves nrc considered altogether as property. They arc men, though degraded to the condition of lavery. They arc persons known to the munieipal laws of the Strttcs which they inhabit, as well as to the laws of nature. But representation and taxation go together, and one uniform rule ought to apply to both. Would it be just to com putc these slaves in the nsses ·ment of taxes, and di, card them from the estimate in the n.pportionment of representatives? Would it be just to impose a singular burden, without conferring some adequate advantage? Another circumstance ought to be considered. The rule we bn.vc been speaking of is a general rul e, and applies to all the States. Now, you have a great number of people in your State wbich arc not represented at all, and have no voice in your government. These will be included in the enumeration-not two-fifths, nor three-fifths, but the. whole. This proves that the ad van tnges of the plan arc not confined to the Southern States, but extend to other parts of the Union. |