The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-28
CONGRESS-.
TH1RTY.FlRST CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY, 90, 1850.

w EDNESDAY, FEBRUARY, ~, lS0U
A bill was reported by Mr. Bradbury, from the
Committee on the Judiciary, authorizing the
Secretary ofthe Treasury to compromise with one
Of the sureties Of Samuel Swartwout, against
whom Judgment had been recovered which was
passed, after short debate.
Mr. Foote moved that the ladies' be admitted
en- usuel to The floor IL thu Sensse Ch amher and
Cooking around) as he did not see his friend
Pierce present he trusted there would be no OPP
position
The doors were accordingly thrown open, and
the Hobbies were soon filled with an "array OF
love and beauty" that WAS not by any means dis
regarded by grave Senators
Mr. Clemens addressed the Senate upon Mr.
Ciay's resolutions, in connection with the motion
from the Senator of Missouri, Mr.. Benton
He said Mr.. Clay's resolutions would never eff
feet a compromse-bu they had deeply wronged
the South. He had lived to see the prophecy
fulfilled, that "the lion aud the lamb should lie
down together He had never supposed that
Thomas II. Benton and Henry Clay-the great
d" Expungero and the great !" En- bodiment"-
would ever be found acting in concert upon these
important questions.
After such a union as this, we might be pre-
pared for anything. The Senator from Kentucky
had abandoned the South long since--he had
withdrawn his powerful influence from her agri-
cultural interests, and had extended it in proteo-
ton of Northern Manufactures His compro-
mise grants to the North everything they ask
and gives to the South nothing but what is al
ready her own
The most prominent question now to be settled
is, whether California has power to form Con-
stitution. lie contended she had not the power.
He admitted thar povo 10 erciude Slaveyy, but
there had been no Territorial Government in
California, as there had been in all the States
previously admitted-neither had there been
census taken of its inhabitants. IL had always
been held that census should not only be taken
under the direction Of Congress, but that Con-
gross should authorize the Convention held for
the organization Of a State Government-and
further, if the old States were required to have
population Of IS 900 inhahitaa,s Congress could
not admit new States with population Of only
80, 000-and before California could be admitted,
she must show that che has within her boundaries
the number Of inhabitants required by the old
States to enti,le Der to Representative. The
people who had taken upon themselves TO form
Government there were not residents, and had 40
intention Of settling permanently there.
Mexicans, Indians and aiventurers from all
parts of the world had crowded In there in search
OF gold, and while holding temporary residence
only, they had assumed the power Of establishing
a permanent State Government
The admission Of California would be an Anti
Slavery triumph, not achieved by direct enact
raent here, but by the agitation for The pga twe
years IN The halls Of Congress, and w Tee Northern
press, IN their putyas and C0ngentions All this er-
clemsa had prevented slaps-otaers from emigratlag
there
By admitting California, the principle that
party shall not take advantage Of his own
wrongn would be violated He preferred the
Wilmot Proyiso should be passed, rather than
have the same purpose effected in this elaadesine
manner.
lie had rather die by the hand Of the robber
on the highway, than by the assassin who strikes
in the dark
The Senator from Kentucky was wrong in
supposing that compromise was necessary
The Constitution was a compromise, aAd the
South was willing to abide by It, They had al
ready made O compromise, 10 which they gave
up one-half their own rights, and there was still
another call Of compromise-and this demand
would still continue, until the South had yielded
everything.
There was remedy for all THE, although per-
haps severe one. The South were not like
Lazarus at the rich mans door, but they had
rights, and they would maintain them. The
honorable Senator's from Michigan aud Ken.
lucky had pictured the horrors OF war that would
follow dsunion. There was no need OF this
they could separate peaceably. Let there be no
war between thee AMI me, and between thy
herdsmen and my herds'nen y -
THE NICHOLSON LETTER
Mr.. Cass said the Senator had alluded TO his
speech on the Wilmot Proyiso, and had declared
that he dealt only in general principles" lie
would say, in reply 10 the honorable Senator,
that in that speech he had two objects in view.
One was to show that the Wiimot Proviso was I'M
constitutional and the other, II it was constitu-
tional, It was ineIpcdient. lie replied to the
charge Of the Senator from Mississippi, Mr..
Davis, Of inconsistency II any one had mis-
taken the terms Of the Nicholson letter, 1t was
not his fault.
lie spoke st considerable length, and upon the
present state OF the Uuion. He said he was tired
and he lrtiIy sick OF the cries Of "disonion" and
the wrongs Of the South" and the wrongs Of
the North Il WAS impossible for the Union TO
be dissolved without war-and war herce and