Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-09-22
The wil.not Proviso.

The following extract is from the New
York Express. thorough-going CLAY pa
per. 1t should be read.
We published it, that our readers ma,
see with how much consistency the fede
ralists can call the democratic part,
slough faces"
Tar WILMoT PRovIso can never b.
made national issue, pending the election
Of President, with safety to this Union
The question of slavery is sectional, ant
purely sectional, under the free and slav,
institutions Of the United States. Wher,
universal freedom exists, no power OF
earth can restore slavery, and where slave
ry exists, no power of the Free States car
abolish it. The Slave States, we see, will
never consent to elect pledged Wilmo
Proviso man President, and If the Free
States could unite upon such man, Ian
amposs'b,laty, as ace believe, the dangerou.
and alarming spectacle would be present.
ed ola Chief Magistrate elected by one
section, in spite OF the remonstrsnce and
apprehensions Of another section. tits in
the power ofthe Free States, if united, te
dictate President over the Slaves States
that on this point are united, but such a
Chief Magistrate would be in position
SO much suspected, and SO little trusted
that he could not administer the Govern.
ment Of the whole Unien with satisfaction
to the country, or to himself The South
ern and Western States in mass, would
resist him. and would soon find parties
strong enough in the Free States to give
them control of the administration. We
trust then never to see a sectional question
agltating the Union, when Its Chief Mag
lstra'e is to be chosen. No party could
be so dangerous a division as that In
point Of fact, to make it, is to prescribe
every man in the slaveholdng States, for
II is impossible for a public man in these
States to pledge himself for the Wimot
Proviso. Such sectional prescription,
all must see, would be dissolution Of
the Union.
Now, it SO happens, and fortunately,
that while the Wilmot Proviso cannot be
made national issue pending Presiden.
tial Election, it can be made sectional
one. and thus accomplish all its advocates
desire, withou, in the least jeoparding the
Union II is Congress that is to decide
upon the annexation, or non annexation of
new territories, with, or without slave
ry,-and hence it is of importance, that
members Of Congress should make known
their views upon tins subject. and be cleo.
ted, or rejected accordingly. If the Free
State. are true 10 themselves, no Treaty
annrxing Territory TO be made slave Ter
rilory OF, Can pass the Senate OF the Uni
ted States by a two-third vote. 1.-THE Pres
ident should make such treaty. and the
Senate should ratity it, the appropriations
or means necessary to carry it into effect,
canlot pass the House of Representatives,
II Its members eject are true to the princi-
pie, OF the Wilmot Proviso. IL is ia the
halls OF Congress, therefor that this bat
tie is to be fought OUT, not in the mansion
OF the White House Congress holds
the power to admit or reject: and if one
Congress should tomorrow enatt the
WIlmot Prosiso, another Congress could
repeal it, if its members elect are unsound.
The Wllmot Pforiso is thus mere act of
Congress, repeaiaJle at uiil, and no MORE
and IS therefore. no secure pledge for the
Free Notes that uhaterer Territory mny be
annered, # 'JIse" at the start, may not be
"slore' IN Il tep gears.
To make all act Of 'ongress, then, thus
repealable a, will, line of party divi
sions IN Union like this, about equally
composed Of slave and free States, is not
only new and dangerous sectional issue,
in lieu of the old party issues, but an issue
OF no permanent avail. There!s no pledge
IN it, as we'll as no expedieucy. 1t is as
useless as it is impolitic. 1t is to say to
FIFTEEN of the twenty nine States of this
Union, "You must not, and you shaH not,
vote for my candidate Tor the Presidency.
will vote for, and secure the defeat of,
my own man." This is, you will play the
Blrney game over again.
II =