Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1848-09-09
LETTER OF GEN. CASS TO MIR. MICH
OLSON on TIE WILM0T PROyISO.
WAsmINeroN. d.. Ed, Islf.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, ls47.
Dear SCI have received Your letter, an,
shah answer it as frankly as it was written.
You ask me whether am in favor of.L.e &C
QUESTION Of Mexican territory and What ar,
nay sentiments with regard to the ,rilmot provi
sol
have SO often and so explicitly stated m,
views Of the Ast ~, stiOa, in the Senate, that i
seems almost unnecessary 10 repeat them here
As you request q, however, shall bI ily civ,
them.
think, then, lat no pear she ID be granite,
to Mexico, tiIi reasonable iDicmnity is obtain
vi lor 'l'e i'iuries which she has done Us. The
ierl,orf,i extent of this indemnity is, in the
-" instance, subject Of executive considera.
ION. There the Constitution has placed it, and
there am willing to leave it; not only because
have full confidence in its judciouk exercise, but
because in the ever varying circumstances Of a
war, il would be indiscrect, BY public dccara.
ton, 10 commit the country to any line ofinden-
: nifty, which might otherwise be enlarged, as the
M$,sate injustice ofihc enemy prolongs the con-
&, VIII - loss Of blood and Treasure.
Il appears 10 me- tfstt slc kind Of metaphysical
laagnanimity, which would rrEc' All indemnify
III the close of bloody and expensive war;
brought on by direct attack up'Sh our lroaPs ny
the enamy,and preceded by 4 succession OF UNJUST
acts for a series Of years, is as unw0&kI OF the
age in which we live, as il is revolving. 70 me
common sense and practice Of mankind II Eo.lld
condnce ha little 10 our future sccnriiy,or, lndeeH
10 our present reputation 10 declare that We re.>
pudiate all expectation Of compensation from the
Mexican government and are lighting, Rot l0r
any practical result, but for some vague, perhaps
phanthropc object which escapes my pcnctra-
lion, aud must be defined by thosc who assume
this now principle of national interconlmunica.
ton All wars are to be deprecated, as well by
The statesman, as by the philanthropist. They
arc great eyils, but there are greater evils than
these, and Submission to injustice is among them
The nation which should refuse TO defend its
rights and its honor when assailed, would soon
have neither to defend: and when driven to war,
itIs not Nv professions Of diSinteresteIlncss and
declarations OF magnanimjly. til. ..!!.. -s't
object, ea,. he b . 1;1s;ii'iId ~ 6itfer mar.
taught lesson Of orbearance strongest
security ior permanent peace. We are at
war with Mexico, aud its vigorous prosccu
ton is" The sirvst means olits speedy tcrmiia,
ton and ample indemnity the sarest guaranty 4.
gainst thu recurrence of such injustice as pr
voked it.
The " ;mot proyiso has bocn before the co.ln-
nv some tlrac. Il has been repeatedly discuss.
ed il Congress, and by the public press. am
strongly impressed with ihu opinion, that II great
change has becn going on IN the public mud mp |
on Ibis sulJcct-in my own as well as others;
z.nd thai doubts are resolving themselves int"
convictions, that the principles it involves should
be kept out of the national Legislature and left TO
the people Of the coniodcracy in then respective
local governments.
The whole subjects is il comprehensive one,
and fruitful Of important consequences. II would
be iIl.iincd 10 discuss il here. shall not as
sumo thai responsible task but shall conIine my
sel'lo such general views as are necessary 10 The
fair exhibition Of my opinions.
We may well regret the rAistcncco 9! slavery
in the Southern States, and wish they had been
saved from its introduction. But there it's and
not by :ho act Of the present generation; and we
must DIAL with i, as Il great practical question,
Involving the most mosientous consequence
We have neither The right nor the power TO
touch tiwhere il exists; and If we had both, their
exercise, BY anY means heretofore suggested,
might lead TO results which no wise man would
willingly encounter aud which no good man
eoul9 contemplate without anxiety.
The theory 81 our government prc-supposes,
that lis various members have reserved to them.
selves the regulation Of all subjects relating to
what may be termed their Internal police. They
are sovereign within their boundaries, except in
those cases where they have surrendered II the
general government portion Of their rights, IN |
order to give effect to the objects of the Union,
whether these concern foreign nations or the
several States themselves Local institutions, II
may so speak, whether they have reference TO
slavery or to any other relations, domestic or pub
lie, are LEFT to local authority, either original or
deriyatiye. Congress has no right to say, that
there shall be slavery in New York, Or that
there shall be no slavery in Georgia; nor is there
any other human power, but the people Of those
States respectively, which can change the rcla-
lions existing ,ucrcin; and they can say, if they
wlll, ave sill have slavery in the former and
sve will abolish tim the latter"
In various respects the Territories diiler from
the States. Some OF their right orr inchoate,
and they do moi possess the peculiar attributes q
SVACtCtEut1' AHtH IVtdtiUt W SIN s5Nh~At- =
enment is very imperleclly defined by tho Con-
stitution; and it will be found, upon examination,
that IN that instrument the only grant of power
concerning them is conveyed in the phrase, Con.
gress shall have the power to dispose Of and
make all needlu rules aud regulations, respect.
ing the territory and other property belonging to
thepnited States" Certainly this phrascology
IS very loose, iii were designed to include in the
grant the whole power Of Legislation ovor per-
sons y well as things. The expression, the star
riery md other property fairly construed, re.
iates tqsshhe public lands, as such TO arsenais,
dock yards, forts, ships and all The various kinds
ofpropefy, which the United States may and
must possess.
But surely the simple authority 10 dispose Of
md rcgHldte these, does not extend to the unlim-
tied power oflcgislalion to the passage Of all
ldtcs, in themOst general acceptatiln ofthc word;
which bY the by. Ia carefully excluded from the