Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-15
CONCLUSION OF MR.. BENToN's SPEECH.

CONCLUSlON OF NIX. BENIONS SPEECH
In SENATE, MONDAY, June 10.
The committee, in their report, and the Senator
from Kentucky, (Mr. Clay) are impressive in
their representations in favor of giving govern
ments to New Mexico and the remaining part of
California. join them in all they say in favor
of the necessity of these governments, and the
duty of Congress to give them mean Terri
toral Governments, and would not vote for the
State Governments in either of them even if they
sent constitutions here. | do not deem them ripe
for such governments; they are two young and
weak for that. They are in our hands, and upon
our hands, and belong to us and it is our duty to
provide for them, and take of them, until they
are strong enough to take care of themselves as
sovereign States. Both Territories require 90
vernments at our hands, and protection along with
it; New Mexico especially, now desoated by In
dian ravages, and suffering in the three years
that she has belonged to the United States than in
any three years of her eXistence-even during the
most helpless period of the Mexican rule. The
Spanish Government, under the vice regal system
appropriated two thousand dragons to the protec-
ton of the internal provinces from the Apaches,
the Navahoes, the Cumanches, and other wild In
dians. We have few companies of dragons
and some stationary infantry, in sight of whose
barracks these Indians STAY men and women car
ry off children, and drive away flocks and herds,
tilOuSdiluS Ill d ulOVt- lit NdVdIlOcS
actually have more New Mexican sheep now than
the New Mexcans have left. A single individual
inhabitant of Ell Paso owned more cattle and sheep
when Pike was there in 1906, than the whole town
and settlement now own. Single inhabitants of
the Valley del Norte owned focks and herds then
nearly equal to those of the whole province now.
The Valley of Puerco, then the sheep walk of
millions, is now reduced to some two hundred
thousand, and becoming less every day. All this
is reproach to us. tits reproach to republican
government in our persons 1t is an appeal to us
for succor and protection, to which we cannot be
deaf without drawing down upon our heads the
censure of all good men. But this bill is not the
way to give it. These governments are baked by
being put into this bill. They not only impede
California, but themselves. The conjunction is
an injury to both. They mutually delay and en-
danger each other. And it is no argument in ia
vor of the conjunction to say that the establish
ment of government for New Mexico requires
the previous settlement of her eastern boundary
with Texas That is no argument for lacking
Texas, with all her multitarious questions, even
to New Mexico, much less to California 1t is in
deed very desirable to settle that boundary, and to
settle it at once, and forever; but it is not in
dispensability to the creation of government for
New Mexico. We have right to a government
according to her possession; and that we can give
her, to continue till the question of title is decd-
ed. The uti possidetis-as you possess-is the
principle to govern our legslation-the principle
which gives the possessor a right to the possess
sion until the question of title is decided This
principle is the same both in national and munici.
pal law-both in the case of citizens and COM
munities of the same government and between in
dependent nations. The mode of decision only
is different Between independent nations it is
done by negotiation or by arms: between citizens
Of no ~ Ix,1
dependent nations may invade and fight each other
for boundary citizens or communities of the
same Government cannot. And the party that
shall attempt it commits violation of law and or
der; and the government which permits such vio-
ton is derelict Of its duty.
have now examined, so far as I propose to do |
it on motions for indefinite postponement, the |
three bills which the committee have tackled toge-
ther-the California, Utah, New Mexico and
Texas bills. There are two other bills which
have not mentioned, because they are not tackled
but only hung on; but which belong to the system,
as it is called, and without some mention of which
injustice would be done to the committee in the
presentation of their scheme. The fugitive slave
recovery bill and the District of Columbia slave
trade suppression bill are parts of the system of
measures which the committee propose, and which,
taken together, are to constitute compromise,
and to terminate for ever and most fraernally all
the dissensons of the slavery agitation in the U.
States. They apply to two out of the five gaping
wounds which the Senator from Kentucky emu
merated on the five fingers of his lett hand, and
for healing up all which at once he had provided
one large plaster, big enough to all, and eff
cacious enough to cure all; while the President
only proposed to cure one, and that with little
plaster, and it of no efficacy do not propose to
examine these two attendant, or sequacous bills, |
which dangleat the tail of the other three l will
not 90 into Them, nor mention them further than
to say, that the alternative in the report to pay the