The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-27
INTELLIGENCE nv THE MAILS.
WASHINGTON, July "a, 1913.
TIE Territorial B,A IN he Senate.

IRE Territorial Bill m the Senate.
The territorial I'LL is in very precanous condi-
tson AS the opinions Of he Northern press come
pouring in on the Serate, there is a great deal Of
la crous alarm exhibited by those who have
hitherto acquiesced IN the provisions relating to
slavery in the new territories. The vote on Sa-
turdsy, on Mr. Baldwin's amendment, and which
was then regarded as a test vote, Is no longer
considered as afiording indication of the COM
plexion Of the ultimate vote The majority for the
bill will be much less than at first expected.
The wings are alarmed, as the settlement oil the
question on any H.rn.s VIII conduce 10 m success
, of Mr.. Chss This consideration VIII influences
many to vote against the bill, and VIII no douot
INDUCE many Northern democrats 10 support 1t.
Mr. Cahouns apparent hostility to the bill at first,
Is strongly suspected to have been put mere diplc-
matte coyness for, there Is no doubt, II the posi-
tion be tue thai slavery existed In the newly ac-
quired territory at The time II was added to the
domain Of the United STATES, the South has every
thing BY this bill that even the most ultra advocate
OF slavery ever d. manded. Neither in this, nor
In any other view, Is II u compromise.
A most ludicrously frightened man is MIR. Phelps
Sad was the hoax put upon him by the committee,
and not until the mmmuIs OF discomfort came
laundering upon him from the North, did he wake
. up 10 a consci eusness OF his position These muir
sRurs al length reached him, and to-day he made q
long, labortd, bunglng, disconnected speech In
-xndication OF his course. IL was meant tor a
legal argument II was in reality vast ocean OF
words, with bit OF law floating here and there on
the surface
vari nantes in gurgite vasto.
HIS manner OF hooow,nking his constituents was
quite original He declare that no newspaper I'M
deIsiands anything abont the bill, or has given
connect explanation Of It's provisions. Mr. Phelps,
when he uttered thir ridiculous untruth, know that
the bal, had been printed, word tor word$ln the
Rsuld, and that this paper also contained Mr.. Clay
tons lanat0n OF IL, the morning after II was de-
liyered MI. Johnson, Of Maryland, makes tole-
rably good point occasionally; but II Is with hun
as with the too ambitious raz0r-grinder. N ghnds
an Argument until he produces an edge, and-eCn-
tinues grinding until he wears It OIL Mr.. Phelps
does not stop here. He continues grinding until
moi alone the edge, but the blade ITSELF mot tomen
ton the patience of the audlence,) Is worn away
MIR. flanagan committed an egregious blunder
to-day. During the speech Of Mr.. Corwin, which
for ability has no, been exceled during the ses-
s,on the Indiana Senator; speaking from MS seat:
slavery had always hitherto existed In California
and New Mexico. Peon slavery, he said he meant.
and he described this as bondage that was heredi-
tarlly trsnsmlssible and which endures from g, ne
ration 10 g. generation toI ever. In this Mr.. Hanne-
gan not only mistaken to the fact, but by his
mistake he furnished Mr.. CorwIn with an argument
which the latter welded witt, great force. For,
he said, if slavery existed in tn. territories when
they became ours, and we, by this bill, prohibited
any legislation on the subject, there is no compro-
mise in this and he might have added, If slavery
has not existed there II Will be prevented from ex-
isting by this bill, and neither would this be a
compromise But Mr.. flanagan is not well In
formed Peonsge is not slavery still less Is it
hereditarily transmssbe and least of all, does it
endure from generation to generation tor ever.
Peonage is nothing more than servitude for debt
a servitude known to and derived from the civil
law. A Mexican farmer hires the services of an
Indiana peon that is, a day-laborer-for year,
or for any definite period. For poems services he
contracts to give certain monthly wages but the
peon Is poor, and he wants his wages in advance,
and agrees to bind himself to perform a specific
- IS 49,. Ixr.va
be made. The advance is make. The peon is
simple hearted and necessltous-the master is
slrevd, and the advance is made, or some other
Indebtedness is forced on the peon before the
detained in service from year to year by his
dishonest master. But that the offspring of
such "a man hould also be doomed to servitude
because the father h hired out his services,
is lneposteIous. Some men have remarks bile
facility in rendering themselves ridiculous. Mr..
flanagan Is one f hem. GALvIKNsIs.