The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-14

spect TO the people of the South He endeayors TO
simulate it to the case of the General Assembly OF Viz
gina and George ILL., The case, SIR is antagonlstc II
bears comparison. But will not undertake at this
time to point out the difference Sir, the southern States
claim the right under the constitution of our country to
go into any portion OF the territory conquered by The
arms OF the United States and especially by troops drawn
from that portion OF the country; and mink mar 10 pray
that shall be excluded from H. IS the height oil lnso
ence though the senator from Missouri does not per-
celye II but that is no fault oil NINE
Mr.. BENTON. did not understand that last remark
Mr. CALHOUN LIN his seat) | have pointed it out
Mr.. BENTON wish to know what it is that the
senator from South Carolina means.
| Mr. CALHOUN. My meaning is clear have stated
the grounds under which consider II as dsrespecliul,
because it undertakes exclude the South from that ter
rilory But the senator from Missouri does not see that
il is So 1t is not my fault, because have stated It as
clearly possibly could do The difficulty is IN our
different modes of conceving the subject
! Mr. BENTON. What is the question: Mr. President:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is upon
Mr. BENTON Then the objection is to the printing ,
SEVERAL SENATORS There is no objection 10 the print
MIR BENTON. Then what is the debate about' Moth,
a voIoE Nothing at all
| Mr. BENTON. Nothing! l. the grave American Sen
ate at the of its session, engaged about
nothing Nothing at all Is that occupation to-day :
Sir, this to very lame and mpotent ennna-
ton 10 what was SO hcrcely commenced lust now. The
term "nsoen was used-of course involving those who
had presented the petition Sir, deny the hsolence.
assert the constitutional right o. these people, conquered
or unconquered, coming into our nation, whether by
conquest now, under the OF the United States,
coming into 1t heretofore as a part OF Texas iakng
which view of the matter you please, say they have II
constitutional right TO present that petition.
say more, SIR say that every subject which they
have mentioned IN that memorial Is lar subject OF egs-
aton, and they have presented II in respectful terms.
They have done what they had right to do and will
not have the term "insoent applied to them since pre-
scented that memorial without saying and repeating IN
such way shall be heard and understood, that the
expression is gratntous and unfounded.
Mr.. CALHOUN. The senator ought TO have known
that rose TO make remark upon the petition Itself as
have right TO do and not against It's reception, nor
against It's reference Not at all. had right to
mark upon every part OF that petition if thought proper
There is nothing SUPPLEMENTARY and nothing unusual
IN my course. But he seems to think that he, and the
honorable senator from Delaware, responsible for
every word and every expression contained in the petit
ton. That is not my view of it at all The petition |
did not say was Unconstitutional That not the point
But say that the petition undertakes TO clam TO exclude
one half the people OF this Union, very nearly, from
territory that belongs TO the nation. The constitution
declares the territories to be the territories OF the United
States that is to the States in their federal capacity
And say that such petition, coming from people re-
Gently reduced by arms and under our control
IS nsolent Whether the senator from Missouri thinks
not, is to matter of perfect indifference.
Mr. WESTCOTT, Mr.. President, it seems 10 me
that the importance of this document presented to the
enatc, much oveuatel. Its character is mlscon-
ceived desire sir, TO attract the notice of the Senate
and OF the country to lis true character. do not intend
that through reports OF what occurs here To-
buse it, advance of the idea that thus petition speaks
as preend 10 speak, the voice of the seventy five or
the hundred thousand souls ii states in New Mexico
1t is resented here assuming and states that by the
people of all New Mexico express their wishes ID Con
gress the subject of their territorial government II
pPorls TO come from the people OF New Mexico assem-
bled in convention, In this, regard it abuse
OF the right OF petition, and as an attempted lmpo
ston upon Con gress. Why, sir, when, how, and by
whom were delegates elected TO this convention Who
authorized its convocation Was, in fact such a
convention ever held | find nothing authentic in the
paper TO satisfy me as TO this fact The Secretary
did not read the TO this petition, and have
sent for to his desk, and ask the attention of the
PeYle Of New Mereo," sc. and then the petition states
Congress- sc; .'Tne" people OF New AIexcoorall the
sand souls And how it signed 1t states that il is
from the people of New Mexico assembled in conven-
ton and i is signed by Mexican Spanard in a
very leslble scrawl, which make be ''jose U1y.
tne-, PreS,dente del condddor," &c, and by 81 NJ
GiDDINcs, Secreiary;" and then follow treire sigma.
ee or OF W6de Ts3H and 10 Amer
Tor IRON Nissoul, Mr.. BENToNl or the senator from
Delaware, [Nlr. CLsYroN.l | do not hesitate to say
that Is manifest that the assumption OF these fourteen
people 10 speak in behalf OF the whole people of Mexico
is an attempted imposition Who authorized them TO
speak for that people They say they were assembled
IN convention. Who elected delegates 10 such conven-
ton Who called IL + rom all have seen or heard on
this subject feel justified in expressing the belief that
ths sell styled convention was gathering of few
people about Santa Fe 1t is dated Santa Fe October IT,
ISIS There nothing in the conclusion OF this petition
showing how IN what character the twelve persons
who sign IT, besides the president and secretary signed il
Who those persons' Are they citizens of the United
States, made by the treaty with Mexico, or what are
they: DO t1ey sign individuals delegates This
does not appear. Who this President "JoSf Mnyti-
nee" and who is the "Nr. Cuttings who signs as sec
rotary? should like to be informed as to these points
TO Judge whether this is not got up concern for,
u II is, we should not print it. We The people-these
fourteen persons call themselves Had the ten or fifteen
or twenty thousand American citizens who have gone to
New Mexico from the United States any participation in
this convention? | those who went there as con
querors stad there conqueors under the flag of the
United States There evidence to this effect TO be
found IN this paper My opinion is, that this paper is of
respect. II is probably contryance OF casual
assenbage OF eleven twelve Mexcans
and two Americans with Mr.. GIDDlNGs, who have
without any authority, dgnlted themselves as 4 CON
venton OF all the people OF all New Mexico NV
sole object to dsabse the country in advance of the
idea that ''the people OF New Mexico have remon-
slrated against slavery. Three Yankees including Mr.
GidttngS and eleven MeXcans, have so demonstrated
but yet have hear from the ninety nine thousand
nine hundred and eighty -four other Americans and Mex
leans In that country besides these fourteen do not de-
sire to make any observations upon the point as 10 which
the senator's from Missouri and South Carolina disagree
Tor really do not regard this petition worthy notice
respec. whatever The notion that the inhabitants OF
Territory VINO there first after its being annexed to the
united States or who there before control this
questonhave the exclude other citizens of the
United States, and their property that political prejudice or
anacsin may lnclte them to eycnde that, until the
Territory becomes State they can be regarded as "a peo-
per IN the political and constitutional sense of that term
or that the inhabitants of such Territory, either of them
selves or through Congress, make such exclusion
IT is well known discard. | do not intend to discuss