Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-11-23
Senator Walker.

ed individual, whose name heads this article.
Ii we know our own heart. we have no desire
that injustice shall be done to Mr. Walker in anv
/ particular, and we trust that every member of the
! Legislature who cOnscientously believes injustice
has been done him by the action of the iepisla-
ture, will vote to eXpunge that action On the
other hand, we hope that no member will be nau-
enccd in this matter by personal considerations
! The position of our state on the question of the
! provso, is involved If Mr.. Walker did seek to
! procure the enactment of a government for our
new territories without the proviso, and our le-
gsIature resolves that he has not misrepresented
the sentiment of the people, it is simply saying
that Wisconsin does not consider the proviso of
any importance. If Mr.. Walker has not msre-
! presented us, no consideration will Justify his
condemnation if he has, to acquit him is to con-
denim the whole state. Oar own view of the mat
ter is well known. Mr. Walker pledged h'mself
specifically to 90 for no government for our new
territories which did not contain the proviso, and
the legislature specifically instructed him the
same way The government which Mr.. Walk
er himself originated for this territory did not
contain the proviso. 1t would seem there could
b. no question in a case SO plain. But then Mr..
! Walker has published an explanation, claiming
! that the Territory b ing free and his amendment
not creating slavery, therefore practically, he did
not violate either his pledges or Instructions The
p,int which Mr.. Walker here raises, viz: that
slavery cannot exist without positive law creating
| it, is a point which involves the whole merit of
the controversy; it was in dispute at the time he
made his pledges and received his instructions,
and both pledges and instructions were directly
pointed in reference 10 the opposite position be-
! ng his own position and that of the people and
the state IfMr. Walker has honestly changed
/ his own opinions he should frankly say So and if
! he has determined to set up his own opinion in
OPPOSITION to that OF his constituents, he should say
so, and let the matter be fairly understood.
We make the extract below from the New Or
leans Crescent. a southern paper, which will
show clearly the southern view of this matter !;
that Mr. Walkers proposed amendment was all
the south wanted, and that in introducing it, he
was aboring for the interests ofthe south against
the north:
:. S nator Walker Of Wisconsin, has mad his
promisCd exposition at length. 1t will be recol-
lectcd that this gentleman was the author OF the
celebrated amendment to the Appropriation Bill OF
the last Congress. providing for the organization
OF government in California, without the VIII
mot proviso. 1t was defeated, by nearly the I'M
animouS vote of the North, and the , enator HIM
self was denounced as having " sold himself to
Il South. to betrav the North. The free soil
ers and aboHOnists every where denounced him
and the Legislature of his own State passed a
string of indignant resolutions, ccLsuring his
conduct, ard we think, asking him to resign his
seat The current run very strongly against
him. and he was. to say the best, tardy in eXpa-
nation, although he promised one at Conven-
lent JASON. Now, after the lapse OF SIX months
he has fulfilled that undertaking IN letter OF
proligious length-twclve columns IN the Daily
Wi,consin-a paper of large size.
The defence is very ingenious, if the single
fact b. omitted that he was a pledged supporter
! of the Wmot Proyiso, which assumes the duty
and necessity Of legislation ~ Congress, to eN-
/ clude slavery from the territories. Mr.. Walker
atfirms his own personal rcpugnance to slavery,
and lis determined hostility to It's Introduction in-
to the territories and defends his action last WIN
/ T. on itle GROUND THAT the 1blStititOH vi Llc
country. the existing laws in the territories. the
faith of treaties, aud the physical and moral cir
canlstauccs that make it impossible that slavery
! cOnld ever exist IN California. lie insists that
/ under his amendment California must have been
! organized by General Taylor as a free territory !!
His amendment was supported by nearly all
| the southern members, on the ground that they
thought differently on the constitutional and legal
questions, and were willing to have the Territory
organized without any Congressional action on
the slave question, leaving the law to be settled
b. the courts, or, at least. keeping the question
undecided for subsequent decision.
Mr. Walker may Be sincere in his opinions
/ of the effect of his amendment in practically eX-
/ GLIDING slavery, by the force of unrepealed laws;
/ but in that tine of defence he separates himself
! from the Southern men who supported his amend
ment with a full confidence that its legal con-
struction woul be otherwise, and does not rec
Once himself to his anti-savary friends, who
will justly accuse him of setting up his own
/ opinions on a doubtful point of law, as an apol-
ogv for not complying with an acknowledged
/ pledge for specific action.
On the whole, Mr.. Walkers defence is a
| pretty specimen of ingenious pleading, but does
not really extract him from the difficulty in which
he has involved himself, by not doing what he
undertook to door in undertaking what he did
not mean
/ THE OcEAN.-rhe great Pacific Ocean has
I Iar,rnr than oll t,n ~ l,,J tbo ,rl, d,