Democratic banner., 1849-06-18

Aoo oucHoS NC cSCtdNss mduuh1lJuOS POI
la presente 10y o por Ell decreto de 10 de
Septembre, de 1929, seran indemnizadas,
etc.-TCollecion de Leycsy Decretos, ETC.,
tome 8. pag. coll
(Translation.1 The masters Of slaves
manumitted by the present. law or by the de-
cree of the 10Th of September, 1899, shall
be i~adsmai6sd, &c.-GColtecsion of Laws
and DEGREES, &C., fal. g., page 20l.]
This is the decree, and this is the act of
Congress confirming it, abolishing slavery
throughout the Mexican Republic. The
constitution Of 1874, does not abolish slave
f>ry, for that was done before, but prohibits
lis future, establishments. Thus, there is
no slavery now in Mexico and California +;
and consequently none in any territory be-
longing to the Uunited States and, conse-
qnently, nothing practical or real in the
whole slavery question, for the people Of
Me United States to quarrel about. There
is no slavery nov by law in any territory
and it cannot get there by law except by
act Of Congress; and NO such act will be
passed, or even asked for. The dogma Of
no power in Congress to legislate upon
slavery in territories, kills that p~retcnsion'
No legal establishment of slavery in Cali
%fornia and New Mexico in then TO be look
ed for. That is certain. Equally certain
it will never be established in either of them
in point of fact. The people of both terri
tories-the old inhabitants are unanimously
against il. OF the new emigrants, all those
from Europe. Asia, Mexico, Central and
South America, and all those from the non-
slavshOlding part Of the United States, will
be unanimously sgainst it.; There remains,
then, to overbalance all tliis unanimou.
mass, only the emigrants from the slave.
holding parts of the United States-in itself
the smdlest branch Of the emigration, and
it divided on the question-many going fol
the express purpose Of getting rid Of slave
ry-and very few so far in love with it e.
to 60 that distance for the pleasure of hav.
ing a law suit with his own negro, aud will
the certainty of coming put second best il
the contest. There is no slavery, at thi:
time, either in New Mexico or California
in law or IN fact; and will never be, either
in law or in fact. What, then, is all The
present uproar about? abstraction! the alb
stract right of doing what cannot be done
the insult to the sovereignty Of the States
where there is no insult! all abstraction
and no reality, substance or practice in it.
The Romans had q class of disputes which
they called de lana coprind, that is to say
about goat's wool; and as the goat has NJ
wool, the dispute was about nothing. Sol
is Of this dispute among Is about excluding
slavery from New Mexico and California
there is none there to exclude, and the dis
pute now raging is about nothing.
The Missouri resolutions were copier
from those of Calhoun, and do not believ'
there exceeded half a dozen members ii
the two Houses, all told, who were in thu
secret either of the origin or design of tina
proceeding. They were copied from Cal
houn; and to see their design, you mus
know his. His were aimed at the Union
at the harmony and stability Of the Union
and at the members from the slave-holdini
!, States who would not follow his lead, mysel
especially. This makes it my duty to sPeal
of him, and to show his design in bringin,
forward the resolutions from which he wa
so suddenly backed out in the Senate, ant
which some half dozen members have sue
ceeded in passing through the MissouriLeg
|, ! i~slature. This carries me rather fer back
. but I will make rapid work, and short work
Therefore appeal from the instructions
have received, because they are in conflic
with instructions already received ant
obeyed-because they did not emanate from
any known desire, or understood will, o
: the psople-because they contain unconsti
~tutional expositions Of the constitution
, which I am sworn to support-bscause the,
~reouire me to promote disunion-becaus