Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-08-08

Is slave state entitled to admission will
two representatives with less population
than free state with the same representa-
toni Iapprehend not. Il is objected il
the fourth place, that the state is too large
know, sir. that it is large state. should
be better pleased il il we're smaller. 1 thinh
It comprises territory enough cor three free
states; and that we ought to have six sena.
tors instead Of two from It. Bat il is MOI
half as large as Texas, and no objection
was raised on the part Of the south TO her
admission ON the ground that we were crea-
ting tooiarge state. All these objections,
Mr.. President, relate to mere matters oil
form--there is NJ substance in them. They
may and should be waived. The real OBJ
lection ON the part Of the south is, in my
humble opinion, concealed. Southern sem
ators do not like TO come out aud say that
the exclusion Of slavery is the ground of
ton Of their own aosi Hsnl 81 Pe rtESSpHas
resolution introduced BY Mr.. Calhoun in
February, 1S47 The resolution is in the
following words: ~
I" Resoiped, That it is a fundamental principle
in our political creed, that people in forming
constitution, have the unconditional right to form
and adopt the government which they may think
best calculated to secure their liberty, prosperi-
~ and happiness; and in conformity thereto, no
other condition is imposed by the Federal Con-
stilution on State, in order to be admitted into
this Union. excep, thar its constitution shall be
republican, and that the imposition of any 9th
er by Congress would not only be in violation
Of the constitution, but in direct conflict with the
principle ON which our political system rests"
President Polk in his message of Decem-
Der 5, lS4S, speaking of the organization
of Territorial Governments for California
and New Mexico, and the power of Con-
gress to legislate on the subject of slavery,
says:
Whether Congress sh,ll legislate or not, the
people of the acquired Territories, when assem-
bed in convention to form state constitutions,
will possess the sole and exclusive power 70 de-
termine for themselves whether slavery shall or
shall not exist within their limits"
This doctrine of Mr.. Calhoun and Mr..
Polk the people of California adopted, and
have acted upon it; and now come here in
good faith. with Just such constitution as
those gentlemen and the entire South said
they had right TO form and every obsta-
Gle that the ingenuity Of man can devise is
thrown into the way of their admission into
the Union. Ii has been said over and over
again in this chamber, tina, California has a
large majority Of Senators in her favor. III
so, why not admit her at once? Why delay
her for the settlement Of vexeG questions
with which she has no connecticut What
has her admission to do with the question of
freedom or slavery i'll the Territories What
has it TO do with the capture of fugitive
slavesl with the boundaries Of Texas! or
with slavery in the District Of Columbia
1t seems to me that every fair-minded man
must say at once that California has nothing
to do will, these questions; and that she has
a clear right to stand upon her own merits,
unembarrassed by any other subject. II is
unjust both to California and the Senate to
tack the Territorial bills and the bill for the
settlement Of the Texas boundary on to the
bill for the admission Of California. There
are many Senators who would vote for the
admission of California in a bill by herself,
who viii not vote for her connected with
the other measures to which have refer
red. can never vute for Territorial bills
without clause in them inhibiting slavery.
am no believer in the doctrine that slave
~ is excluded from California and New
Mexico "by the law Of nature, of physical
geography, the law Of the formation Of the |
EARTH" No sir; slavery once existed there
and will, unless prohibited, in my judg-
ment, exist there again. Southern senators
now insist upon the peculiar adaptedness Of
slave labor to the Development Of the min
eral treasures of the country. Hear their
language: On the Esd Of February, lS40, !
Mr.. Foote, of Mississippi, said:
e No one, acquainted wnh the vast mineral re-
sources of California and New Mexico, and who |
is aware of the peculiar atapiedness Of slave
abor 70 the development ut mineral treasures, |
car doubt for . moment thtt were d aves lntrodu
ced in California and New Mexico, fur the pur-
pose Of being employed IN tie mining operations
there IN progress, and hereafter, perhaps, to be
carried on 10 an extent coniectured Of by few,
heir labor would result III the scquisiiion Of pc. |
cuniary profits not heretofore realized by the most
successful cotton and sugar planters Of the coun-
ry"-.9Ppendir to Congressional Globe, p. 49, !
The Hon. Senator from Virginia, in his
able speech, says shat
I'VE have heard here from various quarters |
md from high quarters, and repeated on all hands
repeated here again today by the honorable
Senator from Illinuis, (Mr. shields, )-that there i
o Law of Nature which excludes the Southern
people froa every portion of the State of Cali
ornia. know Of 40 such law OF Nature none
whatever; but I DO know the contrary, that i'll
California had been organized with Territorial
orm Of Government only, and fur which, at the
ast two sessions Of Congress. she has obtained
he entire Southern vote, uie people of the South
srn States would have gone there freely, and
have taken their slaves there in great numbers.
They would have done 90, be:ssse the value Of
he labor Of that class would have been sugrnen
ed to them many hundred fold. Why, in the
ieba'es which took place in the Gonsenilon in
California which formed the constitution, and
which any Senator can nos read for himseIG af.
Ter the provision excluding slavery vas agreed
ppm, i was proposed 10 prohibit the African
ace altogether, Tree as weils as bonl. A debate
rose upon il and the ground ~ss distinctly tA-
rem, al shows 10 thoss debates, that il the entire
African rscs was not excluded. their labor would
,e found % valuable that the owners of slaves
would bring them there, even though slavery
we're prohibited under contract to nsnunn
'eS In two OF ,hrse yean Aod il required very