Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-03-22
rec ])re SIS,
FRIDAY MORNING, MAR. %, 1870.
The Slavery Question.
BURLINGTON, VT

lot lIlc easy anu glory adjustment VI tIc
Slavery question, is tina, recommended by the
patriotism aud wisdom of President TAYLOR.
Every hourand every day, aud the public events
of every day, have entirely satisfied US of the
correctness Of this opinion.
We desire, once more, to call the attention
of the readers Of this paper to that plan. We
quote President TAYLoR's own words -
No civil government having been providedby Con-
gross TOR California, the people oithat territory, inn
PEELED by the necessities OF their political condition,
recently met IN conventions for the purpose OF iorm
ing co lstuton and State government, which the
latest Hdvlccs give me reason to suppose has been
accomplished and it is believed they will shortly
apply Tor the admission OF California into the uaion
as a sovereign State. Should suCh be the case and
should their constitutio" be contormabe TO the
QUESTIONS of the Constitution of the United States,
recommend their application to the favorable consid
Grafton of Congress.
Thcneaplc Of Ne,o UcIco ,pW aiso, il is bolieped
at no rcry diSta"t period, present themselves for
admission inig tie UniOn. Prcpgraiory 10 the dd
mission Of CIHfOrRia amt NcW .uericO, Mc pe0ple
Of cach pW hare instituted for themselves q rcpuJ-
i an form Of government, "tnyins its foundations in
such pIincples, and organizing its ro,ocrs in such
form, as IN them ShGh seem mast likely TO effect their
satefydnd hdIpincSS."
By giBditiHe their action, NIL causes Of uhcdSineSs
may be droided, and influence and kind feeling pre-
scrrcd. With a view of maintaining harmony and
tranquility so dear to ALL we should abstain from the
introduction of these exciting topics OF sectional
character which have hitherto produced painful APP
prehcnsions in the public mind and repeat the
solemn warning OF the first aud most illustrious OF
my predecessors against furnishing "any ground for
81 aractcrlzng parties by geographical discrmina-
tons"
This we consider Just, honorable, fair, con-
cilatory, and the suggestion OF the warmest and
highest patriotism. 1t is entirely satisfactory
to tho Wings of the North, and we believe, to
the whole North. 1t leaves New Mexico under
the existing laws Of Mexico which contain an
affirmative ploUjHion Of Siarery, and which
Gen. TAYLOR will sustain, if necessary, while
New Mexico remains a Territory, with the
power of the Government. This satisfies, and
ought to satisfy, the North. 1t leaves, also the
PEOPLE of New Mexico with the power TO es-
tabliah Slavery, if they think proper to do So
when they come to establish State. This
ought to satisfy the South.
Leave the Territories with no power to in
troducc Slavery, till they come to organize a
,Siate and there is no more likelihood that they
will then legalize that institution" than there
is that boy will put on womans clothes when
| he comes to be NAV. The North is willing
to conccde thus much to the South, and not a
feathers weight more. If Governments are
adopted for the Territories they MUST contain
the Siatery prohiJu'oq Of the Ordinance ef 81.
This we understand TO be precisely the ground
occupied by the Wing Party. Mr.. WEBSTER
has utterly failed to convince them that Sa
very is impossible in New Mexico. THEY don'i
| believe II. The argument OF which the asscr-
ton is founded is weak and fallacious. Ten
thousand living facts djsprove it TIE TER.
RlToRIEs As THEY ARE, therefore, is the only
alternative. This is the plan of President
/ TAYLOR and the administration. 1t is the plan
of the great conservative Wing Party of the
North, ard we might almost say, of the Union,
Mr. CALuoUy, the embodiment Of the ultra
Slave p opagandists of the South, says of it:
"'Thc plan of the administration is, in fact, but a
/ " molifcdimH Of The IPiimDt PrOriSD-thcrc Is nc
" difference between it and the Wimot, except in ht
" modc of efectRg the Oltct md in that respect,
must say, that TIE LATTER Is MUCH THE
LEAST OBJECTIONABLE"
Give Us, then, the PRESIDENTS PRovIso, and
the Wilmot may go back to the great fountain
of Barnburner humbuggery from which ii
spruna-and the DacM WilmotS and Preston
Kings, who originated it for the lowest of po'
tical purposes, may return to the dead level OF
obscure medocrty TO which, as Statesmen oil
phian,hropists they belong
And it is, in our Judgment, in not coming
square up to the plan proposed by the President
:, , ,I,n nj of bp Uni N 81
ton and the People, that the leading Wings IT
Congress have made great mjstakc.-Thcy
have not treated the President fairly, nor gene
rou,ly. Each one has had great thoughts o
his own on the exciting toPic,-while The
President alone has proposed course OF acton
plain, simple, PRACTICAL, such as the country
would approve, and as fanatcsm cannot sue
ccsslully attack.
And We believe the course he has re
commended ,rW ultimately b. aipPtei, and N
othcr. If Mr.. WEBSTER, with his commanding
intellect and character had simply established
himself, in tho outset, on the Presidents plan,
we regiousy believe that the whole subIec
would have been settled weeks ago. He would
have saved his friends, and the Wing Party, o
the North from the unpleasant duty Of rejecting
and combating his doctrines. lie would hav'
saved them the modification of reading, from
his lips, the assertion that he would not vote 70
prohibiting Slavery in New Mexico, becdHS
God and geology had prohibited it already :
lie would have been spared an unncces sarS
; premature and gratuitouS recognition OF tn
far.ofi' right of Texas to be subdivided into fou
slave States. On lVednesiqy last, eight day
, atler his great speech, he avowcd his determi
nation
"to vote for the admission OF California cr1ctly a
"sLc presents herself, Nth her boundaries prsoiSe
"ds they are"
e And in the course of the same observation
he adds:
: ." In short, incline to think it cxpedlcnt-luit
j cXpedicnt-to proceed in that course OF lcglslato
when The PRESIDENT HAS SUGGESTED, IN his mei
sage transmitting the constitution oil California
@ We rejoice to record it! II he had made tn
, same declaration eight days previously he woui
u 4 ,.anouilra the nublic m n