Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-03-09
CONGRESS-.
THE ANNUAL MESSAGE, CALIFORNIA

and that the House resolve itself into n Com
mittce of the Whole on the 8 tate of the Union,
with view to dispose of the Presidents Mes
sage. IL was important (Mr b. saiol) that that
message should be acted upon
Ihe motion having been taken and decided
in the Affirmative
The House resolved itself into Committee of
tbs Whole on the State of the Union, (Mr
Boyd in the cllair,) and resumed the considera.
ton OF the resolution referring to the appropri-
ate committees the various subjects embraced
IN tho Annual Message of the President of the
United States
Mr. Brown Of Mississippi was entitled to the
floor Ht.
He said he would occupy very few min
utes, IN presenting some views which he should
have presented the other day, but for the exp-
ration ofhs hour.
Having already taken his position against
the esidentsrecommendation of the Califor-
mia constitution, and having expressed his alb
horrcnce of the whole series Of movements,
which led to its adoption by the people i'm that
country, he should not further allude to the
President or Cabinet in that connection.
Il new character had presented himself, as
one OF the champions of this new and extraor-
dinary political movement. He alluded to
General Cass, the late democratic candidate
for the Presidency. That distinguished gen
tleman had redeemed his pledge, and the
pledge ofhis friends, on the subject of the Will
mot Prosiso. he had spoke against it. He
had expressed his dcte rmnation not to vote
for it. With this he was satisfied. He would
go further, and say, that the speech, so far it
related to the proviso, challenged his admira
tion and excited his gratitude 1t was replete
with sound views, eloqucntly and happily eX-
pressed And no one could read it attentvely
without conceding to its author great ability.
If the distinguished gentleman had closed his
speech with his argument against the proviso,
there would not have been man in the country
more willing than himself to award him the
highc It honors. But the speech was marred
by the expression of opinions, in it's closius par
agraphs, to which he, (Mr. b. and the southern
people generally would dissent. General Cass
had Gf Mr.. b. correctly understood him) avow-
cd his opinion to be, that the people of the ter
ritories had the right TO exclude slavery; and
he was understood to sustain the action of the
people in California in forming State govern
ment. Against all these parts of the speech
of General Cass, he (Mr. b. entered his solemn
protest He felt bound to do this. because in
the late Presidential canvass he had, as the
friend of Gen, Cass, given n different interpre-
tation TO his views, as foreShadowed in the
Nicholson letter. True, he had not done this
without some misgivings, at first, ofits correct
ness. But gentlemen nearer the person of Gen.
Cass than himself had interpreted the Nichol-
son letter to mean, that when the people of a
territory to form State constitution, they
could then admit or exclude slavery at will,
and whether they did the one thing or the 9th
cr was not n matter to be questioned by Con-
gress.
He now conceded, rs he had done in the
Presidential canvass, that whenever people
duly authorised to form State constitution
have exercised this authority and asked ad-
mission into the Union, it is not properly n sub
jcct of inquiry whether their constitution adj
mits or excludes slavery from the proposed
State. But he understood Gen. Cass as going
further this--to the extent of giving to the
people of the Territories the right to exclude
slavery during their territorial existence, and
indeed before government of any sort had been
established by Congress. He understood the
doctrine as advanced by Gen. Cass to be, that
the occupants of the soil where no government
cxisted--as in New Mexico, California Desc
ret, &c.-had the right to exclude slavery; and
against this doctrine he raisedhis humble voice;
and though he might stand alone, without one
other southern representative to sustain
him, he would protest against it to the last
In the late Presidential canvass, men of all
parties had assailed this doctrine. The Wings
charged Gen. Cass with entertaining these
views, and the Democrats had indicated him
against the charge. The doctrine was univer
sally denounced by men of all parties in the
South and now we were startled with the in
telligence that Gen. Cass and Gen, Taylor both
approve it, For himself TO earthly considera-
ton should keep him silent on such question.
No consideration personal to hmself--no party
ties nor political obligations, should seal his
lips, when his country was about to be betray-
ed and sacrificed He had denounced this doc.
trinc before his constituents, he now denounced
it before the House. He would not consume
time, and prevent other gentlemen from speak
ing, by going into an argument on the subject.
He had felt it due to his own position-to the
cause of truth and justice, to make known at
the first convenient moment that what lie
condemned in Gen. Taylor he equally con
demned in Gen. Cass; and having done this, he
was satisfied. . ...,
THE RESULTS OF ABOLITIONISM.
The following is the conclusion of the article
in the Southern Quarterly for January on the
British West India Islands" We commend
the whole essay to the careful and attentive
perusal of all: -,.,.t pal. ,.F .,.
"The additions that foreign immigration
makes to the population ofthe Western terrific
ries, and the rapid increase to the States of the
Uuion, from that cause and in that quarter
place before us, at no distant day. the prospect
of two thirds of the States of the Union rs non
Slaveholdindg States. What will then prevent
amendments to the Constitution for the reno
yal nf all the arantpaa tn tho ipefifntiou nj