Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-07-12

formed out of the free Territories, TO
amend he Consti,ution-inves,ins the
General Government with power 10
abolish slavery in the States-and Fl.
nally to place the negro upon terms of
social and political equality with the
white man.
This Free-Soil party, with Martin
Van Buren, at its head, has already dis.
soLued the union Of the Democratic par.
ty in some of the free states, and the
work of dissolution is rapidly progress.
ing in the Wing ranks in tho same
states; and let both Wings and Demo
Gratis beware lest this party should CT
feet dissolution Of the Federal Union
Of the States.
1t is contended that slavery cannot
be carried into the territories of Califor-
MIA and New Mexico, without law of
Congress authorizing the same: because
il had been abolished by the Mexican
Government prior to the treaty by
which it was cededto the United States.
If this proposition be true, then is i, not
strange, passing strange, that party
should spring up in the United States,
one of whose first and greatest princi,
Piles is the prohibition by law, of the
extension of slavery 10 those very ter.
ritories from which ii is already erclu.
ded! Is it not strange that the lcgisla.
lures of every free state in this Union,
should resolve in favor of the prohibit
ton of slavery in territories from where
it is already excluded! 1.-THE doctrine
be correct, is il not madness in north.
ern members of Congress, year after
year, and session after session, 10 pro.
pose and press this measure, and TO re-
fuse law and government to the people
Of the territories, without a clause ex.
pressly prohibiting slavery!
A bill was introduced and passed the
Senate at the session of ls47-s, provi'
ding Territorial government for each
of the Territories, 10 wit: Oregon, Cal
iforna and New Mexico-leaving the
question of slavery in the two latter I'm.
touched. Every effort was made by
the Free.soil men to incorporate their
favorite proyiso, but wi,hou! effect. The
Southern Senator's with few exceptions
if any, voting for the bill-,he North
ern Senators, with but few exceptions
voting against it. This bill went TO The
House of Representatives and was there
defeated--a great majority of North
ern Representatives voting against it
and the Southern Representatives, with
great unanimity, voting for it.
The great object of this bill, which
was reported TO the Senate by the Hon
John NJ. Clayton. at that time a Sena
tor from the state of Delaware-now
Secretary Of S,ate-was to submit ,hi
very question to the decision of TIT
Courts. If the Supreme Court of TIT
United States should decide that i
could not exist, and that slaves coulC
not be held to service by their master:
in those territories, without a law o
Congress authorizing it, then the Free
sellers had gained all they con,endec
for. But, if, on the other hand, hi
Courts should decide that the territorie
Of California and New Mexico. wer
open to the settlement of the slavehold
er with his slaves, then the southern
citizen had gained nothing more tina
his rights under the Constitution of III
United States. For this we contenC
and nothing more. Non-interventio
by the General Government, is all tha
we ask.
l If it be true tina, slavery is now OK
cluded from California and New Mex
CO, the Free sellers are guilty, not onl
of great folly, but of great wickednes'
If this matter be an abstraction, VIII
press it! Why press i, with such ZEE
and violence as to drive the Souther
people to desperation, when all that The
ask, is to let the question alone wher
it isl
But, Fellow Citizens, this questio
is no abstraction. 1t is a reality. !
fearful reality. The moments CalifoI
MIA and New Mexico became terri,or
les of the United States, they becom
subject to all the restrictions imposed b.
the Constitution of the United State:
and none others. The people of thes