The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-19

it is objection to the admission of the State of
California as one Of the States Of this Union, that
she mas inserted provision into her constitution
excluding slavery and involuntary servitude''
He desired vote on this amendmenu
but he would renew the amendment OF the
gentleman from Alabama, as there was
desire to take vote upon it. The present
discussion seemed to him to present singu-
lar spectacle. . The people Of California came
here FIVE or six months ago, with consti-
tuition asking to be admitted as one of the
States of the Union. Until this moment
the scene we have exhibited here is such an
opposition by minority in this body as has
prevented her from being admitted And
why has she not been admitted Is it be-
cause the. people of California held con-
vention for the adoption Of constitution
without the previous assent Of Congress
Did any one believe that to be the true rea-
son ! Is it because they had not adopted the
line OF boundaries which her opponents wish
One could hardly believe that to be the true
reason. Who opposed the admission Of Cal
fornia The South. There must, then,
be some other question. which incites to this
geographical division upon this question. 1t
is not mere coincidence-an accident, that
the South generally oppose this new State,
while the North are SO generally-so unani
mously IN her favor. And what then is the
question: Slavery. 1t is the word slavery.
It is manifest that the true, the real objec-
ton Of the South, is that the people Of Cali
fornia have inserted in their constitution
clause prohibiting slavery. 1t is not, then,
because the boundaries are not approved; it
is not because the people formed constitu-
ton in convention, without the previous
sanction of Congress; it is not because there
is not a sufficient number Of population; it
is on none Of these points that objection is
made to the admission of California. Every
one now admits that it is this question Of
slavery which raises all the difficulty, and all
the propositions of compromise which have
been submitted look to that clause. Her
admission has been opposed on that account;
and all these other objections as to boundary,
the irregularity with which the constitution
was formed, &c., are all introduced as mere
Notwithstanding more than by-play. All
these amendments which have been submit
ted look to that, and, in his opinion, ought
to have been ruled out of order.
And now the gentlemen who have opposed
the admission of California wish to have a
vote on this abstract proposition. = They
come in, whether in her constitution she
allows slavery or prohibits it. And while
they ask for this vote, they are in fact OPP
posed to the principle it contains, inasmuch
as they oppose the admission Of California
because her free people have chosen to ex-
clude slavery by clause in her constitution.
He trusted that the people would understand
that the admission Of California was opposed
because she was the first of these newly
acquired territories which had desired to
come into the Union as free State; and
gentlemen of the South now asked an ex-
preston of the opinion of the committee on
this abstract question, while they themselves
are opposing the admission of California and
the wish Of her people, because they have
inserted in their constitution clause pro-
hibiting slavery within their limits. Nov,
he considered an ounce OF practice to be
worth pound of precept, and he would like
to see whether the gentlemen who advocate
this amendment would come up and vote for
the bill to admit California.
He withdrew the amendment.
Mr. Seldom, renewing the amend
ment, said, am happy, Mr.. Chairman, to
see thatwith some honorable Representatives
from the North, there is limit, short of the
extreme OF anti-slavery fanaticism, which
they profess no desire to exceed UNDER
stand such to avow, with manly frankness,
that Congress is, by the provisions and spirit
of the Constitution, bound to admit into tee
Confederacy new States when legitimately
organized out Of the territories Of the Union,
without reference to the question whether,
in their constitution, they may have recog-
nized or prohibited African slavery. They
maintain, and rightly, that the people of a
territory, when authorized to form State
and establish organic law, are entitled to
perfect freedom Of election, and are alone
empowered to decide whether they will estab-
llsh or exclude the institution of slavery.
The proposition is, | acknowledge, plainly
Just and true, and in entiie conformity with
the Constitution, and the relation of the
States to the territories.
But, sir, advert to and restate it, that
the gentlemen who avow it, and all others,
may recognize and understand its character
and legitimate consequences. Sir, the in
evitable corollary from it is, being bound to
leave the people Of the territorieswhen called
OH to form State, perfect freedom and UNI
restricted choice to prefer or prohibit slave
nv. You are under no less clear obliga-
ton, not by precedent legislation to exclude
the institutions Of slavery, or slave property,
and thus irnpel them, by controlling inHu-
ence, to decide only one way, and against
the institution. If you are bound to admit
States, whether free OF slave, and the people
duly authorized to form State are alone
entitled to decide, then are you not bound to
cave the citizens Of the embryo State free
o bring in or receive slaves, uninfuenced
y your Legislation, and according to the
licfafes of thair o,xrr, II a. a. .asAss;