The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-09-05
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF MIR BALDWIN,
OF CONNECTICUT,
ON THE PROPOSED COMPROMISE BILL.
In SENATE, july %, ls4s.

4 IN SENATE, JULY 20, ISaS.
Mr.. PRESIDENT regret the necessity which compss
me al hs unreasonable hour to enter upon the discus
SION OF The bull before the Senate But cannot consent
mat measure OF such vital interest and traught with
consequences so deeply affecting the honor and future
destiny OF this nation shall be adopted without at least
an e!ort on my part TO arrest lis progress Hopeless
though That effort may be, sense OF duty impes me to
make II.
have already taken occasion to express to the Senate
my views Of the injustice done to the people of Oregon
by uniting in the bill for their territorial organization the
@et Of New Mexeo snd Cppo1ea l our lille to
Oregon was derived asserted by Mr.. Clay in his re-
por on the land bill in 1882, and the honorable
tor from South Carolina Mr. Calhoun has maintained,
me very terms OF the Missouri compromise act OF 1890,
Pursuant to that compromise, which extended only to the
territory then belonging to the United States, Missouri
and Arkansas have come into the Union saveholdng
States Florida has since been added at an expense in
Guiding ne Indian var for l's projections OF more than
one hundred millions; while not single free State has
yet been represented in The Senate from any territory
CURED since the adoption of the constitution, Though
their population exceeds by more than four millions the
population OF the slave States, the territory comprised
within their limits is less. by nearly oneha in extent
not then, manfesty unjust to the free labOrers OF
the country who may desire TO emgate, well to the
people OF Oregon themselves, to deprive them of the ben
eft of territorial organization with the prohibition of
slavery, unless on condition that in the same bill form
of government shall be imposed New Mexico and
California, which may fasten upon reluctant people
and upon the free territory they occupy. the curse of
Butihe Senate have refused to separate them and /
will therefore proceed briefly as may be- to examine
the principles OF the bill as applicable to each of these
Territories F.
l. AS to Oregon. The bill provides for the establish
ment Of territorial legislature consisting of two branch
es to be elected by the people, and gives validity to the
of three months after the organization Of the legislature,
when they will expire unless reenacted. The funda
mental law which now prohibits slavery in the Terri
tory will then cease To have force, unless both branches
OF the legislature shall concur in its renewal If seven
out of the thirteen individuals who will constitute one
branch OF the legislature should be exposed TO the pro-
hibton, the law EXPIRES and the door is open for the
entrance OF slavery throughout the whole extent of this
fertile territory whose climate and productions, though
at higher latitude, correspond very nearly with those
OF Kentucky and Missouri. The principle assumed by
the committee in regard to the exclusion or admission of
slavery IN Oregon appears to be the same that was
the South.
1t substitutes the will of the Territorial Legislature for
that OF Congress But surely. if Congress has power in
the organization OF Territory to confer authority the
Territorial Legislature to prohibit slavery has the pow
er to do so directly by its own legislation The argument
which would deprive Congress of the power to prohibit
slavery, because the public domain is trust for the
mon benefit, would equally prevent legislation by Ter
rtoriaI government or the organization of State with
the power of prohibition 1t would require of every new
State provision that law should be passed prevent
purchasers OF the public domain within its limits from
settling on with their slaves, and holding them there in
servitude.
The bill reported by the committee comedies the power
to be IN Congress- but transfers it, after three months
the Territorial Legislature This is unwise Ii the
power exists, 1t can be exercised much efficiently
by Congress And ought to be governed in this mat
ter by great public considerations and not suffer the
lonal p0cy we approve to be exposed to the hazard of
defeat BY capricious local legislation large portion
OF the inhabitants of Oregon emigrants from Ken
be OF preventing the introduction of slavery the ter
rory may find ii difficult to resist the pressure from their
friends and relatives in those States II ought therefore,
my opinion, to be prohibited by Congress- in accordance
with the policy fathers the ordinance of
7S7 as well with the letter and spirit of the sth
llon OF the act Tor the admission OF Missouri.
There is another feature OF the bill in regard to Ore
gon which strikes me extraordinary and Objectionable
in this connexlon l allude to the clause which pre-
scrbes qualification of color for the electors at the rs,
election, thereby excluding from the right Of suffrage,
OF heding seats in the legislature large portion of the
population OF the Territory, who, by their organic
laws are entitled to that privilege Why are they thus
excluded from their accustomed privileged Why the
free coored citizens of the New England States prevented
from going into the territory equal footing with
the other inhabitants Is the principle of equality of
rights only in force between the white inhabitants OF the
saveholdng and -slaveholdng States, does il ap-
ply equally 10 all citizens between whom the constitution
coorcd citizen of Massachusetts enjoys in that State
perfect equality of political rights and eligible equally
with every other citizen, to the highest positions the
then Congress undertake exclude him from voting
IN Oregon he would probably be less likely than
white man from slave State to concur in repeal OF
the law prohibiting slavery in the Territory But that
surely can furnish no just ground of exclusion.
In regard to New Mexico and California the bill is
still more Objectionable The people OF those territories
have passed unwllingly under dominion AS depart
ments OF the Mexican republics they had Legislature OF
their own, and enjoyed the privilege Of self-governmen
privilege OF which it would be maniiestly unjust and
in violation OF every principle of republcansrn de-
puve them While the treaty with Mexico under
consideration large minority of the Senate expressed BY
their votes the opinion that could rghtiully &C
que dominion over these territories, without the free
assent OF the people to the transfer They great
extent extent coofed population, all OF whom, by the
United States, with the rights privileges and mmunities
Of citizens Slavery could be introduced among such
people, without being accompanied by those police regu
atlOns everywhere attendant the system which must
necessarily degrade them from their present position
They ought therefore, to be secured against its ntToduc
ton SO tar as Congress has the power to effect it.
When General Kearny was sent out on his expedition
of conquest to New Mexico and California, he
horlzed by the Executive 10 the inhabitants that
the wish and the design OF The United States to pro-
vide for them free government with the least possible
delay, similar 10 thar which exists Territories I"
and that they would then be called exercise rights
OF reemen IN eiectng their representatives the
territorial legislature Secretary Marcy Gen. kear
N.Y. June ls46D precise conformity to these instruc-
gs from the Executive, the 22d OF August ls46 he
issued at Santa Fe his proclamation announcing to be
the intention of the United States to provide for New
Mexico Tree government with the least possible delay
similar to those IN the United States and that the people
OF New Mexico would then be called exercise the
rights OF freemen eecns their own TO
the territorial legislature and that until that could be
done, the laws hitherto existence would be continued
Gn'i changed or modified
Doc. 10, I'd 2sih Cong. p 2i.) 81 upali'9o y
On the same day Gen. kearny wrote from Santa Fe to
Gen. Woo that without spillnk drop of blood he had
taken possession OF that city. "rhe people now under