The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-21

the Of the gathering storm The perhaps pre-
sSnnPsivs hop. that might under the blessing. q
ley 1t, constituted priacipal motive with ms for
turningto public life Long before the meeting of Con-
gagged, almost exclusissly all my most anxious
thoughts The result Of my reflections Is that ssris,
Of resolutions which l presented to the Senate OF
embrace all the subjects of agitation arising out Of
the institution OF slavery and to leave none open
for future agitation, and II possible, to settle them
in just and honorable manner to soth the contend
ing parties How these resolutions were received,
dispoeed and discussed their first presentation,
1t Is not necessary to state. subsequently Com
mittee Of Thirteen was appointed BY the Senate,
charged with the dusy OF considering all the sub
jsets. The Committee reported, and their various
measures varied but inconsderaby from the resolu-
tioHs which had previously offered These difereA.
measures were the admission of California
State into the Union, and the establishment Of
territorial governn ents for New Mexico and Utah,
without the Wumot provis,; proposals to Texas, for
fixing her boundaries; cscous provisions for
the recovery Of fugitive slaves and the abolition Of
the taave trade in the District Of Columbia The
sage Of the President, recommended the sdms-
sion Of California into the Union first presented
not entertaining particle Of doubt to the pro
priety Of Its admission and not being Of the
onbs sno e1ssn,s Opposition existing among the
favor Of its immediate admission q separate and
distinct measure; but when I became scquaintsd
with the opposition, and considering that it .
mere question of form thought it best unite with
other Bindred measures, In one common bill The sd-
mission OF California was opposed: FIRST upon the
grounds OF its having constituted itself State with
out the express authority Of Congress- and secondly
because the territorial limits which it had assumed
for itself deemed TO be too large and extensive
We replied as TO the drG ground, that California
not the first State which had been received int
the Union without prior sanction OF Congress-, but
several other States had been SO received that al
though Is most regular thai Congress should give
previous assent yet Is matter not depending up
on the constitution but is within the sound discretion
Of Congress- that in the other ates there
less grounds for the which they took because
they living under the blessings Of Law and order
hal
that In the OF California owing to divisions in
Congress upon the subject # the wlmot proviso that
that body had been not only unable to give it's
sent to the formation of a State of California
but had totally failed 20 perform the high and
imperative duty Of establishing for her territorial 60
vernment, and had left her without law With
out order, without govern ment, in state of al
most perfect anarchy and in such abandoned condi
tion that she had q right, as any rational COM
munity on earth would have, to institute govern
me mt for herself and to establish Law and order
As to the extent of the territorial limits of California
We all feel that they are quite large and II they
could have been reformed without rejecting the
State, and remsDding It back into territorial
condition, perhaps some notifications would have
been made In the limits but large they are IL is
not believed that they embrace anything like as
much arabic land as is contained in several of the
States OF the Union and comprehensive as those
limits are, they not extensive those of Texas,
which weud have been made still larger, they could
accom- psh 1t, by some OF the very rasmbers who OBJ
oted to the size Of California Prior to the session
OF Congress. the preceding session, and even
no longer than twelve months age the great
effort OF the South was to avoid the Wimot previso
being sngrafted territorial bills II that obi
restriction which created the greatest complaint
the committee reported territorial bills for New
Mexico and Utah without the proviso-ths South tri-
umphed by the liberal msgnanimous and pstrio-
tic aid OF Northern members 1t Is true, that
whilst the honor Of the South In that respect Is per-
fectly preserved che may enjoy the privilege
of transporting slaves to either California;. Utah, or
New Mexico but II she never can whose fault is 1t
Not that OF Congress- which has cautiously absained
from AL pIohibi.sus and has adopted the prnsipls q
perfectly tree when they respectively to form for
themselves State governments ADMIT or sls
ns they shall deem bert for their ptnsss
and whether admitted or excluded, In their consti
their Being presented for admission into
the Union they are to nsmbsrs ofthe con
federsey Inregard t. California BY her constitu-
ton, and not by Congress- has she excluded slavery
the vote Of her Convention interdictng It. unAni
being from slaveholdisg States In so deciding for
elves they acted In perfect conformity with every
has ever prevailed in this country and in entire ac
cordance with the highest Southern authority.
