The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-28
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 49, 1850

prohibited by law. Mr. Clay web knows that
Mr. Calhoun and the great mass OF the slsyshold-
ers contend that IN the absence Of prohibaory lar
men, women, and children, as well as horses and
sheep, may be held as property in any Territory
of the United States and this doctrine Mr. Clay
himself nowhere denies. Nay, further MIR. Cal
houn insists and believe truly, that slavery
asuer has been established By iaw in any country--
that after property in man has been acquired then,
and not before, laws are passed TO protect IT, The
shareholders ask for no act of Congress authoriz-
ing them to carry their property into the Terri
tories. All they ask is, that no prohib1oyy IAN
shall be passed, and then they will carry their
slaves where they please and keep them hy their
own strong hand without law, till in their Terri
toriai Legislatures they shall pass such lave on
the subject as they shall find needful Not word
in Mr. Clay's compromise contravenes this legal
theory, prevents its reduction to practice Sla-
very did once exist by law in these Territories.
Why does it not now2 Mr. Clay answers the
question by telling us that Mexican law abolished
it, Now, he perfectly we'll knows that the Next
can law not only abolished bnt prohibited slavery.
IL that law was repealed by the conquest, then
she .ald law revived, and slavery does nom ez-
it by taw. IL the law was not repealed by the
conquest then the Law 10 still in force AMI slavery
is non prohibited by Iow Why then, does not MIR.
Clay fairly and honestly declare that slavery is
now prohibited by law? Because this would in
deed be a compromise, and would render the Pro-
viso nugatory, and would secure the Territories
from the curse of slavery. The very omission of
such declaration implies denial Of an existing
prohibition, and in such denial he we'll knows the
whole South concurs So far, then, is MIR Clsy's
inconsequental truism from being a compromise,
that it surrenders TO the South even more than
she has demanded, and throws open to the slave
holders the whole territory north as well as south
of the Missouri line. But to reconcile the North
to this total surrender, they are to be favored by
Congress with an opinion that Il is not likely that
slavery will be introduced into any part of the con-
quered territory. What is only improbable, is at
least possible, and hence this legislative opinion
would in fact be solemn and official declaration
that there is LEGAL prohibition to the introduction
Of slavery. II is not pretended that this opinion
which Congress is to volunteer is to have any legal
force whatsoever, But what, IL time shall prove
the opinion to have been erroneous will il be any
consolation to the North for having, by their act
blighted immense regions with human bondage
that they had been fooled by an opinion? Mr.
Downs Of Louisiana, in reply to Mr.. Clay, assert
ed that there were already in the Territories
"some four or Eve hundred slaves and another
member declared that there would now have been
plenty of slaves there had not their masters been
apprehensive Of the Proviso. IL Mr.. Clay is cor
rect in his opinion, the shareholders have been
strangely mistaken. Ii was openly avowed dur
ing the war, that the territory to be conquered
south of 800 30' would be slave region. Before
our army entered the city of Mexico, we were
offered all Texas proper, and the whole Of New
Mexico and California north of thirty-seyen de-
grees--an extent Of territory equal to nine
States of the size of New York The offer was
rejected, and thousands were slaughtered TO OBJ
tain territory south of $50 30', to be peopled with
slaves From the first mention of the Proviso,
our Northern editors and politicians in the slave
interest opposed il as unnecessary, because, as
they assured u.s. the soil and climate of these ter
ritories were unsuitable to slave labor The slave
holders knew better, and never endorsed the
falsehood of their allies. MIR. Waddy Thomp.
son of South Carolina Minister to Mexico, an
| nounced to his brethren, writing Of California
Sugar rice. and cotton, md there their own con-
genial climen- Reeoliee'ions Of Merieo, p 234.
Did the South make war upon Mexico only to
acquire free territory Is she now threatening
disunion and civil war for privilege she ais not
likely" to exercise
Upon what does Mr.. Clay rest his strange, un-
| natural opinion7 Alnost exclusiyely ON the ,ex
ciusion OF slavery from the CalIYSrnian consti,u
| ton. He does not pretend that this exclusion wat
owing to the unftness of the soil and climate fol
! slave labor. We all know that the unexpected
discovery of gold suddenly collected in California
a large Northern population, naturally averse 4
slavery, and jealous of the competition of slav,
labor, In digging gold But does gold exist il
Deseret or New Mexico? Or is there large
Northern population in California south Of 3Gc
3d.! Is it logical TO infer that slavery is no
likely to be introduced into these Territories
even with the sanction of Congress, because under
| 90. 70 L.. Lan
cluded from California; New Mexico is sepa
rated by an imaginary line from Texas, and about
half Of il is claimed by that slave State. Is il
likely that Texan Shareholders will not cross the
line with their property or occupy territory they
claim as their ownl
The settlers in Deseret have formed Consti-
tuition virtually allowing slavery by not prohibit
ing it. The god-diggers in California are con-
centrated far north of $50 30 the city of San
Francisco is also north of that line, while south
of it is large area where there is little to OBJ
struct the introduction of slavery. Under these
circumstances, there are probably very few men
in Congress who would dare on their oaths, to
affirm the opinion expressed by Mr.. Clay. That
opinion is at best a calculation Of chances cal
culation on which no man would hazard thou
sand dollars; yet this miserable calculation is
offered to the North as a compensation for the
surrender Of all the political and moral blessings
which the Proyiso would secure
Mr. Clay utterly demolishes Gen. Cass's argu-
ment against the constitutionalty Of the Proviso,
and afiirms most positively the right of Congress
to prohibit slavery in the territories But how
stands the question of duty and moral consistency
between these two gentlemen Undeniably in
favor of the General He has not, indeed, under
taken to solve the nice and difficult question
whether human bondage is curse or blessing.
In Ia aaraibly eli; IN ka NJ Of 40
two or three Hungarian women, but makes no
comment on laws which subject thousands Of
American women to the lash. He calls upon the
nation to express its indignation, at the execu-
ton OF few Hungarian insurgents taken with
arms in their hands, but gives opinion how far
il would be right or wrong to shoot certain Of bis
own countrymen, II taken in revolt against worse
than Austrian oppression. But he contends that
whatever may be the moral character Of slavery,
Congress has no constitutional right TO prohibit IT,
and therefore ought not to prohibit It. On the
other hand, Mr.. Clay frankly declares that sla-
very is wrong, "a grievous wrong |" that to propa-
gate slavery is to propagate WRONG. He aHirms
the constitutional power Of Congress to prohibit
this propagation OF wrong, and then calls upon
Congress to permit slsyeholders to propagate this
wrong when and where they please over the
whole wide extent Of our conquered territory,
with the single exception Of what may be inclu-
ded within the State of California Before God
and man, Gen Cass's conclusion from his premises
rs justified, while the conclusion drawn by Mr.
Clay from his premises is condemned as hostile
to morality and humanity
THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIxrn RESOLUTIONS.
,. This resolution merely gives to Texas more
territory than she Is entitled to- and less than she
demands, and is 30 far compromise Of territorial
claims but in no degree a compromise between
the friends and enemies of human rights, since
what is to be taken from Texas is TO be immedi.
ately thrown open to the Shareholders
4. Texas had, before annexation, pledged her
duties on foreign commerce 81 security 10 certain
creditors. These duties, by annexation, were
surrendered to the United States Mr. Clay
proposes that the United States shall assume the