Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1848-12-19

or common tolls, dangers and suferings
Now, when their work is ended-whcn
peace is restored, and they return again
10 their homes-put off the habiliments
Of war, take their places in society and
resume their pursuits in civil life, surely
spirit Of harmony and concession, and
Of equal regard Cor the rights Of all, and
Of all sections Of the Union, ought to pre-
vail in providing Government for the &C.
quired Territories--,he fruit Of their
common service. The whole people OF
the United States, and Of every State,
contributed to pay the expenses Of tina.
war; and it would not be just for any one
section to exclude another from all par
tlclpation in the acquired territory
This would not be in accordance with the
just system OF Government which the
trainers Of the Constitution adopted.
The question is believed to be rather
abstract than practical, whether slavery
ever can or would exist in any portion OF
the acquired territory, even if it were
left to the slaveholding States themselves
From the nature Of the climate and pro
auctions of the country, in mnch the lar.
ger portion Of it, it is certain it could nc
yer exist; andLin the remainder, would
not.
But, however this may bc,the question,
involving as il dose, principle Of equality
of rights Of the separate and several
States, as equal copartners in The confed-
eracy, should not be disregarded.
In organizing Governments over their
territories, no duties imposed on Con-
gress by the Constitution require tina,
they should legislatc on the subject OF
slavery, while there power to do so is not
only seriously questioned, but denied, by
many Of the soundest expounders Of that
instrument. Whether Congress shall
legislator not, the people of the acquir-
ed territories, when assembled in conven-
ton, will possess the whole and exclusive
power to determine whother slavery
shall or shall not exist within their limits
If Congress shall abstain from interior
ing in the question, the people of these
territories will be left free 10 adjust it as
they may think proper, when they apply
for admission as States into the Union
No enactment Of Congress could restrain
the rrccccrr!!c oIany Of the sovereign States
Of the Union, old or new, slaveholding or
non-slavcholding, from determining the
apprehensions which wore entertained by
some OF our statesman in the caller peri
cd Of our government-that our system
was incapable Of operating with sufficient
energy and success over largely extend
ed territorial limits. Those who main
tanned that if this system was adopted il
would fall to pieces by its own weakness,
have been disappointed by our expert.
encce. By the division Of power be-
tween the States and the Federal Govern
mcnt, tho latter is found to operate with
as much energy at the extremes as in the
centre. 1t is as sufficient in the remotest
of the thirty States which now compose
the Union, as it was in the thirteen States
which formed our confcderacy. Indeed
it may be doubted, whether, if our pres
ent population had been confined within
the limits Of the original thirteen States,
the tendency ~ concentration would not
have been such as to have encroached up
on the essential reserved rights of the
States, and thus make the Federal gov.
eminent widely different one, practical.
ly, from what it is in theory, and was in
tended TO be by it's trainers. So far from
entertaining apprehensions Of the safety
Of our system by the extension Of terrific.
~, the belief is confidently entertained,
that each new State gives strength and
additional guarantee for the preservation
Of the Union itself.
In pursuance Of the provisions Of the
18th article Of the treaty of peace, friend
ship, limit and settlement with the repub-
lie of Mexico, and Of the act Of July goth,
1848, claims Of our citizens which had
been already !iquidated, and decided a.
gainst the Mexican Republic, amounting,
with the interest thereon, to $2,23O,832
81, have been iquidated and paid. There
remains to be paid ofthese claims, $74,-
1872 rs. 49,.
Congress, at its last session, having
made no provision for executing the 18th
aticle Of the treaty, by which the United
States assumed to make satisfaction for
the "unIiquidated claims" Of our citizens
against Mexico, an amount exceeding
s 8, 100000, the subject is again recon-
mended to your favorable consideration.
The exchange Of Publications in the
treaty with Mexico, took place on the
3oth Of May, l848. Within one year az:
ter that time, the commissioner and sur
veyor which each government stipulated
to appoint, are required to meet Eat the
port Of San Diego, and mark the said
boundary in its whole course, to the
mouth OF the Rio Bravo del Norte." Il,
will be seen from this provision that the
period within which those surveys Of the
respective governments are to meet at
San Diego, will expire on the 10th Of
May, l849. Congress at the close Of its
last session, made an appropriation for
the expenses Of running and marking the
boundary line between the two countries,
bu. did not fix the amount Of salary which
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