Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1848-08-15
JAnrTss n. EIi SON.

>
One aniouge le trmest ani asIlsst aesoeales 9.
The South the pendehcy ot the Ierritoriai
ditcnltiesin the o. s. Senate. has been lhe lion.
JAMES M. Mason. of Virginia. Whilst ne has
been disposed to meet.the question in spirit OF
cancellation and compromise, as became friend.
of the Union, its future interest and Per1na
prosperity. yet his course has too clearly spoken
to the wild spirit of fanattcism to be misunder-
stood, :. that thus far may thou 60 bat no farther
His speech on the Compromise Bin of Mr.. Clay
ton, was a master effort, and from both friend and
foe, ELECTED the highest concentrations Contra
ry TO our wishes, its length has yet forbid its
insertion in our paper. We shall endeayor how
ever, by some means, TO pnt each of our readers
in possession ola copy
On Friday, when the amendment of Mr.. Doug
lass to the Oregon Territorial Bill was before
the Senate, (bcing the; Missouri Compromise
North of SO, sO,) MI Mason commented at some
length, and the correspondent OF the BALTIC. Sun
says, with considerable severity, upon the course
of Mr.. Webster, andiyery justly designated him
as the great Northern Wing leader of this Free
Soil movement. Totilis Nj Webster replied, by
declaring fired determination to do, what we
wish Southern Wings TO mark. Mr.. w said
in substance:
He had said merely that he would do nothing
to extend the area of slavery, or to increase the
representation in Congress from slave territory
This he had said,pver and over again. The re-
prcse ntation upynss9 Srnperty, was an fRcqu0tl-
IN. The Northeplssr. g bad no such representa-
ton. l7sa4sts :.
re would not consent 10 increase this inequa-
ty, notwithstanding the gentlemans designation.
The gentleman had never heard him say more
had never heard him express any wish to break
down the Constitution, or deprive the South OF
their Just representation. BE defed any South
ern man to say that ever, in the whole course OF
his political life, he had manifested any disposition
TO trench upon the rights of the South. tie APP
pcaled 10 the CanGor the honorable member from
Virginia to answer.
And now in regard to this Missouri compro-
mise Ine-hc wished to avoid all aItuson IN thls
bill TO lines of demarcation-they were unnecessa-
rv-out OF MACE and should be avoided. lie re-
Daated by no act of bis should the area OF slavery
be extended or the slave representation ne e&tehu
ed in the other House OF Congress. he woHid
do no act which had a tendency to produce such
results.
Mr.. Mason had no intention in the world to
nrovolle the honorable Senator from Massachu-
s,lts to words of heat. They were unsuIted, he
had supposed. to his temperament OF his age
Nor had he intended TO detract one ota from his
renutation. ANY thing that lie could say would
not add 10 it or take from it one whit. What he
had said was the just Interpretation oil his Ian
nuaae, for which he alone was responsible, if it
had been misunderstood. What, he would ask,
had the honorable Senator, or his constituents, TO
do with the slaves at the South What right had
he OF they to interfere
Mr.. Weoster.-Because it affects us-Politi-
ccliy.
Mr. Mason-You have no right to express an
opinion in reference to Southern slavery, much
less to legsIate upon it. We regard this descrip-
ton of property tr~St, aud not as property
upon which the North, the Notwithstanding
States, had no RIG ht 10 egislate. He knew the
weight of the honorable Senator s words, and were
he disposed TO ascribo improper motives to him,
he would say that he intended, designedly, to dis
paragc what he had said. He had no ambition 10
be brought into contest with that honorable Sen
ator-no one was more willing to admit his abili-
tics-but if he persisted in what he understood to
be his intention he must say to that honorable
Senator that he was doing what
Mr. Webster said that the gentleman was en-
tircy mistaken in surprising that he desired TO in
tcrGcrc with Southern slavery-Southern insttu-
tons. The gentleman was an eminent lawyer,
and found himself i'll the -bredicament which they
sometimes find themselves, when, suPposlng that
they stand on one leg, find thut they really stand
on the other SO it had been in regard to his pre-
sent remarks, or his present understanding OF lNlr.
WIS., remarks. He repeated what he had be-
fore said in regard to slave representation.
Mr.. Berrien also made some remarks in re-
gard 10 illusions made by Mr.. Webster to himself
and TO the power of the Constitution to acquire