The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-24

lN IL ~ JNs
the cry of ireachery will be raised amid excitement
which will be anything but propous TO the quiet and
peace OF the country.
But this is not all The reprehensble character OF this
wish to postpone the settlement of this agiating ques
ton does not end here. We are told, by high party au
thony, that
gre is 10 be the gopey asnt under Gen. TAI lor To
securing tha Congress- all efforts must be bent Gen
Tsyors somewhat equvocal position can well AID ns N
he security we demand Uoder him, we can carry states
and congressmenboIh members of the House and sena
os, whom we could not carry under any other man HIS
cure The incoming Senate of the United States Then, is
not such victory, if we obtain IT, victory substantial
Here is the programme of the campaign distinctly laid
down The slavery question is be made the prominent
issue IN all the congressional elections This Will lead
to the greatest excitement amid which, the calculation
is that all the democrats from the slaveholdlng
States, who have heretofore stood by may be wall
ing hereafter to do will be beaten down, and the
South turned over TO the tender mercles OF the abolition
lists And southern wings cooperate IN this movement
they who relieve from all this threatened excite
ment and danger 1t is in their power; but il is not in
ours. We can do nothing which will affect his course.
But let the southern wings say him 'There is great
uncertainty about your views in respect to this allmPor
an and exciting subject Your most discreet friends al
the North and South differ about them This uncertainty,
giving each side hope of success with YOU increasing
the excitement, which IS desirable should be allaye
II will lead to disappointment, the consequences OF
which are most fearful. You are thus in position
in which, we cannot support you, and we will not
do it unless we are relieved" Let them take this
try from all doubt about his opinions, or he will be de-
feated. II Gen. Taylor to take distinct ground
against the Wmo Proyiso as Gen Cass has DONE does
not every one see TO what extent it would put down
the excitement which fearfuly RACES through the
land! Men do not usually contend with zeal in pursuit
of hopeless object 1t is hope which stimulates
lion; and effort ceases when it dies
But what is most to be condemned in the course of
those southern members who have aided in the defeat of
the Senate bill, is, that il is the alternative for the
Wilmot Provlso know that some OF them profess
to hope TO get the Missouri compromise. But the
blind who hopes for any such thing from this Congress
at least 1t has been tried before upon the Oregon bill
and it has slgnaly failed and will fail again, if il be
proposed. How can it be otherwise? Will any northern
or western wing vote for it, II there be such enc,
look to the support of northern democrats Do we not
all know that few of them will support it, They
only stand upon the ground of the constitution. That
sunenders the question of constitutional power By the
rejection OF the Senate BILL fear that the adoption of the
Wimot Proviso is made inevitable And if such should
be the case, do not hesitate to say that southern repre-
sentatives are responsible The course which some of
them have taken in debate has greatly weakened us
No northern man can take higher ground on the slavery
and southern representatives, in concedng the power
OF Congress to exclude slavery from the Territories
at the time that they have abandoned the ground
upon which the South has always heretofore STOOD
have taken from northern democrats the only ground
upon which they can stand. Concede the constu
tional power OF Congress to exclude slavery from
the Territories and northern must give to the
ant-slavery feeling which pervades their States. AS
long they appeal to the constitution, they
tam themselves; out now tney Stdnu before lDelT
constituents when the opinions upon that point of south
and representatives quoted against them
This has al ways been the The northern, and more
especially the western democracy, has given way
upon any of the exciting occasions growing out of the
question OF slavery, that southern wings have not set
them the example A large majority Of them sustained
the 2st rule till southern wings gave into the view that
it but increased the excitement, and voted for its repeal
They then gave way, and the rule repealed. 1t
no sooner done, than the abolition excitement which it
said kept up by that rule, took different direc
ton Immediately after Its repeal the Oregon bill came
up in this house. 1t had been reported by committee
the chairman of which and majority of its members
came from -slaveholdng States ltconained anti
slavery restriction This was in S45 The Speaker of
this House Mr. WINTHRoP] moved, against all precedent
provlso. 1t was adopted. Notwithstanding, at the be-
ginning of this Congress- he, with all OF the influence
Speaker, is elected TO that high office by southern votes
As be expected he places the head of the Com
mittee Territories Winthrop provisO man. Southern
men thus showed their indifference te the principle
tanned in it; and what has been the result! Have
some OF those who heretofore stood most firmly by
given way, and refused to risk everything in standing by
the South, when she through portion OF her representa-
ves refuses to stand by herself Was anything else TO
have been expected But | will not pursue this branch
OF the argument further.
In conclusion, permit me to say that there is one
inserted allude the clause prohibiting the Territor-
al legislatures fom passing laws upon the subject of
slavery. In its absence, they would not as have
shown, have passed laws mparing rights of proper
ty. But some remedial legislation may be necessary
and would prefer that trammes should have been
placed upon the enactment of them But prepared TO
make the concession. was prepared to meet the ques
ton in the spirit OF concession and compromise in which
Virginia and the South have always met from the days
of the ordinance OF 1857 TO this hour When that ord
first proposed in 1854 it prohibited slavery in
the whole of the territory of the United States, well
that to be hereafter ceded that northwest of the Ohio
already ccded And it contained no provision providing
for the surrender of fugitive slaves In this shape il
rejected by the South, was the year afterwards,
when proposed in the shape. In 1877, only APP
piled to the Northwestern Territory-the soulhernmost
which the {7th der north and
left all of the territory south of the Oho--comprisng
at this time the States of Kentucky Tennessee, Mis-
sisspp, and Aabama-open to slavery. And ii also con-
tanned provision providing for the surrender of fug
tive slaves In this compromise form it passed, the South
voting for it.
The spirit prevailed in the formation of the
siuon and in the adoption of the Missouri compromise
And am willing to act in it
There Mr. BIS hour expired, without his finishing his
remarks