Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-09-05

Slavery. he ask.d if we could be persuaded
that this question had originated IN 'he acqu'>'-
lion OF Mexican Territory2 II was Known W
all that it had arisen long before loo' =, 'n ,t
Territory had been acquired. he ie.e'is' " ;os
Missouri Compromise as an OCCASION ou "n;en
il had exhibited Itself in lis nos' a.al .n'ns
power The Compromise had not se.siea ~
but that il lad rather increased N violence s'n.e,
as was apparent from The fact tna' a. Que
lime the Southern Delegation had oeen nearly
driven by il from their seats IN Congress nome -
their constituents. All this before Inc acqu'si.
lion Of Mexican Territory. How men cIa'u y
be said that that acquisition hau clD"sm MS
question upon us7 Gentlemen, ne sa'a' equdiy
deceived themselves il they supposed md. Wv. ~
failure 10 acquire would have saved US rom ~
continued agitation, The District OF Columbia
and the trade in slaves between The states wete'
and would continue 10 be. The objects OF allacR,
even il we gave back The Territory TO MEXICO;
which none would venture even 10 propose. But
he said, il failure TO acquire territory would
save us from The question. he should consider
The degradation as great, for the southern people
on that accountto refuse 10 acquire ieiIiuiy ini-
portant 10 our Union, as il would DC iof mem 10
be driven from i,afler it was acquired. lheir
right would be as completely yielded IN me one is
in the other case. We could not hopeto dodge
this question. 1t rather became US 10 NEE, II
like men and Southern men; and instead OF dis
putting with each about how Il arose, ~ uhi.e ~
man in sustaining our rights IN regard 10 H.
He then referred to the attack on me Presioeh'
for signing The Oregon bill with The "ilmoI pro-
viso, and noticed The omission OF Mr.. SlanaTo 10
mention The fact that The President, on slsnihs
the bill, had returned i, with protest. he ae.
tended The President against the charge ol having
thereby abandoned the South. Inc protest mes
sage had taken The Southern ground. be e1.
pressed his surprise that Mir Slanard, in reading
the resolution OF The Virginia Legislature on This
subject, had SO emphaucaly referred 10 The tact
that the words Missouri Compromise could not
be found in il when, though no! in that fesolu-
ton, they were 10 be found in The very next reso
luton, which, il he was rightly Informed, had
been moved by Mr.. Stanari himself, by which
he had entitled hmsefto our thanks. (Mr. Stan
ard said he had moved both the resolutions.) Mr.
Giles then read The resolution 10 which he had re-
ferred, and he commended that clearly recognised
The Missouri Compromise line as that which Viz
ginia might accept. The President, in his pro-
test had declared hat he would not approve any
bill which applied the principle OF the Wllmot
Proviso 10 any territory South Of that line. Mr.
Giles also defended the President on other grounds
As 10 the passage in the Senate OF the Oregon bill
BY the votes OF Two Southern Democratic Sena-
tors, he replied thai Mr.. S.anard had forgotten 10
speak OF the Compromise bill, which had been
defeated by the Toles Of eight Southern Wing
Representatives. Mr.. Giles was about 10 enler
INTO consideration Uf This question more fully
when he was told that mis- hour had nearly ex
PRED, and he concluded BY again asking what
guaranty General Taylor and the Wings would
give US Tor The security Of Southern righ's2
Mr.. STANARD rejoined. He referred 10 the
Democratic den Quotations OF Mr. Winthrop, Tor
moving the Winot Provso, as an amendment
10 The Oregon bill and asked il Mr.. Polk had not
been gully Of the very same offence, in signing
a bill of the same sort, with The Provso 10 it,
Mr. S. explained he resolution, which ne had OF.
tered in the Senar, and showed, that Wills; Il
stood by The Missouri Compromise, it gave no
sor, or countenane 10 Mr.. Folks extending the
Northern halt ohhat compromise, and leaving
The Southern haliwhol!y unsuaranteed. NJ. ).
