The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-01


leg'slae Tor the people of the Territories oil
Whatsoeuer without restraint and especially the position
OF those who contend for the of such right, is
more ndefensbe than that assumed by the British torres
They had the apology OF being subjects of monarchlcal
government, and could not well appreciate the true
principles OF political right which they sought to invade.
They had the apology of selfish pecunlay interest LOT
their blindness and perversy Those who now seek 10
invade the rights Of the people of these Territories are
enzenS oil Tree government and are ro o
which sprang into existence-and Els Is done gatal
tously wanony, and with no apology OF interest 70 IN
cite them, except that of an increase OF secoha pohcai
power or the promotion of selfish partisan views;
The power sought to be exercised if founded IN nght'
everything Upon the principles sought to Dc es
ton or its principles you justify the exclusion OF the
Catholic Epscop aah, Presbyterian, Methodist. or Bap
list church in these territories ana he establishment OF
sh monarchy there, or despouc military government
Ii Congress exclude the institution OF domestic servl
ude can do anything Its power is without check
restraint The will of the majority here, TO all the
Territories is then absolute and despoc repeat the
questions Can these doctrines be reconcled to the prin
Would not any who advanced them from l77a to
1882, with reference to the power OF Great Britain over
her American colonies, have been regarded as tory
Yes sir we are setting upPreensIonsto the competence
claimed for the power OF the British Parliament to the
prerogaves of King, lords and Commons, and assert
ing that, like the king, are can do no erong" If our
minister ST. james should be reproachcd that we had
adopted the principles rebelled against seventy five
years ago, he could not venture denial, but covering
lace IN Snaine would DC compelled Dy truth 10 con-
TESS our inconsistency. What argument is thus fur
nished the enemies OF institutions and government
deny the right Of the people OF MasSachuseils or
OF any or of all of them together-to dictate to the
citizens of this confederacy in ealifornatheir equals
and much reemea as they arein reference to their
institutions OF government and political laws, except
far they give their consent express or implied deny
the asserted inherent power OF this OF any other gov
people, to prescribe fundamental principles and
rules of legislation for and to any other people Gods
earth The "xation of the political rights of people
is the exalted attribute of soueyegntgn fact, ii
the sum of all those attributes. 1t rightfuy be
exercised by eItrdneOus power any degree foreign
without the consent OF the people over whom 1t is 10 be
exercised.
The institution of domestic servtude is political in
sttution-t is not mere municipal regulation" The
set OF its being "a sin and an evIf 1t were
true-s no justification for attempt to suppress by
the usurpat'oa OF legislative power or by the use of mill
tary force. PreteXts be invented and have always
been, for usurpatons by tyrans and by governments
The attempt reduce, by act of Congress- all the white
the negroes and indians there, could be defended by pre-
texts equally forcble. | ask the senator from Ohio,
Mr. CoRwIN,l while he denounces SO eloquenty the
abrdgmen of the political personal privileges of those
who are of African blood, in the savehodng States, to
pause, and reconcile, if he. cam the principles he
tends for, with the righulness of the power he claims
ed power over the white population of the territories
by legislation, debating the forms OF government and
the measure OF political rights they shall enjoy, Why,
in California, New Mexico, and Oregon-if his doc
trnc be truc-would, in principle be as serviIe, as
that Of the African for whom he has such great com
master the Californian white citizen would be subject
to the capc'ous tyranny OF about three hundred mas
the restraint upon the despotc power of Congress
the people of the territories if the power contended
for is established Nowhere; there is whatever
There is no desposm so odious and fearful as that of
majority influenced by sectional interests partisan zeal
tanatcism and wholly irresponsible to those whom
their despotc acts affect. The rifle dagger OF single
I'd of H.
people whose political rights invaded by such ma
joy OF an eyraneous government, determined and hav
ing the physical power to enforce lis edcs, there is
no alternative left but submission, and reliance
the mercy OF Providence to enlghten those
who usurp their rights to jus.er views of right and
wrong The people OF these are unrepresented
upon adherence to the principles for which Wash
lngton and his comparios peried their lives, their for
dence they were successful IN maintaining against the
attempted usurpations of the British Parliament If we
prove false to those princPesf before the grass has
grown upon the grave of the las, of the patriots OF the
revolution, shall attempt, with respect to them the
same INSCRIPTIONS usurpations attempted by
Great Britain with respect ito her colonies for one, sir
devoutly hope the reemen of these territories will re-
sls your usurped authority and to the EXTREMIST limit of
their powers OF resistance. Information of their resou
ton, at al! hazards, not to submit to your unlawful usurp
aon will make every true patriot feel did Mr. Pitt
when he exclaimed from his seat in Parliament, q Sir,
rejoice Mat Amerea has resisted three millions Of people
mt to be shaves icod haze been ii instruments to make
SLAVES Of all the rest" for one, would prefer to sec
the people of the entire Pacific coast and New Mex
separate, independent republic, with their own
Institutions and laws, rather than that they should be
subject to the despotic and uncontrolled legislation
of this government, irresponsible 10 Them and which
recent occurrences indicate alien in interests to
them in many respects, and with feelings and sym
pa,hes excited only the adversely or prosperity of
those colonies may affect selfish interests on the At
lantic If such should be the result of this attempt 10
encroach upon their rights, if any future attempt on
other subjects besides what is sneeringy called the
precedent sought TO be established they will be en-
couraged in resistance by the sympathies of thousands in
the Atlantic and Western States. | an much mistaken
the voices OF some in this CHI amber, and the floor
of the other House. not heard cheering them in such
struggle against usurpaion, Chatham, Fox, Barre
Conway, Dowdeswell, Burke, and others, cheered our
revolutionary patriots nearly century ago.
Mr. President repeat that do not dispute the power
of Congress adopt rules and regulations necessary for
the establishment of the local municipal government OF a
Terory but limit to that extent 1t cannot bes.ow
upon such government any functions sovereign pow
ers that il does not itself possess The american doc
irne is, that all political sovereignty primarily resides in
inherent One people or political com
munlty cannot righifny possess the sovereignty of
ercise OF such sovereignty TO foreign
government concede; but without such delegation It's
exercise by such exraneous or foreign government
is a usurpation. Have the citizens Of these terri
tores-eher those there, made cu.ens by he
treaty OF cesst0n, those who being citizens before
have gone hther-ever transferred their sovereignty to
the federal government? should like hear the ratio
cination by which this is shown 1t because that no
such delegation has been made, that Congress cannot
either exercise such power delegate its exercise to
the territorial government 1t is because the prohibition of
the institution OF domestic slavery Lis erercse Of suc