The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-12-12
me Oaiifornia Queaaion-1The Pioayuns.


BY the language employed in that pAFi Of is article
on the admission of California, which spoke Of its
effects on the peaceful settlement Of the slave ques
ton. It did not mean 70 say-suoh ia its present |
Interpretations the solution Of these " mo-
mentous questions depends entirely" on the /
CalifoFnians only that it depends upon them in
great degree" It complains that the "peace -
of which the admission will be the " harbinger,"
is the peace Of the new State ITSELF" And it did
say that Congress should admit her provided her
Constitution were in no way repugnant to the Fed
eral compact" excluding in this, as in the first ar
ticls, ali questions Of expediency in regard to the
manner Of the formation Of the Constitution, the
previous relations Of the inhabitants the territory
and to the Government Of the Union, and the bear
ing Of the whole question upon the domestic inter
ests and peace of the Union, now engaged in
" momentous" controversy, in which the destiny
Of California is an important element.
/ Giving the Picayune the benefit Of this revised
examination Gifts sayings on Saturday, and the ex
planalory comments yesterday, we are unable to
see how they affect the force of anything we have
said on the impOliey of the position taken by that
paper, in favofing the immediate admission Of Cali
forna for its quieting effects upon al settlement OF
the slave controversy, which is agating the Union,
and threatening, thinks the Picayune, "yiolent
dissolution"
| We deal with the subject not in the light of
question for argument upon the merits of slave ex
tension or slave prohibition or at this time at least,
/ upon the propriety Of creating new State upon
| the Pacific, and admitting it into the Union. We
find it a subsisting controversy, in which extreme
opinions are maintained with extreme violence,
and with no hope that either can prevail without
the most disastrous consequences upon theBpeace
of the country, and severe shock to its form of
4 government. The thing in controversy may be, in
some sense, an abstraction Many who are never
heless holly involved in the strife believe it to be
without practical importance, at least as relates to
| California. But we all know how obstinate are
convictions on matters of mere abstract opinion,
/ especially when there are united with them per-
sOnai sense Of wrong, the pride of personal charae-
ter, and that feeling of determination not to yield
TO the intimidation Of numbers, which stirs up all
the instincts Of pride and courage to maintain
position. There is abroad an irreconcileabe an
agonism of position and neither party will retreat
without some concession, in form at least from the
other which shall satisfy its pride, and justify it in
Withdrawing its ultraisms, TO meet on some COM
mon ground, for the sake of peace. As measure
of comprehensive policy for the whole country-as
an element in the general adjustment of question
NtAsSA pAoACh aAlu dgltdtSs the eNtlf6 UNION
even TO give it its panest description as stroke of
political poliey-it seems to us that the organiza-
ton Of California as State ought to be postponed
This opinion is independent Of all considerations
about the merits Of the proceedings in California,
the legal character of the constituency there the
questionable limits TAKEN or any Of the provisions
Of the Constitution. Ia all these particulars there are
good grounds for hesitation about the immediate ad
mission Of the State but without reference to them
it il extremely improbable that the Southern men
will fail 70 see and insist that the loss Of California
as portion of the disputed territory, will slrenet
the opposite side pfodgiousiy, and leave as subjects
for compromise a comparatively insignificant tract
Of country most of which is utterly worth
less. And can the Picayune fail to see that these
results will exasperate and inAame the very " agi-
mtion" it deprecates, and that, with the material
change in the positions of the two parties thus
affected, the excitement would be increased, and
the chances decentralization diminished? The peace
thus brought to California would badly compen-
safe for the evaporation of the struggle elsewhere
and the peaceful solution of the momentous
question would be as far of as ever. In fact un-
der those circumstance, it would in all probability
be attained at ell, except by the enactment of
the offensive Proyiso universally solution which
! we do not think the Pieayune is prepared to pro-
nounce desirable rs a measure for harmony and
union.
/ The Pioayune seems to consider our OBJ
lection to the admission OF California, with view
/ of applying the principle of compromise to the
territory therein embraced to be an infringement
Of the popular right there to decide on their own in
stitutions and violation of the Southern doctrine
Of nOn-intervention. A very little thought would
dispel these views.
The Missouri settlement of 1920 did not inter
ere with the rghtevhicIf the Californians have ex-
ercised to exclude slavery. No compromise ever
proposed includes provision for the establishment
Of slavery. Whatever might be the position of
California under any such arrangement between
the parties in Congress, the absolute right would
remain to do Just what she has done-exclude
slavery in her own Constitution on becoming a
State. If she be refused admission now, it is
merely question Of time so far as the exercise OF
the right of regulating that question is involved.
No power dictate to her what she shall or shall
not do, when at proper time she is authorized to
become a State To assume that any right OF
legitimate control over this question is infringed
by keeping the people in territorial condition, is
to take the ground that the territories are sovereign
and independent of any authority of Congress or
elsewhere doctrine we think the Pioayune will
hesitate to take although its argument requires it.
Otherwise it must assume that California is abso-
lutely a sovereign State now, Independent of any
action control of Congress- and of course remains
so whether admitted into the Union or not. And
on the same principle as the area of the States are
the numoer and qualifications Of the constituency
are determinable only by themselves, any mum.
Der ofpersons on any territory of the United States
may make themselves sovereign community,
and take as many degrees Of latitude and longitude
as they please into their dominion. Nothing in the
history of any of the new States will sustain the
conclusions to which the doctrines of the Picayuhe
inevitably leads, if the declining to receive Califor-
MIA into the Union and treating her part Of the
territory of the United States be, as assumed, a
violation Of the principle OF non-intervention.
| But if the Picayune merely means that no COM
promise limo like that Of Missouri is admissible in
| in the territories, because it comedies power
which is utterly inadmissible, we should like to
know now who are the ultras," whose ex
IRENE opinions it has taken pains to rebule. w,
know that nearly every Southern public man o
/ note has in some way during the last few years
signifed his assent to such a settlement and tina
no other plan has been suggested at all for tn
, purpose Of harmonizing feeling on the subject
Il Having said thus much in explanation Of on
aT former remarks, we have only to repeat that W
y look at the whole matter as one not for subtlety
Iarr he Al, IS