Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-01-11


serve as balance to the Senate. The
vast province Of Texas, where Of right
no slave could exist, was eagerly con-
verted by the advocates Of slavery; and
southern unity aided by combination of
northern servility, fanatacism and hypo-
crisy, secured the prize which seemed TO
assure eternal ascendency to slavery
The same "Gemocratic" party which has
lately found a fast ally in the 'free soir'
party, triumphed in 1874 with the aid of
northern abolitionists, and secured the
annexation of Texas. Her vote balanc =.
ed that of Iowa. But an over-ruling
Providence made this very triumph the
instrument of dealing blow at the mi
quitous system which seemed al length
10 bid defiance to the march of freedom.
The engineer was .hoist by his own pc.
tard. A war ensued-a war which the
south had defed-and the result of this
war was the acquisition by the United
States of California and New Mexico.
Out of the annexation of Texas thus has
grown in IA great measure the present sla-
very agitation; and we look to the result
with the strongest yet calmest emotions.
The recent history of California is too
familiar to require recapitulation. At
,racted by lsrinexhaushble wealth thou
sands have sought her lofty noun tains
and expansive valleys, and within few
months a sufficient number emigrated
thither to become entitled to erect their
new home into sovereign state of the
Union. With large and increasing
population this vast and opulent region is
without government. AT the last ses-
sion of Congress an attempt was made to
give hera territorial government-but the
attempt failed in consequence of the de-
sire OF northern statesmen to exclude hu-
man slavery from her borders. 1t was
argued that the people of California
should be left to settle that question for
themselves. They have settled it-they
have framed constitution excluding sla-
very, and that constitution is about to be
laid before Congress. Thevery men who
are in favor of leaving the slave question
to :he people will now oppose the will Of
the people. But it is not only the ad-
mission of the State Of California which
will agitate and agonize the southern
members of Congress s. The territory
of New Mexico is to be organized, and
perhaps Deseret; and the abolition of
slavery in the District of Columbia is to
be attempted. The people of the south
will be worked up.lo fever heat, and we
shall hear of nothing but disunion. We
have little faith in southern Wings. OF
the third who belong to the House we
do not expect more than one to side with
the north; but we look with confidence
to Clay, Underwood, and one or two 9TH
er southern Wings in the Senate. AL
ready we have spooney silly letter from
'fhos. i. Clingman, Whig mem Der
from North Carolina--in which he seeks
to prove the old exploded absurdity that
the south have right to take their hu-
man cha,tels to any territory of the Uni
ted States ard there hold them in bon
dage.
We are sagely assured by hin that
the rights of the south are trampled up
on unless her people can take with them
their human property to the territories
as if any sane man need be told at this
time o'day that such property is con-
sraband of law and gospel kept in those
States where express statutes aided BY
brute force deprive men Of their liberty.
Go--,hank God! the day has gone by
when either the reason or the moral
sense of the people of the north can be
trifled with or tampered with by such
trashy stuff as Mr.. Clingman's address
ses to his respectful friend Hangman
Foote. Wherever human beings are
made property by a law which can be
enforced, the southern Shareholders may
take their property-but no slave can
breathe where no law exists depriving
him Of his freedom: and as the national
government not only has not but ahso-
lutely cannot create slavery, it certainly
cannot legally exist in any territory OF
the Union where soil is now unpollGled
by the degrading curse. But this branch
OF Mr.. Clihgman's letter is not worth
talking about Its bold advocacy of dis
union in the event of northern interfer-
ence with slavery is worthy of some at
tentio n, coming as it does from SO cal-
led southern Whig. Its to this point
the duties of the north TO the Union in