The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-24


that Congress he (Nir g. had voted for the Wmaor
amendment OF the two million bill" That amendment
he himself would not have offered; but having been Of
ered he would not dodge the question: but voted for the
amendments and he then took occasion 10 say that when
ever and IN whatever manner that question should pre-
ITSELF he stood ready face with all the RESPONSE
bllites attached TO H. He regarded the amendment as
premature, because for his part he could not see how II
could affect any treaty which might be entered into be-
tween Mexico and the United States 1t nvoyeda ques-
ton which related strictly to themselves Il was entirely
domestic quesilon-One with which Mexico had moth
ing 10 do, and which could not sustain any relation to
any treaty between the two countries. IL question
10 De decided by the votes upon that floor and the south
carried IT, they should have II in their way, and the
north would 1--we up TO Il sacredy as they lived up TO
the compact in the constitution regard TO that subject
The question would properly arise when the territorial
laws TO be extended those conquered PROVINCES
and II II then declared free territory, at the proper
time It would come into the Union free State whilst,
on the other hand, If slavery permitted, IL would
come IN as Texas did. Slavery existed in Texas, and
il could not be admitted without slavery. But rather
than let 1t remain inferior, independent power on
their borders become a dependency OF Gre nj Britain,
the United States took it with slavery and ne would
allow abolltOnlss anybody else Ia nedde with that
question there, leaving to time and their own good
judgment to relieve them of il. When the time
that their laws should be extended over California,
as they undoubtedly would be- he had doubt that a
provision excluding slavery would be attempted 10 be IN
serted and that he had doubt Oud be carried. These
bis opinions and he repeated his conviction thai
the people OF the United States determined To prose
cute the with the utmost ygOr to an honorable ter
acquisition OF the CALIFORNIA;, to be admitted States
whenever the circumstances and the population OF the
territory would justify that measure; H. then, the WI,
Amendment should be pressei-lt II were insisted
that provision should be inserted prohibiting nyounta
~ scryude any OF the conquered territories, although
he should regard the movement IA premature, st II call
ed upon, he should vote for such proyson-certanly
he never would dodge vote upon that subject. lie
would vote for II hi mlss-slnk swim he would
faithfully endeayor TO represent the sentiments OF Inc DIS
trct from which he came. In justice TO his southern
friends he would say that he did not believe that they de-
sired to extend slavery inch OF territory on that con
tnent or anywhere where did not exist They had been
taught TO believe and they did believe, that slavery
/ evil existing IN their bosom without any fault OF
theirs From the speeches OF southern gentlemen, he
had been led 10 believe that such the fact Slavery
was introduced INTO that country when IN the colonial
II brought there without any fault OF theirs,
and they regarded IL evil that must be borne, be
the time had not that the country could be nd
OF that aw full blight and eternal lie might be mis-
taken II might be that gentlemen wished to extend the
institution OF slavery but he did not believe that a ma,
jory of the southern people, il poleI, would be opposed
TO making California, New Mexico, and the whole OF the
Mexican territory free the north itself II was Tor
their interest to have free The north would protect
them in the day and hour OF their trouble and so would
the free States of California and New Mexico. The
freemen of the north stood by the south in
all their rights upon this subject The irGemen
disturb the relations between master and slave in the
southern states But he did believe that the freemen OF
the north fully determined that they would not
pay and send volunteers to the war to conquer ter
riteTy which slavery would be extended The sooner
the question met the better lie regretted that the
question had been raised al all but he hal yet TO learn
that the southern gentlemen that hOOr when the prop
Oson should come up, either the extension OF teri
toral laws OF Appropriation bill, would be found
ighl NJ with the wings against any measures TO retain
the territory any bill voting supplies account OF
provision prohibiting Involuntary seryItude. why, he
had it in his power to prove, tune permitted that Lead
ng wings approved the prosecution of the war because
the territory was to be Tree He would read from the
speech OF the gentleman from Tennessee one OF the old
est members that floor, AMI oi the most eloquent
members of his party, mir. GENTRY.l What did he
The President was going to conquer vaN region Of
country larger than all the old thirteen SiaGs and add to
this Cuon Did any man know what he had intended to
do with the two millions of dollars he had asked III liouH
ppropate for contingent expenses! good democrat
had moved celebrated resolution on that occasion prohD-
nx the P"FShh, OF GmL iG{ n y ' the psoe must
be mad Lhcy shut h'iF eyes l" me bearing Oh suuh re-
oluton. They bound to anticipate the dangers which
threatened hn, and to call the people TO the rscu' Their
dearest Interests we're about to o. put IN peru Dy zoos ana
traitors. Would die northern States consent thai slavery
not Thln W., WIRE to have At The cx'remc south Gordon
free States What world the present South 70 that ="
There direct appeal to the south, that the Tree
men OF the north would not consent to extend slavery
the territory and that therefore the south should
oppose the That the argument OF the gentle
What the great danger-the great evil that the
gentleman dreaded, and which he put the ground Of
his appeal to the south Why, that the northern States
would 10 slavery being established, and we
TO have at the extreme south a Gordon OF new
States Now he (Mr. wished that TO go to the people
OF the north he wished them to understand that lead
ng southern Wing had announced as the ground OF ms
opposition the war; the fear of the permanent &C
QUESTION OF California and New Mexico IA free States
The gentleman oppressed by the apprehension OF
evil altogether imaginary Facts proved that IN cases
where free States contact with slave States the
former, and not the latter, suffered Let them look at
Pennsylvania, the good old Quaker abolition State; 1t
bordereA upon Maryland a slave State but what in
jury had ever resulted the latter from the contact
Again, look at Ohio She in contact with Kentucky.
Was Kentucky injured by the contact with Ohio, where,
everybody knew, the most rabd aboonsts in the whole
IN he |
suffered, becoming the receptacle of all the free and
manumited negroes, and runaway niggers, who were
to any community, who came from the neigh
boring State Ii the free States that were injured
not-and here the hammer fell
Mr. ROOT then addressed the committee. He
found wings disclaming what was imputed to them
By their opponents and democratic gentlemen diff
ering from each other-for without any lmputa-
ton of eaves-dropping, whilst struggling for the
floor he could not help learning that there were differ
ences amongst the democratic gentlemen. He was a
whig, and nothing else He stood on his own footing.
He believed that the unnecessary and therefore
uniustifabe 1t was not sufficient to tell him that Mex
leo had done them wrong He regarded war so terri
bic calamity-so absolutely condemned by the benign
system of religion under which they ivedthat it took
wrongs which admitted Of no other remedy that could JUS
What were these causes of complaint? Why, that Mex
leo would not pay her debts such were good cause Of
war, God help some OF the States of the Union IA
Taught But she would not settle the boundary. How
did they come to have that boundary to settle They
had brought up an old quarrel 1t was rea-
son to go to with Great Britain about boundary
They anxious ~ 20 to war that they gave up
six degrees to Great Britain They had acted in this
the did who got up good private character
ha1D ptb Ip tbe hair