The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-20

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where Congress, in receiving her into the
Union, determined that her territory should
be divided between the slaveholding and
non-slaveholding States. Texas is the only
State in the Union which has the solemn
guarantee Of the government OF the United
States in every possible form to her bounda-
ries. Yet this is the government which dis
putes them; and, under the pretext that
they are very doubtful, proposes to take from
her nearly one-haf OF her territory. 1t is
by virtue of such pretensions, that, by the
bill, two States are to be taken from the
Southern and given to the Northern States
and this wrong Is aggravated by compel
ling US to pay for it, through the Treasury
of the United States
Congress, in the resolutions admitting her
into the Union, recognised this boundary,
by laying down line Of limitation between
the slaveholding and non-slavehoding States
(being the Missouri Compromise line of SO
degrees 80 minutes parallel Of north lati-
tude Through that very part Of her terri
tory, her right to which is how questioned.
Her boundary of the Rio Grande to its
source alone gave her the country and was
thus recognised and ratified by the resou-
tons of annexation. To vindicate this
boundary for Texas, as member of the
Union, the Mexican war took place and in
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidago, twas
finally indicated and settled, by clause in
the treaty designating the Rio Grande as
the boundary between Mexico and the Uni
ted States. Thus by the laws of Texas !;
by the Legislation of Congress, and by
solemn treaty of the United States, the Rio
Grande is the western boundary Of Texas.
1t is undoubtedly proper that Texas
should be quieted as to her boundaries but
she should be quieted by law of Congress,
plainly acknowledging them. If, after her
boundaries are settled, the General Govern
msnt, to carry out the purposes of the Con-
stitution or in good faith to fulfil all the obi
cations the annexation Of Texas to the Union
requires, should think proper to purchase
any territory from Texas, the arrangement
may be unobjectionable But any arrange
ment concerning her territories, which leaves
shade Of doubt as to the right Of the people
of the South to enter any portion of the ter
ritory, which, according to the terms of an
nexation, are now free to them, neither
Texas nor the General Government have
any right to make.
The terms OF annexation constitute the
compact of union between Texas and the
other States of the confederacy--and this
compact secures irrevocably to the people Of
the slaveholiing States the right of entering
with their property all hep territory lying
.,nkb 81 1anr l,t,t IL.
whilst from all her territory lying north Of
that latitude they are excluded The bill
in the Senate makes no provision for carry
ing out these terms of the compact, but
leaves in doubt the right of the Southern
people throughout all the territory proposed
to be purchased; whilst many who support
the bill declare that, in effect, it excludes
entirely the people of the Sout. ern States
from all the territory purchased. The least
evil, therefore, the bill can bring to the peo-
pie Of the States on entering it, will be con-
tention, harrassment, and litigation.
But you will have very inadequate con-
ception OF the importance Of the territory
taken from Texas by the bill, if you con6ne
your views to Texas. If you will look at
the map of the United States, you will per-
ceive that the territory proposed to be sur
rendered by Texas, lies throughout its whole
extent along the western frontier Of the In
dian territory. This is now slaveholding
country, and must be considered as part
OF the South. Place along their whole wes-
tern boundary two non-slaycholding States,
and how long will the Indians be able to j
maintain the institution Of slavery If the
agency of Congress is not used to abolish
slavery in the Indian territory, this end can
be easily accomplished by the very means
now in operation against slavery in the
Southern States, which the Indian will have
but little power to resist. "s
The effect will be, that the Indian terri
tory, large enough for two more States, will
be controlled by the non-slaveholding States
Thus, by these two points in the report, the
South will lose four large States in Calfor-
MIA, two in Texas, and two in the Indian
territory. Nor is this ALL The non-slave-
holding States will be brought to the west
ern boundary of Missouri and Arkansas
along their whole extent, and will bound
Texas on her whole northern and western
frontier. Thus the Southern States will be
hemmed in by the non-slavehoding States
on their whole western border--a policy
which they have declared essential to the
end of abolishing slavery in the Southern
States. Whatcan comp -nsate the South for
such enormous wrong and spoliation'
But this is not the end of your concessions
by this report. We must not only yield to
the interests, but to the prejudices of the
Northern people. Slavery existed in the
District of Columbia when Congress accept
ed the cession Of the territory losing it,
from the States Of Maryland and Virginia.
No one can suppose that Maryland and V;r-
ginia, saveholding States then and slave
holding States now, could have designed to
give Congress any power over the institution
Of slavery in this territory. independently
Of the wrong to the people of the District, to
emancipate their slaves, it would be an in
toierable evil 10 have district between