The southern press., 1850-09-07
Mr, Mcclssnapll' { speech.

that we censureu rT.$aH| ,7L' D." .r. ' "'...
We are quite ready to agree to his suggestion
to refer the great questions now before the
House to the country. But we know full well
that the advocates of Mr.. CLAY's plan, collec-
lively or separately, cannot be persuaded to do
il. We do not believe that when discussed, it
would receive the support of any two Southern
States. ...t
And we believe also, that the people of but
few Northern States would insist on it when
the consequences were understood. We know
the avowed objection to reference to the
country is the continuance of excitement and
distraction That of itself is refutation of their
course. If the plan is so good, so just, SO fair,
why would it not receive the general approba-
ton of the people! Why, would not the Ultras
rs they are called, all be turned out Of Congress!
No; the advocates of that plan are afraid TO sub
nit it to the people until they shall have clothed
it with the authority Of law, and backed 1t with
the sword of power. Then the people would
deliberate under durcss, the tinid would be
alarmed, and those who never will and never
can approve it, will be subjected to the alterna-
tives of submission or secession.
Believing as we do, that the adoption Of that
plan will produce dissolution Of the Union, we
should much prefer, and we invite the friends of
the Compromise to make the experiment, that it
should first be submitted to the people. If they
decide against it, then it cannot and ought not
to pass. If they are in favor of it, there will be
an end of the strife.
As for the necessity of giving government to
California now, instead of next session, or next
Congress, how can it be shown! California has
as to New Mexico. The Executive can surely
wait few months to know the will of the peo-
pie. But we have no idea the friends Of the
plan have faith enough in it, to let it 60 before
the people.
Mr.. McCLERNAND tells us that on this subject
extremes have met, Northern and Southern
He classes ultra pro-slavery men and ultra anti
slavery men together He himself claims to be
among the moderate and reasonable. Now the
attempt to identify as ultras, those who claim all
the territory for tha North and insist on the
Wilmot Proviso to exclude in terms the institu-
ton of the South, with those who arc willing to
give up two-thirds of that terr tory to the North
exclusively and reserve only a common right
with the North to colonize the residue, is an
ultraism and absurdity, so palpable and superla-
tive that it is fatal to all the pretensons of him
who utters it, to character for political equality
and moderation.
Mr.. McCLERNAND is ready to vote for terrific
rial governments for Utah and New Mexico
without an anti-slavery restriction as TO them, but
he excuses himself for this vote to the Wilmot
Provisoists because, as he says, in this very
speech, the laws of God prohibit slavery there,
and therefore the laws of man need not. Where
the laws Of God, then, as Mr.. McCLERNAND fan
cies are against Southern institutions, he is mag
unanimous enough, and moderate enough, not to
interposc the laws of man also. But when we
come to New Mexico, where perhaps, the laws
Of God are not hostile then Mr. McCLERNAND
goes for law to cut off from Texas and the
South, large portion of that territory he so!-
emnly affirmed to be hers, in voting for the Mex
lean war, and giving it to the jurisdiction of Il
people opposed to Southern institutions. So as
to California. The laws of God may not pro-
hibit slavery there, and therefore Mr.. McCLER-
NASD goes for ratJying by Congress the usur-
patton of the inhabitants Of the northern part
of that territory, in prohibiting slavery in the
,n,,fb,rr o1,,,oot h;f.I norf ,,,J ;,.L
these exclutionists never can occupy.
Where the laws of God then are supposed to
be against the South, Mr.. McCLERSAND valves
the aid of the laws of man-but where the laws
of God are not prohibitory Of Southern institu-
tons Mr. McCLERNAND will then vote for laws OF
man that are And when after this he attempts
to identify Southern men who oppose these hu-
man laws, because they are favorable TO the policy
of the Abolitonists, with Abolitionists he cannot
complain that the imputation, instead of being
submitted to. is retorted.
We are not going to indulge any class of
Northern gentlemen, however friendly to us, in
this attempt to demoralize and stigmatize US.
As for Mr.. McCLERyAND, he knows full we'll
that we have long indulged the hope that he
would yet do us justice-and this hope has re-
suited from our conviction that he knows we
are contendng only for justice-and for less
than justice.
,g We see it reported that Senator HUNTER
is the author of that able work, THE UNION,
PAST ND FUTURE" how it works and what will
save it. This is a mistake, 1t is a production Of
NJ. R. II. GARNErT, Esq, of Virginia, who, We
are glad to learn is elected to the Constitutional
Convention of Virginia, and from whom his
State and the South have much to expect.
We have had the pleasure Of receiving his
profound ana original address to the Alumni OF
the University of Virginia, from which we shall
extract largely as soon as we can find room.
.B- The Fredericksburg LNe0s brings us an
account of large meeting in Spottsylvania,