Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-06-21

lof the UiLmot proUiso. He thinks, there
fore, that this should be called the Calhoun
proviso, because Mr.. Calhoun was nearly
thirty years ahead of Wilmot in its support,
because his position was then higher, being
member of the Cabinet because he was
more potential, being Southern man, be-
cause he was successful, and Mr.. Wmot
was not, aud finally because Wilmot's Pro-
viso is weak conrivance TO prevent slave
ry from being where it is not, and where it
never will be while Calhouns proviso was
a manly blow to kill slavery, where it then
, existed by law, and where it would now ex-
list in point of fact, if that blow had not
been struck. The proviso of Mr.. Calhoun
actually abolished slavery where it existed
by LAWN all the upper half of Louisiana
|, from $500 10 49, and from the MISSISSIPPI
pi to the Rocky Mountains-over a terrific
ry nearly a thousand miles square-nearly
: a million square miles-enough to make
twenty states of so, 600 square miles each
more in fact than all California, New Mexi-
: co and Oregon put together. Over all this
vast territory, the proviso, supported by Cal
, houn, abolished slavery--abolished it, then
existing by law-and shut it up from the
. slave emigration of the South. And now,
, What becomes of the dogma, in his mouth,
! and tn at of his followers, so recently inven-
f ted, of no power in Congress to legislate
, upon the subject Of slavery in territories T!
: what becomes, in their mouths of the new
tangled point of honor, just felt for the first
, time III thirty years, ofinsut to slave States
in their exclusion from settlement to the ter
f ritories bought by the blood and treasure of
, the whole Union! Louisiana was terri
tory, and Congress lezislated upon slavery
) in it, and legslated slavery out of million
of square miles of it, and Mr.. Calhoun sup
ported that legislation. Louisiana was a
t territory acquired by the treasure, if not by
the blood, of the whole Union and the
proviso Of 1920, supported by Mr.. Calhoun,
, shut up one half of it from slave emigra-
ton. If that is insult, he and his followers
have stood being nsulted most remarkably
t well for about thirty years; and perhaps
, WOULD consult their own selfrespect, and
, lose nothing in public opinion, they should
. continue standing it with like fortitude, for
y the remainder of their lives
f Mr.. Benton quotes this action of Mr..
Calhoun, not to vindicate the right of Con-
2 gress to prohibit or abolish slavery in the
S territories, but to shut the mouths of Mr..
? Calhoun and his followers. He proceeds
to say that in giving his cabinet support,
= where his voice was so potential to the alb
S clifton of slavery over a million of square
G miles in Louisiana, Mr.. Calhoun did more
G than any one man has ever done towards a
e polishing slavery in the world. Holding,
: as he then did, the one-flth part of the We
, to power, and commanding as his position
:. was, as southern man and a cabinet min
l. lster--a leading cabinet minlster-the larg-
v est question ever started of free or slave
d soil, was then in his hands and he decid-
e ed it in favor of free. 1t was an immense
c boon to the anti-slavery party, then SO nu-
It nerous and ardent; but it was not the on
= y service which he had rendered them
e Texas was then ours-a part of Louisiana
IF to the lower Rio Grande large enough
s. for SIX great or ten common states. twas
o all slave territory, and looked to as the nat
If ural outlet of the southern states, with then
l. great increasing population. 1t was given
to the King of Spain-given away by trea
O ty, and that treaty the work of Mr.. Mon.
= roe's cabinet-Mr. Calhoun being a mem
d Der. And here there is no room for denla
e and non-recollection. For long time Mr.
e Adams bore the blame of that cession. A
:, friend of Mr.. Calhoun reproached him will
& it in the House of Representatives. Mr.
,r Adams was then alive, and present, ant
It soon indicated the truth of history HI
s. showed that there was division in the cab
is met, upon the point he was against it
C Mr.. Calhoun for it--and Mr.. Calhoun be
Is ing southern man, and the majority of tn,
It cabinet southern, he carried the day, ant
n Texas was lost. l was not then in publ,
4 life, but wrote against that act, blamin!
}, Mr.. Adams when should have blamed Mr.
J. Calhoun. BY that cession the expansion O
X slavery was stopped the growth of slave
D. states in the southwest was stopped
10 three hundred and fifty thousand squar,
as miles subject to American slavery, was Gu
n off from American dominion, and present
lie ed TO foreign king. This was anothe
d. great qualification to the abolitionists bu
s. it was not all. There was a strip of land
of about large enough for two states, lying up
err on the Arkansas and Red rivers, and be
IN tween Texas and the SO deg. 30 min. c
d. north latitude. This strip having escape
er the compromise line on one side, and tn
I'd Texas cesslon on the other, was open to tn
1t. formation of two respectable slave states =
of Mr.. Calhoun was then still cabinet mini,
ed ter-Secretary at War--had the Indians III
n. der his care-and was riding the hobby {
IN their civilization. lie required this strip t
be given up to the Indians for their perm;
n nent abode; and thus it, also, was lost t
e. the slave states. All Louisiana was the
he gone from them except the fragment whic
he was contained in the states of Missouri an
at Louisiana, and in the Territory of Arkar
of sas. Even this fragment appeared to b
ri too much TO be left to the slave states, an
ed a slice of forty miles wide, and three hun
dred miles long, was cut off from the Al
n kansas and given to the Indians; and tn
la Shareholders with the slaves upon the slice
p- we're required to remove from the cut o
ok part, aud fall back within the contracte
at- limits. This was done by the Indian trei
M ty-the treaty negotiated by IA protege
ms MIR. Calhoun's. He was then Vice Pres
m dent of the United States, aud President
Sc, the Senate was a member of the Senai
ter opposed to the ratification of this treat
is and came within one or two votes of d.
al leatlng it, The slightest help from Mr.. Ca
M houn would have defeated it, and saved ii