Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-03-01
CALIFORNIA AND SLAVERY.


The Senate resumed the consideration Of the
motion to refer the Presidents California Mes.
sage to the Committee on Territories.
The ladies' having been admitted on the floor,
Mr.. Clemens proceeded to address the Senate
lie expressed his surprise at the fellow feeling
which existed between Messrs Benton and
Clay. lie had been taught to look tor the time
when the lion and the lamb should lie down to-
pe,her, but he had not expected to see the great
EXpunger and the great Embodiment hold
sweet converse together, In view of thu
strange fact, he was ready soon to believe any
miracle, no matter how marvellous. lie then
proceeded to discuss Mr.. Chy's resolutions.
charging him, in the first place, with having
committed his own section, and proposing to
concede every thing asked by the North, Civ
ing to the South nothing in return for the re-
assertion, in a less solemn form, OF rights al
ready guaranteed.
lie was opposed to the admission of Califor-
MIA with her present Constitution. No one STATE
had a right TO come into the Unon except a.
her sister States have come IN. California
must. before being admitted, like her predcccS-
sors in the Union first show that her brunda-
ries have been prescribed and marked by law,
and that there are within those boundaries a
sufficient number OF inhabitants to enutle her
to ratio of representations This she has ldll-
ed to do--no law has prescribed her boundaries
the time, place and manner OF holding elHc-
tions-or the qualifications Of her voters. A
military Governor, acting under the direction
of the President Of the United States, had usurp-
ei the power of Congress, and worked pro
iect of fraud and trickerv, unparalleled in any
land. lie preferred the WilE,ot Frogiso 10 this
infamous scheme to smuggle State into the
Union, He much preferred the robber who
meets him on the highway, and tells him he
must struggle for his life, to the midnight as
sassn who turks behind the corner, aud seeks
to deprive him of his life in the dark.-Ha re-
terred to the Northern newspaper denuncla-
tions against his course, and said they should
never deter him in what he believed to be his
duty. The South asked no compromise they
had signed Bond, and where willing TO abide
by il. If they were to yield, piece by piece, all
that the bond secured, it were better that It be
DESTROYED entirely. lie did not believe that wal
must follow Dsunon, but IT traternal discord
must mar the beauty OF the land, the response
bity would rest not upon those who defended
their rights, but upon those who endeavored 10
outrage them. III no event, however, would
bloody pictures deter the South from defending
their rights at every hazard, In conclusion
Mr.. G.. gave notice that he wonld take another
occasion to speak more specifically TO MI
GAYS Resolutions.
Mr. Cass submitted few remarks IN vIndI'
cation of his course and in reply to some an'n
adversions which the Senator who preceded
him had INDUCED in. lie believed the w mo,
Proviso to be unconstitutonal,-liec confessed
that when the Wilmot Proviso was first pro-
posed, he would, without deliberaIion, nave
voted for it.. When he wrote the Nlcho sor
letter, however, the question presented Nse!'
his mind for a calm consideration OF the whoi'
subject-it was then that doubts arose n h''
mind as to the constitqtiaaallty Of the Prov @