The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-11-02

WAsHrSoros, Oct. 81, 1877
The W,imsf Previso.
story u told In the Arabian Nights Of certain silly
fellow named Ainascher, who day nduIgng ct his
snop In visionary dreams OF future wealth and psndor
and calculating upon giving forcbIs proo his
Importance by matreating his wife kicked down a bss-
ket OF In which the whole Of his meagrs for
was invested and thus destroyed the whence
AL his riches were to dow. The wilmot provso men
nave Deem enacting similar absurdty They have en-
10 esslae for territory that has yet
~ Inc property OF the United States; and about the
A"'enoe % slavery In country in which slavery,
- 'n.' country never can exist they have indus
'nouSy mace themselves miserable fact they refuse
to be comforted II is said that at the Hsrmsr Con-
vsntion, wspt at the thought OF mcb an ont
rage being put upon the North by South "a pictured
by Mr.. Wilmot. They did not know thew had bssn
half Ill used by the South, until Mr. wmot .nl,ght
ened them.
Now, there happen to be some who regard this
rsntc sympathy for the grievous wrongs and hsrdshps
that possible slaves may suffer in Caornis at some
possible and altogether undetermined period lamen
table msdrecton and useless expenditure Of intrins
cay prsseworthy emotion for II well establish
cd fact that slavery cannot exist in California Why
this furious upon bodilsss impossbilitys Genera
Kearny, who has been the ground, declares the
country is not adapted for slave labor Mr. Thompson
late minister to Mexico, makes q similar declaration
aud their evidence IL sustained by the testimony OF
other officers of the government who have lately
yelled In the country And yet, at the bare thought
that there may, by any possibility, be q slave In the
country at any time the Wmot provso men are moon
solabe.
But they say :" II is not abolition movement nor
are we sbolitionists We ready to shed blood
for the reserved rights of the South" The only differ
sncs between this movement and sbolitionsm is that
niata alt hou1h
some practical end. Slavery exists ut the South, and
they desire to eradicate it. The Wilmot proviso men,
on the contrary assa abstraction Slavery does not
exist In California is possible that 1t
lst there, 80 far rs can be foreseen; and still
they assa this phantom which they take melancholy
pleasure In copjuriRg up fercely It were real
sad actual embodiment But how does it appear 1t is
not an abolition movement? The aboltionists agree
with the Wilmot proviso men in their views on this
question. No other party does There perfect unity
Of sentiment between them Why then should the pro
viso men deny the fellowship
MIR. Wilmot In his Herkimsr speech declared the pro-
vso was not introduced for the purpose Of embarrassing
tho administration Certainly Mr. Wilmot Is the best
exponent of his intentions and motives and when
he he did not to embarrass the sdministrs
ton would be unciv to call his statement In question
But II such not the purpose what would have been
the effect Of the proviso 1t be denied that It
would have embarrassed the administration It's efforts
to secure peace with Mexico. This being the case,
Mr.. Wilmot stands in the position OF Q man who would
cay to his nsighbor" My good friend suffer me- pray
you, to sever your carotid artery may, to be sure,
deprive you of life in the operation but protest suoh
not my purpose. l am simply aetusted by q philan-
hropc desire for the promotion Of science and have no
homicidal views whatever"
or Mr.. Wilmots sincerity do not entertain doubt
although 1t is somewhat difficult to reconcile sound
sense (Which he certainly possesse with the sincere
advocacy OF such measure but . pretension to sin
certify the part Of all who have joined In the move
msnt would be too ludcrous. That it was embarked In
by the large majority Of its advocates solely with view
the prevention Of slavery in California is too great an
absurdity to gain crsdence GALyIENsIs