The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-13


position Of Jefferson even higher than that taken BY
them Slavery existed de jtue, ii not de taeo, IN the
Northwestern Territory IN 1857 The ordinance was a
in 1854 by Mr. Jefferson was that after the year $500 it
should cease to exist He proposed to take sixteen years
for its abolition The ordinance, as il passed, went into
immediate effect The nslaveholdng States only ask,
that IN the acquisition of territory free, slavery shall
not be established. In the case, it abolished
where it existed in the ether, is only proposed TO be
excluded where II does not exist,
The course of the ehoding States has been de-
nounced as aggressive Sir il has from the earliest Pc
riod, been liberal and orbearing They have acquiesced
in all the propositions which have been made from time
TO time to add southern territory to the Union; they have
concured IN approwatng money Tor the purpose, con
ss hsy psaI e
Of Texas n' they have contributed
ceedng that of the thirteen original Staics-equa to
four-iiths of the original States and their terri
tories They have voted for the admission Of States from
tons not only recognising slavery, but prohibiting ITS abb
clifton by the legislative power OF those States. They
have acceded to all this upon the principle of leaving the
States free TO regulate this subject for themselves within
their own limits. In Texas, slavery existed only noml
naly. That republic had an of more than three
hundred thousand square miles, according to the boqnda
aries claimed by its Congress. Its population bond and
tree when admitted into the Unon did not exceed one
hundred and fifty thousand souls. 1t Tor the most
part unpopulaed Its admission into the Union with
slavery, therefore virtual extension of slavery
an equal to than halt the OF the original
thirteen States We were told that attempts had been
made by foreign governments abolish slavery Texas,
and that the success of these attempts would endanger
the domestic tranquility oil the southern States. The non
savehodng States were appealed to, this and other
grounds, to unite In the immediate annexation OF Texas
They yielded their assent In all this they have acquesced
Sir, they have done they have contributed TO it
for could never have been accomplished but by the aid
of northern votes They believe they have fulfilled to-
wards the south every obligation of fraernal duty And
yet they accused of aggression because they will not
consent to the extension OF slavery to free territory
h,ra told hxy<>,
exceptions that they regarded slavery moral and
cial evil, for which they not responsibility evil
forced upon them by foreign rulers during their colonial
dependence 1t under this view OF the subject that they
have been sustained by their friends in the north not only
in the full possession and enjoyment OF all their rights
over this subject within their own limits under the CON
stuton (his is duty should be INSCRIPTIONS
as to dlsregard0 but in purchasing slave territory and
establishing sayehoding States. Acquisition has gone
on uninterrupted by us, and indeed aided by us, until
there is no longer any slave territory on this continent to
bring into the Union We have literally absorbed it all
The non-savehoding States now asked to go
further: to purchase free territory and leave it open
to the extension of slavery; to extend to free soil
and to free communities an evil which our south
ern friends have told us was forced upon them
which the legislatures of New York, Pennsylvania
Ohio and other States, have acted in reference to this
proposition, is but index to the universal opinion
which pervades the whole north and west. They never
can give their assent TO It, 1t regarded by all parties
as involving principle which rises far above the fleeing
interests OF the day-a principle which they should not
|
themselves instrumental to the extension OF what they
believe to be wrong, and what in their opnion nothing
but necessity can justify.
II the principle by which the non-slaveholdng States
have been governed in acquiring territory is acquesced
in, this question may be settled moment and without
agitation Let the territory if any is acquired be taken
as 1t is found-wh the provision OF the Mexican con-
shtuton abolshing slavery forever Apply to 1t the
principle which applledto Florida and Texas. The
territory with slavery where it actually existed Let the
south not refuse take free territory where slavery
does not exist, and leave il free.
We are told that slavery must not be excluded from
the territories, because emgrans from the southern
States cannot so there with their property Or IN other
words their slaves, and that this would be can entire
understand it. 1t not exclusion the stakeholder
is it exclusion to the free aboer of the south who owns no
slaves. The STAKEHOLDER who emigrates to territory
where slavery does not exist may employ free labor
The free aborer the south who emgates free terrific
y is surely notiued in his condition 1t is not so with
the free labore of the north in respect to slave territory lie
the slave He is eectually excluded as he would be
by positive prohibition. He will not emgrate with his
property to territory open to slaves The property of the
free laborer is in hmsen his powers OF eyeron, his
capacity for endurance in the labor OF his hands TO
him these are of asmuch value as the property which the
master has in his slaves. am not very famlliarly &C
States but suppose there very numerous class IN
them, especialym Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina
and I be s that e
ritory which is free when acquired, shall remain free
think am not mistaken in snpposng this class to be
far more numerous in if not all the States have
named than the class holding slaves Am mistaken IN
supposing free labor is powerful if not dominant IN
teres in the States referred to Wherever free labor has
gone forth this continent the forest has bowed before
It towns and villages have sprung up like magic IN its
track canals railroads. and busy industry, IN all its
| IMAGINABLE FORMS have marked its progress; CIVILIZATION
in it's highest attributes, follows it; knowledge and re-
ligon 90 with it hand in hand Obliterate everything
else and you may its march by the school house.
sowing broadcast the seeds OF intelligence, and the spre
| The nj MAJ n
Heaven" Sir speak of free labor everywhere-in the
south as well as the north Even on the hypothesis OF
an equality in the claims OF free and slave labor, (Which
do not admit) the argument In favor OF taking this ter
ritory as we find it, appears to me unanswerabe
Mr. President, would not have voted to connect the
proviso in the bill passed by the House, and now await
ing the action of the Senate, with any measure Tor me
prosecution of the war MY State would not nave de
sired it. The resolutions of the Legislature in favor OF
all proper measures for the prosecution OF the war; From
the commencement of the my honorable colleague
and myself have sustained all recommended by
the administration for carrying IT on and member OF
the Committee on Military Affairs, have had some share
| in maturing them have voted for the pecuniary means
asked for the number and description OF troops which
ing general for the armies in Mexico with rank in some
degree commensurate with the numerical force to be COM
bned and moved in combination have opposed all propo
stions to clog military bills with extraneous meter, thus
posponnc our action upon them at critical period IN the
campaign The bill under consideration is OF different
character 1t is proposition to purchase territory MY
| friend the chairman OF the Committee Foreign Rela-
tons mir SEWER with his characteristic frankness
and drecness of purpose-quaities as honorable IN a
Legislator az they In manhas gone so lar as to m
dcate the extent of the acquisition, which, in his opIn
| ION we ought to expect-Cahforna and New Mexico.