Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-08-26

the bill as TO oblige us to forego the state
ment of such objections as we may enter
tain. Suppose you enact no law, what will
happen? Oregon has for many years taken
care Of herself, and believe on one or two
occasions made better laws for herself than
she is likely to get at our hands. She has
taken care of herself ever since she became
an integral portion of the Union, by the set
Element of the dispute between us and Great
Britain. How the new provinces may fare,
what may happen to New Mexico and Cali
ifornia in the intermediate time which will
eIaIse, if we should not he able to act upon
this matter at the present session, is not a
matter of much concern or apprehension
with me because know they have been in
your custody for year or two aud have not
complained at all for the want OF legal EN-.
actmentS, they have only complained that
YOU have made too free use of gunppwder.
Rather than not act in the matter fully and
definitely, ms would it there were no ener-
gency, I would allow those provinces to take
care of themselves for another twelve
months. and come here at the beginning Of
a new session, ready 10 act upon the subject
us my judgment should dictate.
Now, Sir, in the first place, understand
we have Message from the President, al
though believe il has not been adverted to
by any one, calling upon us to designate the
boundaries of these Territories of New
Mexico and California; and another branch
of the Legislature has been anxiously look
ing to the geography of those countries,
aud tracing their history; and are as yet in
capable of determining where Texas ends
and New Mexico begins; and they have been
under the necessity of applying To the Chief
Magistrate TO give them lesson in geogra-
phy. What the substance of the inforna-
ton they have received was do not know,
but have been informed, upon the floor Of
of the Senate, that Texas extends to the
banks of the Rio Grande.
If this be so, | must he permitted to look
TO the gentlemen of the Committee for in
formation as to how much is left for New
Mexico, what extent of territory and what
amount Of population is il worth while
TO establish Territorial Government there,
if it he true that Texas extends 10 the Rio
Grande? think it will lie found that there
will be hut a fragment of New Mexico left,
so far as population is concerned. IL will
he very convenient, perhaps, to attach it to
the Government of California. Ifyou send
your Governors and other officers there
without establishing the boundaries, there
will be a conflict of territorial jurisdiction.
Is it not expedient to settle it now, when
YOU are founding new Governments there,
and placing side by side institutions which
may be very dissimilar? IL is perfectly GER
tain that Texas will extend her laws to the
Rio Grande; and if she does, she will com
prehend within her jurisdiction large pro-
portion of the population of what was for
merly New Mexico. Here then is my spe-
cial demurrer. Under other circumstances
am sure the Senator from Vermont would
agree with me that it is Indispensable TO the
governments which we are about TO estab-
lish. that the limits of their Jurisdiction
should be defined, although do not know
that this would be an insuperable objection
with me if the other portions of the bill
were such as could give my assent to.
And now intend, in few words, to state
why object to this Compromise bill. Sir,
there is no one--there can be no oDe--who
does not desire that every subject Of legisla-
ton which comes before the Senate should
he settled tremendously, and, if it might he
SO, with the unanimous concurrence of ev-
cry Senator. But, sir, in my judgment, with
this subject rs it stands before ms, it would
be arrogant presumption to undertake to
us which we undertake TO transfer to the
judiciary Department of the country. How
is thiS2 l. it not "A new thing in your legis-
Iation, when a system of policy is proposed,
and the constitutional propriety Of that
policy is questioned, to pass an act for the
purpose Of getting case before the Su-
prelne Court, that that Court may instruct
the Senate Of the United States as 10 con-
Il ,h
know certainly what that law will be, need
there be any hesitancy how we shall vote
upon this bill? Can any one suppose that
the Senator from Georgia, or the Senator
from South Carolina, If they believed that
the litigation that is proposed by this bill to
be brough, into the Judicial tribunals Of the
country would result contrary TO their deter
minaton of what the law should he, that
they would he in favor of such bill rs this? ?
Does any one believe that ,f the Senator
from Vermont could anticipate that the Su-
preme Court of The United States might de-
eide that Congress, being silent upon the
subject. bad allowed Slavery TO pass, AT its
pleasure, into these newly acquired Terri
tories, and to become parts of the munich
mai institutions of those Territories, and TO
decide, also, that if Congress had enacted
prohihitory law, it could not have not gone
there, he would vote for TINS bills Certain
Nv he would not. IL there any necessity
that there should be a prohibtory law pass
ed in order that the question Of Slavery
shall be presented with the aid Of Congress
<ional legislation To the SUPREME Court Of
the U. States! will not undertake to say
that differ with the Senator from Vermont
in a single legal proposition that ne has laid
dawn 4 regard slavery as "A local inx,itu-
ton. believe IL rests on that hasis as the
only one that can give 1t a moments securi-
ry. believe il cannot he carried, by The
power Of the master over his servant, one
inch beyond the territorial limits Of the pow
pr that makes the law. ! believe that a
slave carried by his master into the territory
about which we are talking, if Slavery be
abolished there, will be free from the mo-