Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-03-12
CALH0uN'S SPEECH.

&c., and concluded his speech by presenting
for the consideration of that body the resolu-
tons which we published last week.
= y
Mr.. President, it was solemnly asserted on
this floor, some time ago, that all parties IN
the non-slaveholding States had come to a
fixed and solemn determination upon two pro-
positions. One was, that there should be no
further admission of any States into this I'M
ion, which permitted by their Constitution
the existence Of slavery, and the other was,
that slavery should not hereafter exist in any
of the Territories Of the United States the
effect of which would be to give 10 the nom
slaveholding States the monopoly Of the pub
lie domain. TO the entire exclusion Of The
slave-holding States. Since that declaration
was made, Mr.. President, w have abundant
proof that there was a satisfactory foundation
for it. We have received, already received
solemn resolutions passed by seven Of the
non-slaveholding States, one half Of the num-
her already in the Union, Iowa not counted
using the strongest possible language 10 that
effect; and 10 doubt, in a short space of time
similar resolutions will be received from all
the non-slavoholding States. But we need
not 60 hey nd the walls Of Congress. The
subject has been agitated in the other House,
and they have sent you up a bill, "prohibit-
ing the extension of slavery TO use their own
language) to any territory which may be ac-
quired by the United States hereafter" At
the same time, two resolutions which have
been moved to extend the compromise line
from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific,
during the present session, have been reject
ed by Il decided majority.
Sir, there is no installing the signs Of the
times; and it is high time that the Southern
States, the slave-holding States, should in
quire what is now their relative strength in
this Union, and what it will be if this deter
mination should be carried into effect hereaf-
ter. Sir, already we are in a minority-l use
the word we" for breviiy sakc-already we
are in a minority in the other House, in the
electoral college, and, | may say, in every
department of this government, except at pre-
sent in the Senate Of the United Slates-there
for the present we have an equality. OF the
% States, II are non-slavehJlding and II
are slaveholding, counting Delaware, which
Is doubtful, as one of the non-slaveholding
States. But this equality of strength exists
only in the Senate. One of the clerks at my
request has furnished me with a statement Of
what is the relative strength of the two de-
scriptions of States, in the otter House Of
Congress and in the electoral college. There
are 226 representatives. including Iowa, which
is already represented there. or these, 1873
are from the non-slaveholding States, and 90
are from what are called the slave States, Civ
ing a majority in the aggregate, TO the for
mer, of 4S. In the electoral college there
are I66 votes belonging TO the non-slavehold-
ing States, and lis TO the slaveholding, CIV
ing a majority of so to the non-slayeholding
States.
We, Mr.. President, have at present only
one position in the government by which we
YNau r,alya ANU raciStopca ~ thiS orurnSSiya
policy which has been declared against the
south, or any other that the non-slaveholding
States may choose to take. And this equali-
~ in this body is of the most transient cha
racter. Already Iowa is a State, but owing
TO SOM domestic calamity, is not yet repre-
scented in this body. When she appears here,
there will be an addition Of two senators to
the representatives. of the non-slaveholding
States. Already Wisconsin has passed the
initiatory stage, and will be here at the next
session. This will add two more, making a
clear majority of four in this body, on the side
of the non-slaveholding States, who will thus
be enabled to sway every branch of this 60
vernment, at their will and pleasure. But,
sir, if this aggressive policy be followed-ii
the determination of the non-slaveholding
States is TO be adhered 10 hereafter, and we
are 10 be entirely excluded from the terrific
iiNo We uliCuu1 DoooOoSs " may DOooNoo-il
this is to be the fixed policy of the govern.
ment, | ask, what will be our situation here
afterl
Sir, there is ample space for twelve or ff-
teen of the largest description of States in the
territories belonging to the United States,
Alreadya law is IN course Of passage through
the other House, creating one north of Wis
consin. There is ample room for another
north Of Iowa, and another north of that; and
then that large region extending on this side
of the Rocky Mountains, from 400, DOWN tc
the Texan line, which may be set down fair
" as an area OF twelve and a half degrees oil
latitude-that extended region of itself is sus.
ceptible of having six, seven, or eight large
States. To this add Oregon, which extends
from 40 TO AGES, which will give four more,
and | make a very moderate calculation when
say that in addition 10 Iowa and Wisconsin,
10 more States upon the territory already ours
without reference to any acquisitions from
Mexico-may be, and will be shortly added
to these United States. How will we then
stand! There will be but IL on the part oil
the South-we are TO be fixed, limited, and
forever-and % on the part of the non-slave-
holding States! Twenty eight! Double ouI
number; and with the same disproporlion in
the other House and in the electoral college
The government, sir, will be entirely in the
hands of the non-slayeholding States-over-
whelmingly!
Sir, if this state Of things is to go on-ii
this determination so solemnly made, is TO be
persisted in, where shall we stand, as far as
this federal government of ours is concerned
What, then, must we do? We must look
to justice-to our own interest-to the Cen
stiiution. We will have no longer a shield
in equality here, Nor can we rely upon the
sense Of justice of this body. Ought we t'