The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-11-21
The Territories, and the Slavery Question
A New Compromise.


The exciting and over-ruling question of the
next Congress, will be the subject of slavery in
reference to the new territories. The difficulty, if
the action of the people of California and of the
Mormon State in the Great Basin is approved by
Congress, is narrowed down to the territory Of
New Mexico. This territory covers an immense
surface of sandy plains and barren mountains, and
is to all in;ents and purposes desert, excepting
the narrow rbands along the banks of the Rio del
Norte and a few of It's principal tributaries But
the abstraction of the slavery question gives even
TO the desert the first importance. 1t is the principle
involved, aAd not the value of the territory which
constitutes the great difficulty to compromise, or
division of the territory between the North and
South. If the doctrine is admitted, of the power
of Congress to exclude slavery from the territories
south of the Missouri compromise line, 1t may be
excluded from all future acquisitions, including
the island Of Cuba. To carry out such policy,
would be to give the balance of power to the
North, and it would place the institution of slavery
in the South at the mercy Of the free sellers and
the abolitonists 1t is this danger menacing the
Southern States, which has driven them to their
present desperate attitude IN opposition to the Will
mot provlso, and gives to their resistance not only
a show Of justification and expediency, but OF
sagacity and foresight, which cannot be disre-
spected.
Neither will the South be content with the ac-
ton of the people of California in their State organi
zatlon. The territories of Oregon and California
include the whole of our sea coast on the Pacific
side The boundary of California, defined by
the Monterey Convention, takes In the whole OF
the coast 20 the Mexican line, at the BID degree Of
north latitude, or four degrees and half south of
the compromise line of 50 30. The South will OBJ
ject to this boundary of the new State, for two
reasons Flrst;-That It excludes the South entirely
from the Pacific coast; and, secondly, because
State extending through ten degrees Of latitude,
and filling up rapidly is California, must
be divided INTO two States, which would give
the balance OF power to the North, in the Senate.
The South are the more Jealous of this, inasmuch
as Minnesota, Oregon, and Deseret Will, in due
season, come in as non-seveholding States, to say
nothing Of the prospects of the annexation Of Ca
NADIA.
The last foothod of the South for the security
of their institutions, is in equality Of representa-
ton in the Senate. The States now stand fifteen
10 fifteen, or thirty Senators each from the North
and South. With the prospect of three more
States, within year or two, from the North,
without California or New Mexico, how is the
balance in the Senate TO be preserved Here lies
the whole difficulty.
1t appears from the Washington letter-wuters,
including the letter which publish from our
own correspondent, to-day, that proposition Will
be submitted TO the Senate, the first day of the
session, probably by Mr.. Foote, of MIssissipp)
providing for the division Of California, by the line
of 80 30, between the North and South; for the
division Of the State OF Texas, south Of 81 30, into
two Southern States for the admission Of the
Territory Of Deseret and for the submission OF the
boundary of New Mexico 10 board of cominls-
soners Our correspondent thinks that some such
compromise will settle the whole dispute but the
probability is that 1t Will only increase the existing
embauassments, and prolong and exasPerste the
existing agitation to the most dangerous extremes.
The resolutions Of annexation provide that "new
States Of convenient size, not exceeding four in
number, in addition to said State Of Texas, and
having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the
consent Of said State" be admitted into the Union;
and that in all such States, so formed within the
limits of Texas, above the line Sc 3d. slavery shall
be prohibited. There is no obstacle, then, to the
division Of Texas into teveral States, except her
own consent; but it will be many years before she
will have the necessary population to be divided
Mexico is allowed, which will admit Of another.
Above the line Of s6 30 che has no habitabe terri
tory, unless New Mexico be included, and the Rio
Grande az the implied boundary Of the annexation.
But this assumption involves the most perpexi
difficulty in the whole DISPUTE, and the identical
point upon which the main battle is to be fought
between the free sellers and the South.
Any proposition to reject the constitution, the
State organization, and the Members and Senators
Of California, in dividing the territory upon the
line 50 30, will most likely be defeated. The
people Of California have acted consistently with
the doctrine Of Gen Case, in deciding upon the
slavery question for themselves although the re-
servation to Congress Of prescribing the boundaries
of new States admits Of compromise But the
proposition to make the compromise line the
southern boundary Of the new state, so as to re-
serve the residue Of the territory for a Southern
State, cannot, we apprehend, by any possibility,
receive the assent Of the House.
Viewed in any light, from any point and upon
any plan Of compromise whatever the settlement
OF this question Of slavery in the territories is
likely to be a most ugly business. The new plan
foreshadoved by the Washington etter-writers Is
but a modification Of the propositions of Mr.. Tn
derwood, MIR. Douglass, and others, heretofore de-
feated IN the senate. Whatever may be the dlspo-
siton to a compromise Of MIR. Clay and Mr.. Ben
ton, the northern members of the House, and
northern Senators, have received their nstruc-
tions. Free soil and abolition the ruling ele-
ments IN the North. The course Of Martin and
John Van Buren,, and Benton, on the democratic
eide, and Of Seward, Weed, Greeley, Root, Cid
dings, and others of the wings, and their conces-
sions to the abolition spint, have made free soil
the predominant question, and blended all parties
upon the provso in the North. All sorts Of COM
promises have been tried and rejected, and, in the
interval the anti.slavery sentiment has been ra-
pidy gaining strength and resolution. There is
NO use OF blinking the fact. The long threatened
crisis on the slavery question ls upon us, with the
meeting Of Congress. How is il TO be setlledl