proclaimed that h adhered 10 The declaration OF
the Virginia resolutions, that il The North should
force the Wilmo Proviso .pOu The South, the
South ought 10 sand upon lis rights, and defend
them "at all hazards" He preset again the
view he had frs advanced OF the Presidents
abandonment OF Southern ground and in regard
10 his protest, which MIR. Giles had So much prai
sec, said emphacalIy ayes: His PROTEST WAS
FOR THE SOUTH BUT his ACT WAS FOR THE
NoRTH!" And " This ac, said Mr.. s., The cause
OF the South wasmore weakened than by all the
acts Of all the Atolilonisis from the beginning OF
The government. In proof OF his, he again cited
Mr.. Van Burcn'sriumphaDta luson 10 the course
OF the President Mr. S. asked, il MIR. Polk in
signing This Winot Proviso bill ior Oregon, with
the absence O. al recognition Of Southern rights
in me territory .oulh OF SO deg. 80 min, had not
made free ADHESION OF The general power OF
Congress 10 pas the Wilmot Proyiso2 IL could
nor b. pretended that The exclusion OF the Souih
from Oregon Va Legitimate, on the ground That
its positive righ,o enjoy the Southern MAJ; q me
public terrtorie.was recognized IN The sane acs
or by any ACT * existence tor that recognition
was expressly reused The only case in which
Southern men aunt that Congress has any pow
er TO leeisae atall, viz: where, as The common
agent Of all the overeign people OF the Union 1t
undertakes 10 prcel out the common properly
equitable between the sectional divisions OF The
Union this SINCE case, in which Southern men
agree that Conssss may act, was not presented.
The Oregon bill was simply an unreserved as
serlon ul the Nrlhen Tree soil principle, with
direct disclaimerhat any line Of division would
be consented 10 rrealier, ami, in lacr, with po.
sitive notice thatit would not be conceded Mr..
Polk did not say his message, that the Wimoi
Proyiso was unconstitutional, and he dared mol
say so, and YET ign the bill for his act would
then have been apa pable violation OF his solemn
oath OF office. his course was therefore direct
and undrniable recedent, and had been SO re-
ceived by the Ere Soil party, in favor OF the con-
sliluionalily oil lie Wilmol Proviso.
MIR. S. declinedto discuss the Compromise Bill
for wan, Of time; 5ul he asked Mr.. Giles, with
great effect, how came about, that he and other
States Rights eeniemen OF The South had become
such Jealous advocates OF referring questions OF
consitu!ionaly a federal iribunal2 Mr. 5.
remembered wherall The arguments, from pre-
cedsn,, in favor a U. S. Bank, were answered
by The reply, that twas monslrous doctrine that
constitutional qlsslion could BE- decided by any
precedent whaleve. He read The decision OF The
Supreme Court in in regard 10 National Bank,
when John Mafhall was al the head OF the
Court, with associates worthy 10 sit upon The
same bench. Anrlhe most mature deliberatiop,
the Cour, solemn declared its unanimous opin-
ion that the act Incorporating the Bank of the
United States wa in accordance with The princi.
pies Of The Constitution, and was part OF the
supreme law OF ne land. YET This memorable
Judgment, said Mr.. ). had no effect in settling
the question as t(lhe constitui0naily OF Bank
II was now contnded that The election OF Mr..
Polk had wholly oVerthrown The authority oflhal
great decision. How, then, he asked could il be
expected, lha, the same Court, uncer The compro-
mise bill, with jltge> far less aole, who, il was
known, would bedivided in opinion, would settle
he question of savery in the leIitories2 The
bill, he said, WIS a miserable corlriyance and
had been justly CHARACTERIZED as mere ogre.
ment 10 hhgatc, md would only have produced
plentiful crop # suits. Mr.. S. referred to The
tact, that bul for he course OF Benton and Hous.
ton, the Senate would have been Tied on The Ore.
gon bill, and this the Souh might have stood out
and defeated ii, lad all Southern men been true
MIR. Giles inIerptscd tina, the Vice Preslden, would
have then decided the question. Mr.. S. replied,
il so, he would robablY have voted Tor il; but, be
continued, the Vice President was not there. Mr..
Atchison was in The Chair; and The Senate would
have actually bsn lied, had Benton and Hous.
ton stood by the South; and the Northern Sena-
tors would have been driven either 10 defeat the
bill or lei il pass wiihou, the Wilmnl Proviso.
In reply 10 Mr.. Giles asse ton tha, Mr. Polk
had nowhere promised 10 maintain his claim 10
"a 40, Mr.. Slanard ci,ed Mr.. Hannegans la
nous denuncia,iun OF the President for The
breach of faith II which he would be guilty, if