The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-03-10
REMARKS AND RESOLUTIONS O.
MIR. CALHOUN,


dent, rise to offer a set of resolutions in
reference to the various resolutions from the
State legislatures upon the subject of what
they call the extension Of slavery, and the
proviso attached to the House bill, called
the three million bill. What propose be-
fore l send my resolutions to the table: is
to make a few explanatory remarks.
Mr. President, it was solemnly asserted
on this floor some time ago, that all parties
in the non-slaveholding States had come to
fixed and solemn determination upon two
propositions i. One was, that there should
be no further admission of any States into
this Union which permitted by their con-
stitution the existence of slavery; and the
other was, that slavery should not hereafter
exis. in any of the territories Of the United
States the effect of which would be to
give to the non-slaveholding States the mo-
nopolyof the public domain, to the entire
exclusion Of the slaveholding States. Since
that declaration was made, MIR. President,
we have abundant proof that there was sa-
tisfactory foundation for it. We have re-
ceived already solemn resolutions passed
by seven of the non-slavcholding States.
one-half of the number already in the
Union, Iowa not being counted-using the
strongest possible language to that effect !;
and no doubt in short space of time SINH
lar resolutions will be received from all the
non-slaveholding States But we need not
go beyond the walls of Congress. The
subject has been agitated in the other
House, and they have sent you up a bill
prohibiting the extension" of slavery"
(using their own language) to any terri
tory which may be acquired by the United
States hereafter" At the same time, two
resolutions which have been moved to ex-
tend the compromise line from the Rocky
Mountains TO the Pacific, during the pre-
sent session, have been rejected by decided
majority.
Sir, there is no mistaking the signs of the
times; and it is high time the Southern
States, the slaveholding States, should in
quire what is their relative strength in this
Union, and what it will be if this determi-
nation should be carried into effect hereaf.
ter. Sir, already we are in minority-I
use the word tive" for brevity sake-aI-
ready we are in minority in the other
House, in the electoral college, and, may
say, in every department of this govern
ment, except at present in the Senate of the
United States-there for the present we
have an equality. Of the twenty-eight
States, fourteen are non-slaveholding and
. fourteen are slaveholding, counting Della
ware, which is doubtful, as one of the non
slaveholding States But this equality OF
strength exists only in the Senate. One oi
the clerks at my request has furnished me
with statement of what is the relative
strength of the two descriptions Of States
and in the electoral college There are
228 representatives., including Iowa, which
is represented there Of these, 1873 are
from the non-slaveholding States, and 80
are from what are called slave States, giving
: majority in the aggregate to the former
4 Of 4S. In the electoral college there are
1853 votes belonging to the non-slavehold
ing States; and llS to the slaveholding,
giving majority of SO TO the non.slaye.
holding.
We, Mr.. President, have at present only
one position in the government, by which
we may make any resistance to this az
gressiye policy which has been declared
against the South; or any other that the
non,slavehol olding States may chooseto take
y And this equality In this body, is of the
most transient char acter Affeady7 Iowa
Iyssis Z q State but owing 70 some domestic ca.
lan,ity is not yet represented In this body
~ hen she appears here, there will be an
ditions Of two representatives here Of the
& ilSnssia oiding states5 Already sWiiscon:
SIN has passed the initiatory stage. and will
Il IL 81. 80 X q M,