Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-07-26
Mr. Caslles1a's Speech On
THE OREGON BILL.
L. S. Senute, Tuesday, June 9Th, 1917.

States stand in reference To the su;Jec
under consideration. fhr TURNER desire
no action of the government. demanded
no law 10 give The many advantages III
the territory about 10 be established. are
willing TO leave il and other territories be-
longing 10 the United States open To all
their cltIzsns. SO long as they continue IL
be territories, and when they ceased to be
he SD, TO leave it TO their inhabitants IL
be such government as might suit them,
" iiEoul restriction or coudi!loD. except
that'imposed by the constitution, and a
! prerequisite Tor admission into the Uui
on. In snort, they are willing to leave
the whole subject where The cOuslituIion
and The great fundamental principles ol
of self Soverument place il. On the cou-
trary, the uon slayehuldus STATES, instead
of being wiling 10 leave 1t on tnis broad
and equal ruundwlipn, demand The inter.
position OF the government, and the pa,
sage Ot an act 10 exclude the clrlzeus ui
The slavehodIng Slatcs from eriIgratlng
with their property into the territory, IN
order to give their citizens and those Ihey
may permit. The exclusive rIshl Of settling
1t, hlle IT remains IN that condition, pre-.
paralory To subj bjec'ing i 10 like RESTRICTIONS
and conditions when II becomes State.
The 12tu secIIun Of mis- blli Is intend, To
assert and MAINTAIN lbi, deuand ut the
non slaveholdlng States. while II remains
territory, not openly or directly, but III
directly by extending The provisions OF the
bill for the establishment oi the Iowa Ter
rity u this, aud by raliSIns The acts OF the
finormal and self constituted government
oi Oregon, which amuug others, con,aIns
one Prohibiting the introduction 0l slavery.
Ii mus, IN reality adopts what Is called
The Wilnol ProvIso, uot only ful Oregon,
but as the bin now Stands, tor New Mex
leo and California. The amendment, on
liie contrary, moved by tue Senator from
Mississippi, near me, (Mr Davis) IS III
tended TO assert aud maiulaiu the position
1.-the slaveholLlng STATES. IL leaves the.
territory Tree aud open To all The cIizens
sot TIC United States, and wcnid Gvertuie,
>,
territory 0l Oregon aud tthes l2lh sss:;ton,i
as far as it relates 10 lL. SUBJECT ander.
consideration. We, have thus Isirly pee
septed The grounds iakenby The non:slave
holding aud the ,sIavehulding Stales, rs |
shall call Them Tor the SAX OF brevlty, The
Northern and Southern States, IN their
whole extent for discussion.
The question which offers Itseil +
consideration Is, Have The Nur.neIn States
The power which they claim, the South
ern from enIsratins freely with IneIr pro-
perry into territories belonging ~ The Unl
ted STATES, and to monupolIze them Tor
their exclusive benefit.
II is. indeed. great question. pro
pose to discuss il cal.nl and dlspassIon-
alely. l shall claim nothing which does
uoi fairly and clearly belong 10 the Soulh
ern States, either as members OF this lede
r.i Uniou, or appertaiuine to them IN their
separate and individual character ) nor
shall yield anything which belongs TO
Them in either capacity. | am influenced
neither by sectional nor party cousldera-
lions. III know myself, would repel as
promptly and decidedly any aggression OF
the South on the North as would any on
The part of The latter on the former. And
let uie add, hold tue obligation 10 repel
aggression TO br not much less solemn than
thai Of absIaiuins from making aggression:
and that The party which submits 10 II
when il can be resisted, to be no. much
less guilty and responsible for consequen
ces lnan that which makes 1t. NUr do
slaud on party grounds. What j shall
say in reference 10 tins sUhJerI, shall say
entirely without reference 10 Toe P'rsiden-
liui election. | hold ii To ne 'niln!teiy
higher than ,ha, of all other Questions III
;hc day. shall direct my efforts 10 as
certain what is constitutional, right aud
just, unjer the thorough coGvIc ion that
the hest and only way of putting an end
| 10 ;h:s, he nr,l dangerous "l all ques-
llons to our Uuion aud institutions, is to
adhere riedly 10 The consiIuinn ahd the
dictates oijuSIl G.
Win these preliminary remarks. re-
cur to the question. Has the North the
power wh'cl, it claims uuder 'he l2th sec
ZION Of this bill. ask al the outset, where
is Tie power 10 be found! Not certainly
IN The relation in which The Northern and
Southern States stand TO each other. They
are 'Ue CuuStlueHi paris vi iiiei'"S'o W. "
common federal Union; and as such, are
equal in all respects, both in dignity and
rights, as is declared by all writer's on go
vernments founded OH such UuiUD, aud as
may he inferred from arguments deduced
frDn their nature aud character. Instead
then Of afording any counenancc or au-
lhnri,y in favor Of the power, the relation
in which they stand 10 each other furnish
es steous presumption against ii. Nor
can il he found in The fact that The
South holds property in slaves. That,
100, fairly considered, instead Of affording
any authority for the power, furnishes a
strong presumption against II. Slavery
existed in the South when the conslllu-
ton was framed, fully to the extent IN
proportion TO their population as II does
q, this time. Ii is The only property re,
cognized by il The only one that entered
ino its formation as a political element
both in The adjustment oil the re'a'lVe
weight of the States in the government