The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-03-05
3 r Il n q II
HON. JOHN C. CALHOUN,
ST. AVERY QUESTION.
Delivered in the Senate Of the United States,
March 4, 1850.

March a, 1850.
have Senator'S believed from the nrst, that the sgi
taton Of the subject of slavery would not prevented
by some timely and effective measure end in disunon.
Entertaining this opinion, have, all proper oooa
eons sndeavored call the attention of both Of the
two great parties which divide the country to adopt
seme such to prevent great disaster, but
without The agitation has been permitted to
proceed with almost attempt to resist It, until 1t
has reached period when it longer be dis
guised or denied that the Union Is in danger You
have thus had forced upon you the greatest and the
gravsst question that under your con-
nderstiop, How the Union be preserved!
To give satisfactory answer to this mighty ques-
YIoD IL Ia indispensable to have accurate and tho
Tough knowledge Of the nature and the character Of the
cause by which the Union Is endangered without
uch knowledge 1t is impossible 20 pronounce with any
certainty BY what it bs saved just IS 1t
would be impossible for physician TO pronounce, In
che Of dangerous disease with certainty
by what remedy the patient could be saved without
imiar knowledge of the nature and character Of the
cause OF the disease The question then presented
sor consideration in the IN vsstgAou propose, in Or
der to obtain such knowledge iswhat is 1t that has
en ndapgered the Union
To this question, there can be but ansver-thst
1he edate cause IT, the almost universal disoon-
cent which pervsdes all the states composing the
southern section OF the Jnis W1uey
discomfort is not Of recent origin It commenced with
the agitation Of the slavery question: and has been In
oreasing since. The next question s,-what has
caused this wide siused and almost universal discon
tent!
1t great mistake TO supp BY some, that 1t
originated with dsmagoeues who excited the discon
cent with the intention of aiding their personal ad
vancement, with disappointed, ambitious individu-
als who reserted to 1t the Of raising their
II. mi All
opinion. On the contrary, all the great political
. influences of the section arrsyed against sx-
ctement and exerted the utmost to keep the people
quiet The great Of the people Of the South
divided In the other section, into wings and demo-
The leaders and the presses of both parties In
che South very socitors TO prevent excitement
and restore quiet bessuse that the effects
Sf the former would necessarily tend to weaken, II not
destroy, Ike political ties which united them with
their respective parties in the other section Those
kb5 know the strength Of party ties will readily sp
recste the immense force which this cause exsrted
against agitation and in favor of preserving quiet But
great it t not sufficiently so TO prevent
the wide spread discomfort which uo~ psrvades the
section No; some cause far deeper an more po..
psaui Jnust exist, TO produss . dscouteut SO wide
and dsep than the one inferred The question then
recurs, what Is the cause OF this dscontsni 1t will
be found In the belief Of the people OF the Southern
Slater prevalent the discontent itself that they
cannot remain things nov are consistently with
ahss to be consdsred Is, what has caused this De-
Jeff
che continued agitation OF the slave question on
the OF the North and the many sssr-ssons when
They made this rights Of the south during the
tine will eoumeTats them NJ present, as it will
be done hereafter IN its proper place - -,
There 10 another, iJiCs back o. it but with when
this is intimately cosneetsd that may be regarded as
the great aud primary IL Is 10 ID found In the
Iact that the equilibrium between the two SECTIONS In
the government stoCd when the constitution vas
Tatinsd and the government put In action has been
ssu,libr,um brtsssu the too, when sioraes s'apis
each 20 proteet itself sgsiust the sgsreson
or the other but as it nos ssand onu lection n., x
elusive power Of controlling the soysramsns' when
the other without any adequate means 81 pro-
tec,Dg itself against its mt ana oppression
Senators prepared brief statistical st.tensrt shos
irg the relative weight Of toe two sections In the
under the frat census OF lsO and the last
Acsordirg to the fcrmer, the population OF
the United States, including Ysrnonts. kenlucEy
ard Tenressee, which then we're "a their Incl.
pient condition of becoming States but we're not
setualy adsitted. smounted to 3s4ss!I. or thi.
runber, the Northern States hsd ip7s,ses, aud
the Southern io52Os2, making dinerenee Of only
assg7 In favor OF the former States. The number OF
states, including Vsrneht kentucky ana Tennessee
sixteen. OF which eight. inciuiing Nrrm ont, be
legged TO the NorIbern section and eight including
N-ntucky aud Tennessee, 20 the southern, ussing
equal division Of the states between the two sections
under the nrrt census. There . small preponde
ssnee in the House OF Reprs.sntsvss and In the cleo
os college In favor of the Northern owing 10 the fact
that according TO the provisions of the constitution IN
hut n va. too small TO affect sensby the perfect squ
brnm Of numbers which, with tnst exception existed
that tilne-a true, perfect equilibrium Such vas
the equality Of the two sections when the states
posing them agreed TO enter into . federal Union.
since tssn, the equilibrium between them has been
Aooordips 70 tn. last census the aggregate popuis
Zion Of the United States amounted 20 lIOs3 35i, OF
which the Northern section contained sT2s go, aud
the southern 7,s34,s37, making difference. In round
crsAsed from sixteen 10 twenty ,x making addition
q ten States In the time. the position 81 Della
ware had become doubuoi as TO which section sns
properly belonged Considering her a. neutral. the
Northern States win have thirteen, sni the soa,nsra
senators in favor Of IN. former According 10 the
portionment under the census OF lsao, there wers
which the Northern states had iss, and toe south
states. iconsideripg Delaware as neutraD ~;
Tss,s 81 Rssrsssna,ivs. ~ as, the aissr.nee 10
tn. Senate a too members added 90 this g,vcs 70 the
N.n 20 'o Of so fosr sssa S1n sided TO the
Upion; lows, Wisconsin. Florida .nd iex. Tb-y
leave The dinr.pc. a the Senate ss u stood -heo tbs
North In the House. making the prceent majority IN
th- House s fvor ofbO aud In the electoral college,
The reeult Of the Who'll. to give the Northern
ton q precominAuee In every department OF the go
and thus concentrste In 70 the too elements
bieh constitute the federal government majority Of
States, and majority VI ttsis pogs,ston e..nstsa IN
federal bpmbscs Whatever section concentrates the
tro In tel must posses control OF the entire govern
merit.
But W. or. Just AZ the close Of the IN. sixth decade
ana the commspcemsnt Of the seventh. Toe csnsus
10 be taken this year vhieh Inustsdd greatly 70 tns
decided rreponderance Of the North 10 toe House 81
B.rrs.entAtyes, and In the electoral college The
prospect H. alec thste great Increase sill be added 70
ssss by ,S. addition Of Twos.rio5..
ron and Minnesota are already 10 progress and siren
States IRON tb. tsrrisery rss.atly cossasred from
Mexico which snoceesful ui sad three other States
states and iner.ssins its present number q States
from 15 to 20. and II its Senators nom 30 70 20
ON the contrary, there s single territory In pro
n and M esrfa at