The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-08-25
Necessity Of the Pro vkso.

The New York Evening Post is publishing
ton portion of Benton's speech. From lats
one, we take an unanswerable reply TO his ar,
gument that the Proviso is unnecessary:
To say that no legislation is necessary to pro
tect the freedom OF the Territories, Is to say
either that slavery will not enter them, or that
tits already excluded from them by competent
legislation. Mr.. Benton insists upon both OF
these propositions. He says, California and
New Mexico are now free from slavery, both by
law and Ia fact, and will forever remain free
from il, both by law and in fact Upon what
principle, or by force Of what evidence the pro-
position is taken, that slavery would not enter
California, If not prohibited, we are not in
structed, and We have vet TO learn the first rea-
son for believing in the soundness Of it, We
are not aware that there is or ever was any cou
try in the world, the religion and laws Of which
tolerated slavery, where slavery did not exist.
Certainly part of the United States 10 or ever
was free from 1t, that did not become so through
| legislative Intervention. We defy any person
to shew a case where slavery did not march up
plump to the line Of prohibition. While it was
the law of the land, did not slavery find home
in all the Northern States, and was II not er-
PEELED from all by operation Of law, and In de-
fsnce of formidable popular clamors1 Then
why should 1t not go into California and New
Mexico, where IL would find new and unworn
soils, on which slavery always thrives1
We presume that the climate 10 relied upon
as the natural antagonist of slavery in Cali
fornia.
To this the answer is very plain. In the first
place, slavery prevailed many years In New
Mexico, and would doubtless have prevailed
till this time, had the laws Of the country con-
tinued TO recognize and protect slave property.
In the next place, California covers, on the Pa
cific, the whole range Of latitude embraced by
the Middle and Southern States. II ranges
both above and below them. San Francisco,
which lies at the extreme north of Californis,
is lower degree Of latitude than Baltimore,
Washington, Frankfort or St. Louis, four prom.
inent slave emporiums, and Is on the same line
of latitude rs edmond In Virginia.
Nearly a. rntire territory, certainly nine |
tenths Of lies below the latitude which
bounds 81; abor on the Atlantic coast, and
all of It lies s.5w the region where slave labor
did prevail Until excluded by legislative proh- |
bitions To contend that slavery, unrestricted, |
would not enter California, is equivalent 10 con.
tending thai slavery would not enter any of the |
slave States of the Union, IL those States were |
now for the first time to become a part of the |
confederacy. Ii is to contend that IL would not |
60 into Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, South Car
stated 10 make Its absurolty manifest.
Even In Mr.. Bepton's own State, he might |
have found q practical contradiction Of his |
theory. Most Of California lies on a lower
range Of latitude than Missouri, and yet the |
progress Of slavery in that State, after her adj
mission, was pnexampled. BY the census OF
1870, there was in all Missouri only lO,222
slaves; In 1910, there we're 1880, an increase
of one hundred and forty per cent. in ten years;
and In 1910, SIS, 240, an increase of one hun
dred and thirty-fiye per cent. in another ten
years. For several Year,, the slave population
more rapidly than the free, the natu-
raj result when the soils are free and fertile as
they were In Missouri, aud as they are In Cali
fornia. We have yet to hear the first reason
for supposing that the climate OF soil Of Mis-
SCUM is better adapted 10 slave labor than those
of California.
But Il is also 10 be borne in mind, that the
Pacific coast is fair milder in It's temperature
than the Atlantic. The latitude of Georgia
gives, on the Pacific, tropical climate, and
San Francisco averages several degrees higher
throughout the year than Charles
ton. According TO the theory of Southern
those lands will be comparatively
valueless TO their owners, unless submitted to
slave culture.
So far, therefore, from admitting that the
climate Of California Is the natural antagonist
" slavery, we think II perfectly demonstrabe !
hat the climate Of no part of the United States
,ives slavery more natural welcome than that !.
a which large portions of California and New ,
Mexico are embraced. III
With regard to the prudential reasons for ,
voiding this issue, we confess that we do not :
ppreciate them. Wethink, with Senator Ben
on, that they address themselves chiefly to the
outh, and Southern men may give them what 7