The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-09

IA N become of il in the time To what political
category is il to belong II Is no, 70 DC efr.oay !.
off from California and leave II to the uncertain
of events and the s uncertain phraseoogy OF our
own statute. We cast II away to use 0arDafoas law
phrase "a fotsam" On the ocean OF politics. ineer-
i,u quo faia ferantto reclaim ii ourselves al some
future day. if find it first, and agree afterwards
on the meaning OF our own enactment.
am opposed to this whole schemes it seems to me to
have been dictated by desire to avoid embarrassing
questions l trust appreciate rightly the motives oil
honorable But hold thathere is always more
embarrassment in posponing or evading troublesome
questions than in meeting them boldly. and dsposng OF
them promptly when they present themselves. propose
to self but two inquiries IN reference to the course we
ought adopt L. VIVA: does the interest of their
try, and,2 What does the interest of California and
New Mexico requires The answer seems to me to be
considerations point to territorial government framed
What shall these principles be- This is the only ques;
ton which remains to be considered Recognising, as l
do, to the fullest extent the democratic doctrine OF IN
structons am not altogether free agent IN this mat
ter During the last three nave 1een as
presented here by myself declaring that In any territories
acquired from Mexico slavery ought to be prohibited |
have endeavored to carry out the instructions BY which
those resolutions were accompanied have done so
with the more cheerulness. because, apart from all obi
CATION of obedience, believe them just.
hold then, that Territorial governments ought to be
organized for California and New Mexico, and that the
act establishing them should contain prohibition OF
slavery believe there never was an occasion IN which
II
than the present shall endeavor to make apparent TO
the judgment of the Senate and for this reason shall
be under the necessity of entering into brief review OF
the origin and progress of slavery in the United States;
and | shall begin with the condition OF the American
colonies before the establishment Of their Independence
Slavery, believe, was never originally established by
law any state in Ss Union, was II so established
in the British colonies in America. The relation OF mas
and slave, in modern times and in civilized States,
usually springs the ira ,S o. with
to regulate it, 1t was in the American colonies 1t is
curious fact that the same year l620) which witnessed
the landing of the Pilgrims on the rock OF Plymouth saw
the first ship enter the waters OF the Chesapeake bay and
the James river with Africans, to be sold into slavery
Ii is still curious that the ship eighed with free
men, and the ship freghted with slaves, commenced their
voyages from the same ceuntry-Holland In the same
year the monopoly of the London company was over
turned, and the commerce Of the colony OF Virginia was
thrown open to Tree competition
The Introduction of slaves into that colony one OF
the first fruits of this commercial freeom-not necessa
rly but of those incidents which the chances of
life bring with them to us tte its uncertainties and its
contradictions. There was no law in Virginia at that
time authorizing the existence oil slavery; nor was there
any such law in England 1t gained foolhold without
law. Indeed the early enactments OF the colony OF
Virginia had for their objects TO restrain the introduction
of slaves, and TO limit the control OF their masters over
them Before the revolution she petltioned the British
King to sanction the she had adopted for the
suppression OF the slave trade. The appeal was vain
1t was the interest OF British traders who derived
cenary profit from this detesabe traffic. that it should
continues and down to the period Of the revolution every
effort the part OF Vrg and the other colonies to
put stop it fruitless. Slavery thus forced
upon us By Great Britain not responsible for its
origin. In the North it has been abolished In the
South, peculiar circumstances have continued it in exist
| make no inquiry into those circumstances, or
their necessary influence upon the result The respon
sibiy which rests upon 10 see that it is not further
extended-that it shall not, far depends be
planted where 1t has never existed or where II has been
abolished.
After the termination of the war Of Great Britain,
when the American colonies, to the language of the
Declaration of Independence had assumed among the
powers OF the earth the equal and separate station
which the laws of nature and OF natures God entitled
them" the attention OF the great of the country
turned the subject of savery not only with view to
lis exclusion from the unoccuped portions OF the Unon
but with view to its extinction in the States where il
existed The defnitve treaty OF peace with Great Bri-
tain, acknowledging independence. signed in
September, 1888 In March, 1884, Mr. Jefferson intro
duced into the Congress of the confederation plan of
temporary government for the territory northwest of the
Ohio river, containing provision aboishng slavery
after the year 1900 in that territory. comprising the
States of Ohie, Indiana Illinois, Michigan, and Wscon
SIN