The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-14

announcer ulscOVery, perhaps OF greater lmpOftanc'
was made Of gold, in another part Of the America
branch Of the Sacramento, and near Suffers fort
as il is called. The fame Of these discoverie
spread far and wide. They excited more ant
more the spirit Of emigration towards California
which had already taken place and person
crowded in hundreds, and locked towards tb
bay of San Francisco. This, ss have said. tool
plaea in the winter and spring Of ls4s. The dig
ging commenced in the spring OF that year, anC
from that time to this, the work Of searching fol
gold has been prosecuted with success not here
tofore known in the history Of this globe We al
know, sir, how incredulous the American public
was at the accounts which reached us at first Of
these discoveries but we all know that these ac
counts received, and continue to receive, daily
confirmation, and down 20 the present moment
suppose the assurances are as strong, after the
experience of these several months, Of mines OF
gold apparently inexhaus,ible in the regions near
San Francisco, in California, "a they were at any
period Of the earlier dates of the accounts. II 50
happened, sir, that, although in the time of peace
1t became very important subject for Legislative
consideration and Legislative decision 10 provide a
proper Territorial Government foe California. yet
differences Of opinion in the councils Of the Gov
eminent prevented the establishment of any suca
Territorial Government for California at the last
session Of Congress. Under this state Of things,
the inhabitants Of San Francisco and California
then amounting TO a great number Of people-in
the summer Of last year thought it to he their
duty to establish local Government. Under the
proclamation Of General Riley, the people chose
delegates TO a convention-that convention met at
Monterey, They formed Constitution for the
State Of California, and it was adopted by the
people of California in their primary assemblages.
DESTROYS of immediate connection with the United
States, its Senator's were appointed and Repre-
sentatives chosen who have come hither, bringing
with them the authentic Constitution of the State
of California; and they now present themselves
asking, in behalf Of their State, that the State
may be admitted into this Union as one of the
United States. Tsis Substitution sir, contains
an express prohibition against slavery or invol-
untary servitude in the State Of California. tits
said, and | sDPpbse truly, that Of the members
who composed that Convention, some sixteen
were natives and had been residents of the slave
holding States, about twenty-five were from the
non-slavehOlding States, and the remaining ten
members were either native -Californians, or old
settlers in that country This prohibition against
slavery, it is alleged
Mr.. HALE. Will the Senator give way until
order is restored
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Sergeant-at-
Arms will see that order is restored and no more
persons admitted to the floor.
Mr.. CASS ! trust the scene of the other day
will not be repeated. The Sergeant at A rms
must display more energy in suppressing this
disorder.
Mr. HALE The noise is outside of the door
Mr.. WEBSTER And it is this circumstance
sir, the prohibition Of slavery by that Convention,
which has contributed to raise do not say it
has wholly raised-the dispute as to the propriety
Of the admission Of California into the Union I'M
Ia. Al -. IA =. t.L oI IL
President nobody thinks of denying that, what
ever reasons were assigned at the commencement
of the late war with Mexico, it was prosecuted
for the purpose Of the acquisition Of territory and
under the alleged argument that the cession
Of territory was the only form in which proper
compensation could be made TO the United States
by Mexico, for the various claims and demands
which the people Of this Government had against
her. AT any rate it will be found that President
Folks message at the commencement Of the SEES
sion Of December, lSi7, avowed that the war was
to be prosecuted until some acquisition oferritory
was made. And, as the acquisition was to b.
-..s.i . Al i...a sf tho United States, in warn
onr~ates ana countries na,n.aI,y I s,nno,o
expected by the South, that whatever acquisition
were made in that region would he added 10 IN,
slaveholding portion of the United Stares Even.'
have turned out as was not expected, and tina
expectation has not been realized and therefore
some degree of disappointment and surprise ha'
resulted, of course In other words, it is obvious
that the question which has no long harassed the
country, and ut some times very seriously alarmed
the minds of wise and good men, has come
upon us for fresh discussion-the question OF
slavery in these United States.
Now, sir, propose--perhaps at the expense oil
detail and conseq uent detention of the Senate-to
review historically this question of slavery, which
partly in consequence Of its own merits, aud
partly, perhaps mostly, In the manner 1t is dis
cussed in one and the other portion Of the coun-
try, has been a source Of no much alienation and
unkind feeling between the different portions of
the Union We all know, sir, that slavery has
existed in the world from time immemorial
There was slavery in the earliest periods of his
tory, 10 the Oriental nations. There was slavery
among the Jews; the tbeocrstio government Of
that people made no injunction against It, There
was slavery among the Greeks and the ingenious
philosophy of the Greeks found, or sought to
find, justification for it exactly upon the grounds
which have been assumed for such justification in
this country that is, natural and original diff
ference among the races Of mankind, the inferi-
ority of the black or eolOred race TO the white
The Greeks justified their system of slavery
upon that ground precisely. They held the Aft
can and in some parts the Asiatic tribes to be in
ferior TO the white race; but they did not show,
think. by any close process Of logic, that, II this
were true, the more intelligent and the stronger
had therefore right to subjugate the weaker
The more manly philosophy and Jurisprudence Of
the Romans placed the justification Of slavery on
entirely different grounds
The Roman urists, from the first, and down to
the fall Of the Empire, admitted that slavery was
against the natural law, by which they main
tanned that all men, of whatsoever cline, color, or
y L. {. l,nt t.xatt ed I'll.
first, upon the ground and authority of the law Of
nations-arguing and arguing truly, that at that
day the Intentional law Of nations admitted that
captives in war, whose lives, according to the
notions of the times, were ut the absolute dispo-
sal Of the captors might in exchange for exemption
from death be made slaves for life, and that such
servtude might descend TO their posterity. The
jurists of Rome also maintained that by the civil
law there might he servitude-slavery, personal
and heredtary-frst, by the voluntary act Of an
individual who might sell hmsclf into slavery
second by his being received into state of sla-
very by his creditors In satisfaction Of a debt /,
and, thirdly, by being placed in state of serv-
tude or slavery for crime At the introduction
of Christianity into the world, the Roman world
was full of slaves, and suppose there is to be
found no injunction against that relation between
man and man in the teachings by the Gospel Of
Jesus Christ, or by any Of his Apostles. The
object Of the instruction impaired to mankind by
the founder Of Christianity was to touch the
heart, purify the soul, and improve the lives Of
individual men. That object went directly to the
first fountain Of all political and all social relations
Of the human racc--tbe individual heart and
mind OF man.
Now, sir, upon the general nature and charac-
ter and influence of slavery, there exists wide
difference between the Northern portion Of this
country and the Southern. II is said on the one
side, that, II not the subject Of any injunction or
direct prohibition In the New Testament, slavery
is wrong that 1t Is founded merely in the right
Of the strongest and that il is oppression, like
all unjust wars, like all those conflicts by which
mighty nation subjects weaker nation 10 their
will and that slavery, in its nature, whatever
may be said Of II in the notifications which have
taken place, IL not In fact according to the meek
snirif Of The Qoenel Il Ia not Kindly infect Toned