asked thsm-if there was blame, Who was 70 be re-
preached for the exclusion of slavery In California
New Mexico and Utah +! Not Congress, NEST assured
ly the reproachss must be directed against the
pie Of California for the exercise Of their incoutss
bic right; and against nature and nstares God
for BILE decree against the ntrofu of
slavery isto the mountain barrens and most unpro-
btsbe regoos Of New Me xco and Utah. II these In
eurmountsble obstacles be ovsroome, the people
Of these territories lett free to Introduce slavery
they think proper; but candor obiiges to say that
think IL never will be introduced there The most
difnouit, complicated aud embarrassing question
which engaged our elaboration, thst OF the boun
dairy OF Texas. Three different opia ions In regard
to II prevailed and entertained by Responsible
members According TO one, the western limit OF
Texas is the Nueces, and not extending beyond III
another opinion maintained thai IL stretched beyond
the Euece TO the Rio Del Nore and up that river from
its mouth to the southern line Of New Mexico; thu
third opinion held that IL embraced the whole
try east Of the Rio Del Norte from It's mouth 20 It's
head, ipoludiDg nearly all New Mexico. All these
opinions we're maintained With great plaudeility,
n not ability. The Southern members almost
aDinously, aud with great seal and earuestuess,
urged the last opinion. 1t appeared to me II ever
boundary should be- settled snd amosbly ssjasted bJ
compromise, that Of Texas one We offered, II Is
true, very large ,um OF money ten milhons-tor
the exclusion Of her claim 70 thu territorial limits OF
Nev Mexico but then previously bound
TO the extent OF nearly one half that SUN 70
creditors of Texas, In oonseq hence Of the United
States having In virtue OF the resolution OF
annexation appropriated to Themselves all the duties
o. foreign imports receivable In the ports OF Tex
whilst independent which had been previously PLEDGED
TO their creditors Texas therefore does MT In fact
receive than about Ave millions Of dollars
for the relinquishment Of her tsrriiorial clains |
voted with great pleasure the appropriation Of tho
money, bessuse I hoped aud believed ~ would b.
honestly and bopaadeiy applied to the extnetion Of
her public dtbt and 70 her consequent relief from
all pecunisry eulbarrassmsnts. And, Mr.. Speaker
nish that We had ZONE legitimate ground 70 advance
TO every debtor state In the Union sum suaien, I,
Tsy 81 is debts, and restore its credit wherever that
CrCeit has been tarnished We are n members OF
the glorious confederation, and should be most
nATIy 70 every ttate tIhnu uprlknt hha
bly, In the general confedsrscy, commanding the
s,tesm, the confidence and the appreciation If the
whole world II State aets unworthiy In refs-
10 her public debts hsr eondaot bIiDgs more or
less rsproaoh upon the whole coniederacy win pre-
sent Say nothing though mar hereafter have ocoason
TO cay something In respect TO the fngitve Slave bill
except that n the atm OF the provisions which
embraced In 10 10 eire iair Aad fuller enioacy 10
the constitutional provision for the surrender OF fu
gitives. NO one vas hstdy enough upon the floor OF
The Senate to d. ny the rights OF OF fugitive
slaves in virtue OF the Constitution to be restored to
his property The only diTerence ofoppon vas a. %
the mode Of es citing that object but the moment the
constitutional rgbt T. conceded every thlsr IL Yielded
an all will admit that the constitutional duty the
part Of Congress should be fa huy efeotualiy, snd
not exclusively snd nsdegustely performed The last
measure In the series that Of abolishing the slave
trade In the District Of Columbia has lost
much of lie extent by the retrogrsssou Of Virginia
aud that portion Of the District OF Columbia lying
footh OF the Potomac and by other events. II s re-
dused, think was Informed to single prison or
% Dot in which slaves we're deposited. These Slaves
were not in the District. but were brought
chiefly from Maryland and Virginia IL tuas q
trade in witch the inhabitants ef the District had no
fost Of interest; the contrary they Wished abo-
lsLed The Southern governments years ago express
edthe opinion that ousht TO be abolished IL some
hfhfe1 the iDsfftuf