Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-04-20
Mr. RoTTs AND THE WING.

III is vain eHD1l Oh Inc wing " cAuiedie wi.
Bolts and itself (for by defending his position it
makes itself party) from the difficulty in which
they are involved on the subject OF The Wilmol
Proviso II its attempt TO convict US OF incon.
sisency be its best defence, we shall cut away
even that narrow plank. |, alleges tina. the En-.
uuirer has never complained OF the course u
those Southern Democrats who voted for The bill
which excluded slavery from the territory OF Ore
eop. and that therefore The Enquirer has no right
10 doubt the soundness OF Mr.. Bolts upon the
Wilmo, Proviso, 10 be applied 10 any territory
which may be acquired from Mexico Does The
Wing mean to assert that these Southern Demo-
Gratis yoled for The clause in The Oregon bill e1-
GLIDING slavery7 II SO, he labors under gross
error. The Southern members offered, as an
amendment to the BILL The principle Of Ii. Mis-
souri, Compromise, which was voted down, and
the bill then passed, with Inc Objectionable clause
above referred TO. We have not examined our
flies TO know whether we expressed the decided
objections 10 that BILL which we fell and still feel,
and for The very reason assigned by the Wing,
that 1--WE deny the right and the power OF Con-
gress 10 forbid the introduction OF slavery into
apy portion of the Union" But admitting that we
had been silent upon The Oregon bill, we will show
beyond controversy, that there Is an immense Dill
ference between the Two eases. Ali u Oregon
lies above the fory-second degree of latitude, ard
ofcourse above The line Of the Missouri Compfo-
mise. which line the South has been willing 10
eoncede as The limit of the slave holding territory
and which line, al The suggestion OF The Senior
Editor Of The Wing himself, was incorporated in
10 the strong resolution offered by Mr.. Robt. G.
Scott 10 The public meeting in this city, in de-
nuncia,ion OF the passage Of The Wilnot provlso
in the three millions bill. No Southern man
moyed 10 introduce slavery into Oregon, no por-
ton OF which is below The line OF the Missouri
COMPROMISE. Hence The Wimot proviso was
not operative In the case Of The Oregon bill. All
tina, the South ASKED, was The adoption OF the Mis-
souri, Compromise principle. Had The oblec-
lionable clause in the Oregon bill been rejected
or adopted, Oregon would have been free Ter
ri,ory, because il was all above The line which The
South has been willing TO concede, not as matter
of right, but OF compromise.
But how IS II win Inc w ilmol pIoflso W ine
three millions bill, which MIR. Bolts virtually sus.
tains, because he says distinctly that he would
vote for John NJ. Clayton, arao rotsd IN far0r 81
thai provi~? Will ii not operate 10 The exclu-
sion OF Southern citizens with their property
from all The territory which may be acquired,
even belop the Missouri compromise line p
Does il not directly infringe upon The rights Of The
South strip them Of the equal privilege OF enjoy
ing territory acquired BY Southern blood or lrea-
sure, and degrade them in position2 And YET
MIR. Bolts, so far from denouncing The measure,
substantially responds to The Northern vIolators
OF The Constitution and assures them tha! The
South will yield the principle for which she has
commended, and, al the bidding of The North, will
refuse 10 acquire an acre Of territory, as ndem-
nifty for Mexican wrongs and The expenses OF The
war. Blu, this point we have treated more at
length in another article. All that we designed
was 10 show The weak pretext upon which The
Wing has cndeavored 10 shield MIR. Bol,s and it.
self. by exposing others Let the Wing Try
aeain-,his defence is utterly unavaing. On
Monday when we have more room, we shnll
continnp lhe sublect