The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-17

present State OF Texas was concerned, II must De
perceived by all that according TO her boundaries,
her present limits were too extended for govern
mental purposes. This fact was nothing new. lie
had discovered it himself long ago, and, not being
a person of a secretive nature, had divulgcd the
fact in various NODES until il was known to the
whole twenty millions of freemen in the land He
had during the last year announced and given no
ce that at the present session he would introduce
a plan of reducing those limits, similar in some
respects TO the one introduced by a distinguished
Senator this morning. But knowing, also, that
great and important question was nowpending-o
which agitated the whole country, and which placed
the very Union in peril--he had withheld II. That
question of the utmost Importance to the section
of the country whence he came, and II became the
the South TO know how that was to be settled upon
introducing other questions. II was one ON which
the people Of the South had placed their all they
loved the Union, and nothing but the ntoerabie in
suit and oppression coming fromthe Northern fan
atics would ever make them Telinquish It, The
question of slavery had been forced upon them, and
it retarded all things else II was constantly agi-
tated by the fanatics of free States. and even by
one who, avowing himself Shareholder, carried
his slavery doctrines and advocated them even
in the very bosom of the slave States. While this
subject had thus agitated the public mind, and re-
manned unsettled, he deferred his opinions to those
of wiser and more experienced heads than his own,
and who were men of as exalted patriotism as any
in the land and whose characters, either public or
private, unspotted. He had then devised a
plan TO settle this subject or, at least, to limit II IN
which was cautiously guarded against simplifying.
the ground ON the subject Of slavery. BY the actof
Congress of 1886 Of the republic OF Texas, defining
her boundaries previously settled by treaty
wrung by her heroism from the individual then at
the head of affairs in Mexico, those boundaries
were fixed and settled; and by the resolutions OF
annexation whereby Texas was made part OF the
Union. these boundaries were still further settled
and determined. The United States went to war
with Mexico to maintain them; and all efforts
here and elsewhere 10 limit or curtail those boun
daries, either by advocating the claims OF New
Mexico, or by running boundary between the
Nueces and the Rio Grandc, had signally failed.
Texas was admitted into the Union with her boun
diaries established by her own act of 1886 The
Missouri compromise had been applied TO Texas,
and it was maintained that large portion of that
State was free soil This ne emphatically denied;
There was not a foot of free soil in Texas, and
cannot be till Congress, by some mischievous act,
opens the box of Pandorus and lets out among the
people all its evils. There was, by the resolutions
of annexation of Texas, slave State admitted into
this Union and, by the resolutions OF annexation
of Texas it was further provided that no free State
could be formed from the territory of the republic
of Texas, without the consent OF the State OF Texas;
and there it nst be, north of the line Of 360 3O.
1t was now Uncovered that Texas was too large.
Every man in the country was aware Of the fact;
and it with view to settle all the difficulties
attending the subject OF slavery, and to conform to
the terms of the resolutions OF annexation OF Texas,
that in his bill he provides for the establishment of
State out of that portion of the State Of Texas
lying south of hat line of 36o 3d. He did not dis
guise the fact. II was proposition to form new
State by the consent of Texas, out of that portion
of her territory lying south Of 800 30, and lying
within the following boundaries: beginning at the
mouth of the Brazos river and running by said river
to the point of intersection of the northern boundary
line OF Texas thence by and with said boundary
line to the point of its intersection with the western
boundary of the State of Arkansas; thence south
by and with said boundary to the northern point of
the western boundary OF the State of Louisiana
thence south by and with such western boundary of
Louisiana to tie mouth of the Sabine river; thence
with the shore of the gulf of Mexico to the point of
beginning at the mouth OF the Brazos river. This
State, in compliment to the two Senators from
Texas, who had fought at San Jacinto he proposed
to call the State OF Jacinto He was not man dis
posed to lay great claims to originality and, as he
never dealt made of the thoughts of others
for his own purposes, he could not but think that
the taking OF mems ideas was species of larceny,
and kind of larceny as bad as any other. II was
what was called stealing thunder. The charge of
stealing thunder was becoming quite common.
TWAS urged now that the gentleman from Penn
sylvania (Mr. WnMoT) had, in his famous pro-
viso stolen the thunder of the Senator from Massa-
chusetts. Other cases had been instanced. Now,
he stole no mans thunder; and he would not allow
charge, nor did he wish to say any thing unbecom-
ing the Senate, but he hoped he might be allowed
TO make an innuendo. His thunder had been taken
from him. He had now presented his bill, and
promises had gone by. No man at the South, with
the least feeling in common With the people there,
would now talk OF compromises. The course pur-
saod at tho North had driven the south TO her pres
ent and fixed position. The insulting message Of
the Governor Of Massachusetts, 10 the Legislature of
that Statethe Vermont resolutions introduced here
in the Senatethe resolutions OF all the free States
upon this subject-but than all, the traitorous
speeches delivered at the South by STAKEHOLDER,
and the representative Of slave State, had forever
closed the door 10 any compromises. No man from
the South could now introduce or vote for COM
promise proposition without treason TO his country
The South would stand on the constitutional line
established by the fathers Of the Union and there
firmly abide and IL the free States that line
then the whole South declare n separation from you
and yours forever. The South had always voted
for and kept the compromises, and perhaps would
have done 30 STILL had IL not been for the pur
sued by one Of her own representatives. That one
was leader, or had been a leader among them;
and he had by his open and unqualified advocacy
of the doctrine that Congress had the power
10 legislate upon the subject Of slavery In the
Territories, done more 10 the agitation Of this
subject than any one else. He had not only
held this doctrine at the South but he had de-
nounced all those who differed from him as fools
This great and distinguished man, who thus pro-
nounced the champions Of Southern rights fools,
must have forgotten that the honorable gentleman
from South Carolina (Alr CALHous) was pretty
generally conceded TO be a Of ordinary intelli-
gence at least; and he held the opinion that Con-
gress had no power TO regulate slavery. The Sen
ator from Michigan (Mr. CAss) held similar views,
and he was supposed TO be man Of intellect The
distinguished Senator from Georgia (Mr. Bzp-
RIEs) had not only made speeches, but had gone
so far 10 undertake 10 prove Congress had no
such power and he, IL was admitted, was a man
Of ordinary degree Of intellect. Yet the dstin-
guished gentleman, who rejoices in the title Of
Pafer Ssnafus, and who is istnguished for thou
sand virtues, pronounccs all these as fooLsl The
Senator from Texas, too, (Mr. HoUsroS,) the
old friend Of the Senator from Missouri, held
the opinion that Congress had no such power.
Yet, Notwithstanding all this the Senator had gone
into a slave Statc-into State south Of 36o 30-and
held the doctrine that Congress had the power 10
lcgisate this subject. His l-tmed and treason
able speeches had such effect on the slave popu-
laton OF that State, that they started off in gangs
of thirty and forty, and fed across the Mississippi
Mr.. BrNToS at this time had risen, taken his hat
and cloak, and was in the act Of leaving the SEN
ate, j even the Senator himself IL now flying
from this chamber.
Mr.. y. said he admired a coura geous Senator,
one who would stand up hero and meet argument
with argument and when attacked would reply,
and not run away from the Senate at the first agi.
tation Of the question. They had been in their alb
sencc, Attacked by The Senator as FOOLS and dashed
for their sentiments, yet he now left
the Senate when they proposed 10 defend them
selves He had attempted 70 stultify them; had at
tempted 10 stultify the Legislature which had in
structed him, and still was afraid 10 stand up and
meet tho question by an argument.
Thar aou,e mn frfots nj the north sho,,.<h