New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-20
A Southern Word for Fyeedem-ur. Buckner
efKy.-specch Of MIR. stephens Of Geo.
81 I'D ihupp
wAsurscros. Saturday. Fe


WASHINGTON. Saturday Feb. II.
Ihave just listened to the most cheering speech
Of the Session-that of Hon. AYLErr BUcKsER
of X entuchy against the Extension OF Slavery and
in distinct approx al Of the application OF the VIII
mot Proviso to New-Mexico and California It
was the first Southern speeo- in the House e1
pressy on the right side of the question, and no
man could have desired better one--caltn, soiid'
earnest, and fortified at every point by sothortes
that rendered it unanswerable. MIR. BUCsSHk
quoted numerous Judicial decisions not only OF thc
Federal Courts up 10 the highest but also OF the
Courts Of the saveholding States, Louisiana and
Mississippi inclusive, forming an unbroken chain
of legal confirm alton OF the principle that Free
dom is the universal law Slavery the casual and
local exception, and that slavery never exist
except by virtue of positive Municipal Law and
not one inch farther than such law has jurisdiction
Now these New Territories wresied from Mexico
are to-day free from Slavery-free by express Mu-
nicipsl Law when we acquired it, and free there
fore until law equally express shall establish
Slavery therein. The Law Of Nations is in ex
plicit accordance with own Judicial decisions
on this point. There be Slavery, then, Ia
the New Territories unless and until Congress or
the Legislature of State or States formed there
from shall expressly establish it. Is there any
probability any hope, that Slavery win thus be
established : Is there one Northern Member on
this floor who could vote for such establishment
without moral certainty of being discarded ar
branded by his constituents We know there is
not one. VIII the States established therein by
= Fres-Labor population proceed thereafter to
brn in hat vi mt
The soil is not at all adapted to Slave Labor it
has been tried there under Spain and proved
failure. Then why should the South resist what
is inevitsbe-excite, distract and agitate on
mere punctiio-snd prolong useless and DANCE
strife which after all have but one result
True Wisdom, Patriotism, Statcsmanship unite in
counseling scquiescence IN the enactment Of the
Proviso.
Mr. BUcKNER spoke Tor rather readl IN very
low tone, aud his speech made less sensation than
II would il delivered with greater energy. IL
will be widely read it'll the proioundest interest
Hon. A. II. STEPHENS of Ga. next got the floor
and made the first speech on the bill that has yet
been made on any Appropriation bill. He opposed
the payment of this Three Millions and over to
Mexico on the ground of the iegitmacy of the
frVaty, tue tlgnt OF Tue house 10 relust 10 MAKE
appropriations called for by Treaties negotiated
by the President and ratified by the Senate Mr.
s. reaihrmed the doctrines Of Mr.. Madison and the
Republicans of 1886 in their opposition to Jays
Treaty, reading from the journals OF the time IN
support OF his views. He denounced the ideas of
Conquest, Glory, Acquisition of Territory, &c.
which this Treaty confirms, as utterly at war with
the. .Republican spirit, and execrsted the lust Of
Gold as the most deluding, blighting dream that
ever cursed People. lie was opposed to the
Treaty throughout, and TO any addition to our
territory by conques-to any addition at all which
shah be calculated to excite i'll feeling among our
selves and endanger the stability OF the Union
The duplicity by which we had been dragged into
this Mexican Ws on the false pretext that Mexi-
90 had invaded our soil-ihe Presidents profession
that he did not desire conquest-his assurance 10
Mr. Wimot tha, he did not desire the Extension
Of Slsvery-the juggling Treaty of Trist and the
deeper, darker jugglery Of the SEWER and
Clifford Protocol-all w. vividly portrayed in the
shrill, clear tones of Mr.. Stephenss voce-and
his closing appeal to Northern Members not 10
believe that the South could tamely submit 80 the
Wilmot Proviso was the more impressive for its
careful avoidence of threats or exaggeration.
After Gen. Wilson's Of yesterday, this was the
Speech Of the Session.