New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-07
Why was not California Organized last
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From ~ cosr,er All E,qslrsr joys

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delivered over % utter laWessness an immense p0pp
ls'on coDgrega,ed BY bvarce from every nation lnce
Heaven unchecked ~ any moral restraint ealo1s eaci
Of the others presencs and competition. armed y.
deadly weapons and ready H. Use them 90 the sighte
prOvOcaiiOn.--n order 20 procure The enactment ri
useless law % prohot what can never occur, tne 90
tabAshment u Slavery 10 California They VIII un
oJubtedy rejoice ~ TINS resu4-1r tney always degl
in whatever promotes their party inter'sts no matte
At what expebse 70 the country, 10 justice or % d.
msnty.
II The Corner and En7t,rfri IS very ardently
opposed 70 the Extension Of Slavery whef
IT iorgets. If you were TO Judge from the above
paragraph only, you might conclude that the Ia
natics who were Instrumental IN defeating a.
action Of Congress upon the Territorial bill, were
the advocates of the WilmOt Proviso for who
else are expected 70 derive good deal OF salts
faction from knowing that Slavery does not exist
IN California" Yet the Courier cannot well help
knowing that these same fanatics were the
very and only men who urged decisive action with
regard 20 California throughout the late Session
Of Congress-that the bil organizing California
was made a special order by their votes in oppo-
stion o. the great ms 0rty Of the anti Proys' men,
but for which action Of the Proviso men It could
not have been reached at all. They could not
succeed Ia making it SPECIAL Order (which re-
q1ires two-thirds vote until they had let 1t be
understood that no other bill could be so put for
ward till this bad been--s0 that IT this bill were
defeated By a minority, all that stood behind 1t on
tho calendar should share Us fate. From begin
ming 70 end Of the Session the friends OF the Pro
yiso fought for direct action on the organization Of
California, which their adversaries resisted
The friends Of the Proviso did not embsrrass the
acton OF Congress by interposing amendments.
They took the California bill precisely as 1t he'd
been reported by the regular House Committee on
Territories, and by hard aud perseverng effort put
il through the House BY a large majority. Toat
bill did not mention Slavery nor the Wilmot Pro
viso. All 1t SAID which referred to that subject is
contained in the following section
Sec - .fqd 5cr (ay'lr saoGef That the nhsb.i
ants OF said Territory shall he entitled to ENJOY all and
singular be rights privilege and adj antages erauitd
and secured 10 the People OF the Territory OF the United
States North. OF the River ONO by the article -
compact cont lined ia the Ordinance for the govern.
met Of SAID Territory passed ON the l3,h day Of Juy
1877 and shall be subject 10 oil the conditions, restc
tons and prohibitions in said articles of compact i'm
poGed upon the people OF said Territory
All thus stlpustes is that the Ordinance drawn
by Jefferson IN 1854 and adopted without dissent
By Con ,ress composed IN good par; Of Slave
holders ST. all be adopted basis Of the civil
pohty Of the Territory OF California, which has
come - US by cession Free, while the Northwest
Territory was legally Slave territory aud mainly
coded by a Slave State. Is this too much Can
we Of the Free States be expected Ia ls49 to re-
cede from the position accorded US by the Slave
States in l7s7 Does the Courier really mean
that those who sustained that twelfth sectouwcrc
"lalatics" and instrumental in defeating al
action Of Congress the Territorial billl' Put
aside all ambiguity and speak straight out
We'll the bill in that shape passed tie House
by large majority but 1t was never acted on IN
the Senate Why not Simply because Of that
18th section The adyersaries Of Slavery Exten-
sion were a msjority in that body, and able to
keep the bin on the table They did not Ike
lsome Of ,heml to show their hands quite 50 plainly
a. would have been required by vote 10 strike
oat the lsih section they preferred smothering
the bill And they did It. Whose 'fsnstcism
was that ? Who were the fanatics Were
they those who probably derive good deal OF
satisfaction from knowing that Slavery does not
exist IN California
-- But the Senate at the eleventh hour turned rs
attention to California Leaving the House bill
preparation bill an amendment organizing Cahlor-
MIA Nud not excluding Slavery thereirom. This
came down to tue House The advocates OF Free
Soil were told You must take tins or get nothing
Take this or lose the General Appropriation bill.
Ii was a bitter pill, and they rejected il once, bat
the Senate sent 1t back Pass this or the Appro-
priston bill fails the Government is left without
resources, and Congress must be called in Extra
Session. The House finally substituted for the
eenste's proposition, one moved by K w. Thomp-
son Of Indiana, clothing the President with power
20 organize California and providing that the laws
OF Mexico not inconsistent; with our Constitution
should remain in force IN California until Congress
should see lit 10 alter them.-This wa simply pre-
serving tho existing state Of law IN California IN
oil time should be Afforded Tor elaboration aud clear
insight. Ii was as iar as any sincere advocate O.
Free Soil couA be asked 70 50 toward his oppo-
ncnts. I. enacted, 1t would have insured an la.-
mediate organisation oil California, leaving Ihe
night cs tAe STA, vholdeis 10 take tier slaves there
Ia aoey anee-Assvrted and denied bGtnOt decided
against That was agreed . and voted ia by TIE
advocates Of Free Territory as t compromise. and
as lar as they could possibly 60 70 secure the III
slant Organization o. the Territory Bat that, too
Was rejected by the anti Restriction majority Of
the Senate who struck this out receded IRON their
own amendment, and deliberately abandoned the
idss of any present organization OF California
Here ,he House, having exhausted its ability 10
secure the consammst ton desired. and manifested
swihngness 10 sc 70 tive fur,hest verge IN its con-
cessions, was compelled to e.ose the matter. No
new bill could now be introduced, and 20 fsoPosi.
ton rsmsiael before the House.
We have hastily reoaPitalssed these facts, be
cause TIE country does not seem fully 10 realize
taat all Toe exes:ioas Tor an organisation OF Cai
Srnia came from the side Of Slavery Restriction
81 he imPs3imsa;s snd systematic oPPoSnet
came from the ether side. Twice the organization
recaiTcd was duly enacted BY the anti Extension
lists and defesied BY their sdversaries. We Ash
the Courier, therefore to review its crininstion,
above qaotea and point lis esnsares distinctly al
those who have deserved ;hem. Whatsoever blame
attaches - the ron-orssnlzslioa OF California can
;rsty rest nowhere but on the champions Of Sla
yer, rxtension--not on those Of Free Soil