Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-11-01

gentle ncn Of the diplomatic corps accredited
by foreign nations TO the Government OF the
United States. In Europe it is held To be The
acknowledged right of any Goveinmpnt to
compel the residence Of the foreign Ministers
at the seat Of Government, by refusing to cor
resi- ond with hem when absen, from thclr
post. Practical experience has shown that
in diplomacy, a few minutes conversation is
volume of written correspondence and here
the Secretary of State being aided only by a
few clerks, the clerical force " oud he INSULT
cent even TO copy the written correspondence
of the Department, should foreign Ministers re
fuse to obey'the circular. Mr. .Ponssin was bound
TO obey it, and ,as if conscious that he was 81
/ bound, he dated his offensive letter "Wash-
ington' when he was really in New York -
Then how could the Secretary offend in re-
questing him to repair TO this city, especially
when the object was kindly to permit him to
relract his insult, as he did But the apollo
gis,s of Mr.. Poussin, in this country, reply
that the Secretary, after being insulted,
should not have veniured TO request that Min
lister to repair TO this city A" without unncces-
sary' delay" That request seems to these
| gentlemen to have been most offensive He
should have replied, as they think, in terms
eminent had been grossly insulted. The Ad.
mnstration will not, we think, fear TO abide
the sentence Of the American People upon
this OF any other part Of its correspondence
/ with the French Minister. LIE, us now pass
TO other topics.
II One of the most interesting questions which
have agitaed the public mind during the pre-
ceding year arises out of the dsmemberment
of Mexico and the annexation Of California
and New Mexico to the United States. That
question is, whether slavery shall or shall not
be permitted to exist within the limits Of those
Il Territories All efforts TO settle this question
have hitherto proved abortive. Tho bill intro
duced into the Senate during the session of
/ IS47, 40, by MIR. Clayton, passed the Senate
of the United States by majority OF two
thirds of that distinguished body, but was
| laid on the table at the close OF the session by
a small majority. That measure, the effect of
which was to settle the constitutional question
discussed in Congress, whether s'avery existed
in that part of Mexico at that time, and wheth
er citizen of the United States had a right to
emigrate to that Territory with his slaves and
\ hold Them as such, was the last effort made
! in Congress with ;ny prospect Of success to
allay the excitement and put an end to The
geographical divisions between the Northern
and Southern sections Of the Union. But,
Judging from what has been publlshc in Cali
rorna, and written from that Territory TO the
public prints in the United States, it has
been the desire of President Tav!Cr TO settle
this dis,ractin. question by another mode
and that is by the admission of the Terrific
rlcs as States into tho Uuon, leaving TO the
people Of each the power TO regulate the do
nestle question of slavery a. TO them rcspcc-
Itvc'y shall seem Gt The moment California
is admitted as State she has the exclusive
right 10 decide all questions of domestic poll
cy as she ploases, and Congress will then
have no more power to regulate the subj'c, Of
slavery within her limits than il now has to-
/ Introduce il into Massachusetts, or to abolish
Iii; in Louisiana. Yet Massachusetts may be-
con C 4 slave state tomorrow If she chooses,
aud Louisiana may at any moment abolish
slavery within her limits, and there is no pow.
|, or in Congress to restrain either of them IN
their action on this subject. Suppose Cafor-
MIA should present herself with written con
siitu,ion 10 Congress, il that coastltut!or
should be republican, and she should have the
requisite federal population, she is entitled to|
adm sson into tho Union as a sovereign State ),
and Congress has no right to prescribe any
terms whatever to her as a State on the sub
ecl of slavery. To demonstrate this, it is
only necessary to show aow futile or nugato-
ry such an attempt on the part Of Congress
would be- Her constitution will contain a
clause prohibiting slavery within her limits,
or clause establishing slavery within her
limits, or it will be entirely silent on the whole
subject. Suppose it prohibits slavery, and
tha, Congress should refuse to admi, the State
on account of that prohibition. California
could Immediately strike that clause from her
constitution, be admitted into the Union, and
then call Convention to change her own do.
mestic policy on the subject as she should
think fit, either by prohi biting or establishing
slavery, IN defiance Of all the laws Congress
could make.
II California should present herself with a
Constitution silent on the subject, Congress
could no, engrait the Wilmot proviso on that
Constitution, or a clause establishing slavery,
bee ause The unqucsiioncd right Of the State,
when admitted, to abolish any measure Of do
mesic policy contrary to her wishes, would
render any such attempt on the part Of Con-
grcss imperative and absurd. The only peri