The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-01-20
The Slavery Question In Cong results Poiit,-
cnl nnd Pecuniary Aspect.


The Slavery Question In Cong ress--Its Poiit,-
cal nnd Pecuniary Aspect.
The lamentable waste of tirne that has been
committed by the present Congress, at a season
when legislation is most needed on questions of
remote and not immediate interest to the United
States, is to be deprecated by all right thinking
people. II there time in our history
when the country suffered for want of legislation
il is the present, when are engaged in for
eign war, which requires the utmost energy, and
liberal supplies of men and money 10 bring IT TO a
close, before the sckly season shall have COM
menced. And yet while our armies are in pas
sive state, awaiting reinforcements TO enable
them to proceed with the campaign, and conquer
peace, before the vomito shall have thinn.o
them off, we see our representatives III
Congress waste their precious time IN nghths
and squabbling about the question OF slavery IN
Oregon, AMI in the new territory which may be
ceded to us by Mexico, in liquidation OF our
claims upon her
OF what earthly use is it to agitate the question
of slavery in Oregon, when it is physically impos-
sbe for it to exist there; and is it not premature
TO agate it as regards California or New Mexico,
before those territories have been regularly coded
to MS by treaty?
That slavery cannot exist in Oregon, is, we
think, self evident proposition. 1t can exist
only where rice, cotton sugar and tobacco can
be cultivated extensively, and where white labor
cannot be obtained. Slave labor will die when op
posed by free labor. Oregon is not and never
will be, suitable for producing these articles.
Therefore free labor will there be supreme. 1t
is, like our Northern States, suitable only for the
cultivation Of wheat, corn Sc, SC, and the ex-
perience of New Jersey, New York, &c, proves
that slave labor canno, compete with free white
labor in the production of these articles In
fact we are disposed to believe that the question
of dollars and dirty politics had much influence
in abolishng slavery in the Northern States as mo-
tives of philanthropy that IL was abolished be-
cause it was found Improbable, and would
answer political purpose for the time. We are
not disposed to underrate the North, and we be-
leve that in the abolition movement there are a
few sincerely philanthropic men, but we incline
very much to the opinion, that if slave labor
were as profitable, and white labor as scarce
as at the South, that the North would probably
have acted in exactly the same way the South
have acted, and retained slavery to the present
time. The question touches the pockets and the
politics in both cases, and we can never believe
that the people of tho North care less for money,
arc less addicted to political intrigue than
those of the South. We are moro inclined to
the contrary opinion.
We do not deny that slavery might be introduce
ed into the new territory that we will acquire
from Mexico; but, from the nature of things, we
contend that it is very improbable that single
slave would ever be transported there, were the
North even willing to countenance it.
VI. &c a. A. r
slavery has agitated our national councils
but we question if its discussion was ever so in
opportune. If our army were not languishing
for want of supplies-if the honor and interests
of the country were not suffering from want Of
legislation-if the country to which the discussion
relates, kwere actually in our possession, there
could be no objection TO discuss it in all its
bearings but we submit whether this is a pro-
per time, when Congress has been in session
seven or eight weeks, without doing any thing,
and when but few weeks more Of the session
remain?
When the North and South were divided on
this question many years ago; and when the
feelings of both were excited to the highest
pitch, compromise was effected, which sa
tisfed both. This compromise was effected
by both agreeing upon certain line, north of
which slavery should not exist. Now, if that
compromise line were agreed upon as has been
proposed in Congress, to be extended through The
new territory to be acquired by u.s. to the Pa
ofic ocean, both the North and the South would
be again satisfied we suppose and in that case
the North would obtain larger slice Of free than
the South would slave territory.
We learn from private information that COM
promise of this kind is seriously thought of by the
patriotic portion of both parties, and that when
the proper time arrives it will be submitted, but
they do not think it polite to propose it when
other and more important interests are suffering.
It's better not to regulate our acres before we
actually possess them.