Facts for the People of the Free StatesAmerican and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society
History
Facts for the People of the Free States
American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society
Enslaved persons -- United States -- Social conditions; Slavery -- United States -- History
The President exercises much of his power by and with the
Senate. The Vice President is, ex-officio, President of the
Senate. As such, he has the casting vote in all questions
before that body. For the last twenty years, with one
exception, _he has been a slaveholder_. From the adoption of
the Constitution up to June 1842, there were 76 elections, in
the Senate, of President pro. tem. Of these the slave States
had 60 and the free States 16. Most of the 16 were in the
earlier periods of the government. Mr. Southard was elected
in 1842. Previous to that, no Northern man had received
the appointment for _thirty_ years! so careful were the
slaveholders to watch their interests by securing the casting
vote.
Senate.
For a long series of years the Senate has been equally divided
between the free and the slave States. In this condition of
it, it was a great point with the slaveholders to secure the
casting vote of the Vice Presidency, and right carefully have
they done it. This vote is of less importance now, since, by
the admission of Texas, the balance of power is broken up, and
"The Valley of Rascals," on any tie vote, now rules the Senate
and the nation.
Department of State.
The Office of Secretary of State is the most important of any,
perhaps, in the cabinet of the President. As it is the duty
of this officer to direct the correspondence with foreign
courts, instruct our foreign ministers, negotiate treaties,
&c.; his station is second only, in importance, to that of
the Presidency itself. Of the 15, who had filled this office
up to 1845, the slave States have had 10; the free States 5.
The whole number of officers in this department at Washington,
in 1846, is 86. Of these Virginia has 6 and the District of
Columbia 45.
The War Department.
In 1846, there are, at Washington, 98 officers in this
department. Of these, the District of Columbia has 49--exactly
one half, and Virginia and Maryland have the balance.
The free States generally have furnished the seamen and the
soldiers; the men to do the fighting and endure the hard
knocks, _but slavery has taken care to furnish Southern men for
officers_. Thus, of 1054 naval officers, New England has only
172; of the 68 commanders, New England has only 11; of the 328
lieutenants, New England has only 59; of the 562 midshipmen,
New England has only 82; and New England owns nearly half the
tonnage of the country. Of all the officers in the navy in
1844, whether in service or waiting orders, Pennsylvania, with
a free population more than double that of Virginia, had but
177, while Virginia had 224. In 1842, under Mr. Upshur, of 191
naval appointments, the slave States had 117; the free States
only 73.
Post Office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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