The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-16


eracy, however, they did demand the right OF manly
What. then, did they propose odo' To say with all
rankness that there should be disagreement hereafter
that while they stood by the rights guaranteed, yet
slavery should exist by their votes in territory
now free They would be faithless To- their trust
and would violate the spirit OF their constituents and
the age if they faltered in the course they had mark
ed out They would not be driven from the pro-
Prety Of their course BY any taunts They had been
denomnated as scuIvy politicians and fanatical alb
oitioniss, yet such auns would not drive them from
the path of dutyfrom fidelity to their sacred trust 1t
would seem that not only were they to be thus assaed by
oppobrous epthes but said that they sought to
violate public faith Let them carefully examine the facts
and if they truly obnoxious to such charge
They proposed then, to declare that, in any territory
Free be hereafter acquired, the institution OF sla
very should not exist What provision @. me constit
ton did they thus violate lat right of single State
did they thus disregard He might allude to the posi-
tons OF the gentleman from South Carolina MIR RHETT
but he (Mr H) stated now, aftirmatively that the
they proposed would not violate the of any State
Let them turn to history / was no acquisition Of territory
and Florida and Texas the institution of slavery had
existed before their admission. The west demanded the
OF that territory on which she would not al
low the sovereignty OF foreign power His friend in
the west would tell him that the great mart below
designed to receive the products from above The terri
tory acquired for great glorious, and national pur
poses. II came with that institution So was il with re-
spec to Florida II connected with them in all the
relations of commerce. and came to benefit those who
sided its SOIL So was il relation the annexation
Of Texas. II had its great national features, al
though degraded by statesmen who placed it on
the miserable pretence Of extending slavery. Yet it
purposes which were contemplated Now the great ques
ton they to acquire other foreign territory for
the purpose or with the consent that might be turned
into slave territory? Never-never with his assent.
And the time to meet the question, and speak
frankly and boldly When Louisiana acquired, sub
sequent to the acquisition then was adopted , the Ms Ms
gentleman from South Carolina presented an amendment,
recognising that the line established in that compromise
that by his own argument He argued that Oregon was
acquired by the treaty of 1916 If what bearing had
the compromise of 1890 to that territory i had none If
embraced in the purchase of Louisiana, his amendment
was supererogaory If not, it extending that line to
territory which had no connection with it.
MIR. BURT thought that the gentleman did not do JUS
know that the Missouri compromise confined to the
Louisiana territory. His amendment was to indicate
design to apply that line to any subsequent acquisitions
After some further remarks from this gentleman
MIR. HAMLIN proceeded He held that the very idea
of compromising about territory before they knew its
boundaries, did not commend it to his judgment He
agreed with the gentleman that the line did not extend
west of the Rocky mountains. But in relation to the
compromise he said that when they undertook to com
aries and its geographical features. The geography and
topography Of Mexico taught them that rigid line
ming east and west could be laid down; He then went
at some length to examine the positions laid down by the
honorable gentleman from South Carolina [Mr RHETr]
with respect to the of sovereignty, and the
sttuuonal powers OF Congress, with regard to the acqq
argument of the gentleman quite too small print for
the public to read, and that it had substance in it. The
power to acquire was the major incident and surely in,
Guided the mlnor-the power to regulate But he would
not draw Gordon of free States round the slave States
He wished to give the free blacks outlet AS to the
dissolution of the Union his nerves were not all Tou
bled by the outcry The cry was stale Dissolve il for
an extension of negro slavery 1t was ridiculous. The
patriotic south would stand by the Union, and regret that
Mr. BOWDON followed in reply. He made an elabo-
rate argument IN support OF southern rights, and was lis
tened to with marked attention by a full House.
Mr. WlLMOT. MIR. Speaker, | do not design to say
much
The SPEAKER The gentleman has not got the floor
Laughter 1t is the gentleman from Pennsylvania, [Nlr
Mr. JAMES THOMPSON then proceeded 10 address
the committee. He commenced by an examination of
Carolina mir RasrT with 1 regard 70 the question su
sovereignty and commended that the constitution gave
full and ample right to inhib the introduction of slavery
into territories now free He was willing to stand BY
the arrangements of the constitution. But he would not
consent to any extension Of slavery AS to the threat
about dissolution Of the Union he regretted to hear
When these gentlemen had gone into his State,
and enacted laws, which he thought would be
injurious. h" did not talk about disunion. He could
see nothing in the subject to induce the contemplation of
such result dissolution Feeling that he spoke the
sentiments OF his constituency he said he would never
0 G e b usn,s% Of "a h oSt Of territory where
those gentlemen and now, when he said he would go
further, he spoke the opinions Of his constituents The
people oI TenSyVaId nau Deen sOIt OF cOruOh on lne
northern frontier and if they should finch and go for
tending slavery farther and farther there might be some
foundation for the threats of dissolution He did not
wish to be misunderstood He confessed he had been
staggered to the right of State to do she pleased
after she got into the Union But they had right to
keep as territory forever and could not come in
unless il complied with conditions which Congress
thought right and just II was true. they could not put
State out if she established slavery after she in
but It would present strange state of things if that
should happen. He asked if fair compromise had not
been made in the annexation OF Texas Then it might
have been very well to have made final arrangement
But the south said, that the north had gone so
foot west of the Rio Grande If they did have any of it,
let not be sad at this age of the world that the reest
government on earth was sitting in that hail. consulting
about the extension Ian institution which all called UNI
fortunate, and which he the south itself would
not, acting for itself extend.
Mr.. MCDANIEL then obtained the floor. motion
made to adjourn, but was Withdrawn on the state
Mr.. MCDANIEL that he intended to the previous
question; but before doing so, he would say that the
ton of Congress in this debate quarreng about what
they would do il they had certain rights which they have
not reminded him Of anecdote which he heard when
boy clever old Dutchman and his wife had spent
when in the midst of their felicity, the good wife said
"John if we had cow, now, you should go milk her
night" "No wouldn't" replied her spouse with an
ominous shake of the head Indeed you should, John'
was the afeconate rejonder; and, finally, the husband
declared that he would have married her if he had
declared that she would have had him # she had
thought him so refractory Laughter) This little
story he thought excellent illustration of the present
position of the House on this debate, which was al
together out of place In conclusion, Mr. MCDANIEL
moved the previous question.