Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-01-15
THE GREAT QUESTION.

than by requisition for volunteers, provided
the terms held out to both are the same.
THE GREAT QUESTION.
AS Democrat, as lover of our country,
and as a Southern man. there is much in the
recent proceedings of the House of Represen-
tatives at which we are chagrined, and which
fills our mind with no pleasing forebodlngs
for the future destinies of the Union. On the
4th inst, Mr.. Preston King, of New York,
moved postponement of the special order of
the day for the purpose of introducing bill
for the purpose of placing at the disposal of
the President the sum of $50, 700, to be used,
if necessary, in negotiating peace with Mex
leo; and also the further sum of two millions
OF dollars also for the purpose of enabling
the Executive, should the contingency arrive,
in the recess of Congress, to conclude treaty
of peace with that republic. The latter large
sum to be placed at the disposal of the Presi-
dent for the purpose, should it be required, OF
adjusting the question Of future boundary be-
tween the United States and Mexico 1t is
admitted, we believe, on all hands, that when
ever peace is concluded, the only means
which Mexico will possibly have in her pow
er for indemnifying us for the expenses of the
war, as we'll as for the wrongs which she has
done to us antecedent to the breaking out of
hostilites, will be the cession Of territory, and
that in arranging this latter question, the Ex-
ecutive may want large sum of money; and
hence the clause of the bill placing at his
disposal two millions of dollars. But that
portion of this bill, to which we wish to call
special attention, and on which we deem
it our duty to make few remarks, is con-
tanned in the second section, which provides
that slavery shall be forever excluded from a
ny territory which hereafter shall be acquired
or annexed by the United States. This clause
is expressly tackled on to this bill making ap
preparations for the purpose of facilitating
the conclusion of treaty of Peace, should
Mexico be so disposed 1t Is true, that the
House, by vote of 80 nays against 8S yeas,
refused to suspend the rule so as to take the
bill under consideration. Still, however, it is
the opening wedge in controversy, which
we fear, at no distant day, is to convulse the
Union to its centre, if the patriotism and good
sense of the American people does not frown
it down. In all human probability, the Uni
ted States will acquire large amount of ter
ritory, whenever treaty of peace is concluded
For how else is Mexico to pay us what she
owes us or how is she otherwise to indemni-
fly us for the loss of blood and treasure which
we have already suffered, and which we may
yet suffer in prosecuting the present war 3
And thus early the North steps in, and tells
us of the South eve are not opposed to the
acquisition of territory from Mexico, but we
are opposed to its acquisition, unless you per-
nit US, beforehand, to ordain that it shall for
everbe precluded from becoming ANY portion of
it, slaveholding territory" In the first place,
we think that this is the wrong timeto agitate
such question, even if it were proper one
For we are in the midst ola foreign war, and
the clogging the appropriations for carrying
on or settling it with such ve.rata quest1o is
highly impolitic, and we may add, unpatrotic
But we utterly deny the right of the North to
introduce such a question into the legislation
of Congress. If any territory is acquired on
our Southern frontier, we say that the men
who may people that territory are the only
persons who ought to decide the question of
g slaveholding'' or n-slayeholding State.''
But, at any rate, if the fanaticism of the North
ern States will force this issue on the South,
let it come up on the Record properly and re-
gulagly. Let the territory be acquired, and
then, at any future period, should any portion
of that territory form itself into State, and
ask admission into the Union, then let the
question come up on its merits. For one, we
are ready to meet it. We are of opinion that
it must, one day, come to point, and we
think that the sooner the better for the South.
If the North is disposed to violate, in its mad
fanaticism the compromises of the Constitution,
we, for one, are ready to meet the crisis. But
we cannot refrain from denouncing the unfair
and ungenerous method which that section of
the Union has thought proper to adopt in drag
ging the question before Congress at this I'M
propicious hour. We call upon the whole
Southern Press to be upon the alert, and pre-
pare for the day of action, for we fear that it
is fast approaching. Let us at least be uni
ted on this question.