The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-06
roN WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH s, 1850

California has formed free constitution, what
sudden change has taken place in the convictions OF
men! Within the present week we have had three
most elaborate speeches in this House, in which the
admission Of California, with her free constitution,
is vehementy opposed on constitutional grounds.
Yes, sir, did you know itf Me Consultation 81 Me
United States has just been altered; or, what is in
tended to produce the same effect, without the trou-
BILE ofan alteration in the ITSELF
its Interpretation has been altered. While Cali
fornia promised to be slave State, all interference
unconstitutional. Now, as she desires to be
free State, il has become constitutional to interfere
and repel her. Not only so, but, according TO the
gentleman from Alabama, (Mr. lNGE,) in swear
ing to support the Constitution we have sworn 10
perpetuate, and not only to perpetuate but to er-
tend slavery ssTo those," he says, +" who are dis
posed to resist my views, commend more attentive
reading Of that instrument They will find that 1t
not only guarantees slavery but provides for its cx
tension" Or, he says in another place, it makes
provision "to extend the institution indefinitely"
And, therefore, when territory asks to be admit
ted free State, it ID to be repulsed, and virtu-
ally told If you will incorporate slavery into your
constitution, you shall be admitted if not, not"
Had the man who first uttered the adagc that "cr-
cumsances alter cases." foreseen our times, he
would have said, "circumsances alter principles"
The same gentleman defends slavery by an APP
peal to the Bible But If the Bible be authority for
the principal, is il not authority for the incidents
also? If authority for the cruelties Of bondage,
is it not equal authority for its mitigations! ls
not the command to "halow the fifticth year,
y
throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants
thereof contained in the same code, and in the
same chapter of the code, with that Oft cited
authority to buy bondmen and bondnlaids of the
hcathens If the Bible is your commission, why
do you not follow the terms OF the commisslon
obey its limitations, well as its powers. This is
the ffteth year of the century,-the very year OF
jubilee itself; and yet, instead of 'returning every
man unto his possession, and every man unto his
family this is the chosen year for subjugatng
new realms TO bondage. II is not to be ''hallowed"
as year of jubilee, but to be profaned as year
OF captivity and mourning.
Sir, must express the most energetic dissent
from those who would justify modern slavery from
the Levitcal law. lily reason and conscience re-
volt from those interpretations which
"Torture the hallowed pages of the Bible,
To sanction crime, and robbery, and blood,
And, in oppression's hateful service, libel
Both man and God"
Priests appealed to the Bible in Gallileo's time,
to refute the truths Of astronomy. For more than
two hundred years, the same class Of men has ap-
pealed to the authority to dsprove the science
of geology. And now this authority is cited, not
to disprove law of physical nature merely, but
to deny great law of the human soui,-a law oil
human consciousncss,-ala law Of God, written upon
the tablet of every mans heart, authenticating
and attesting his title TO freedom. Sir, let those
who reverence the Bible beware how they suborn
it, to commit this treason and perjury against the
sacred rights of man and the holy law OF God.
Whatever they gain for the support OF their doc
trne, will be so much subtractcd from the author
ity of the Scriptures II the Bible has crossed the
Atlantic to spread slavery over continent where
ii was unknown before, then the Bible Is book OF
death, and not book of lifc
II is further objected to the admission of Calfor-
mia, that its dimensions too large for single
State. The force of this objection is somewhat
abated when we reflect that IL comes from men
who were most strenuous for the admission OF
Texas. However, shall not object very earnestly
to the reduction of its limits. will say, in frank
ness that the southern portion Of California is un-
derstood to be even more attached to freedom than
! the northern. The result may, therefore, be, 4
this objection is persisted in and division made
that we shall soon have two free States instead o
one. II said, by the last administration, tina
tend the Of freedom" The most Just retrbu
ton for that dabolical irony, is to carry out the
declaration literally.
But now come to substantial part of thi,
great question. The South rests its claims TO th,
new territory upon the great doctrine of equality
There fifteen slave States; there only fifeer
free States. The South contributed men and money
| for the conquest, not less than the North; hence
equal ownership and equal rights of enjoyment
This is the argument. Ia long and most elaborate
speech, delivered in the Senate this week, by one
OF the most eminent urists In the southern States
| Judge BERRIEN,) he POUNDS the whole claim oi
the South on this doctrine Of equality.
Now, admit this principle in it's fullest extent
free 10 all the people Of the United States. The
government can sell the lands not already covered
| by valid titles and any citizen who win comply
with its terms can buy them. The people Of each
| their domcil The laws Of Congress make no dis
| elimination between them. The Constitution
makes no such discrimination. The law of nature
and of nations makes none. The North has nC
| privilege the South, and the South has none
over the North. II the North has any greater right
there than the South the equality is destroyed. u
the South has any greater right there than the
North, the equality is equally destroyed.
And now, practically. what right has the North
or what right is claimed by the North, which the
| South has not 20 a equal extenn What article o
property can citizen Of Massachusetts carry there
which a citizen Of Georgia NOT carry therei
| Can we carry any OF our local laws there; even
though all The inhabitants of the State should re-
move thither in a bodyi Certainly not. When
we leave our State, we leave our local laws behind
US citizen Of Boston has a right 70 educate his
children at school, at the public expense. In the
Boston public schools, ne can prepare his V
enter any college in this country, even though he
Is too poor to pay cent Of tax, and has paid
cent Of tax Has he any such right arriving
at San Francisco If the city Of Boston debars him
this rghto educating his al the public charge
he can Institute suit against 1t and recover full
damages Can he do the same thing at San Francisco
or San Jose? Certainly not. He has left the laws and
institutions Of Massachusetts, behind him. Bot, il
said, we can carry propertytberc and you cannot
carry your propefythcre think those who thi.
argument, like the old Roman augurs, must smile al
| each other askance, for the credulty or simplicity
/ of those they beguile by il. Will not every man
/ even Of the fceblest discernment, the fallacy
| which il here covered up under the word "propo-
/ fv7' What is meant by this deceptive term prop
.erfy7'' If you silver, or gold, or grass, OF
grain or sheep, or horses, cannot you carry these
| there ms freely as cam But you have special
laws; local and peculiar aws.-aws contrary TO tho
| great principles Of the common law, by which you
call men and tcomen property. And then, iorsooth,
| because can carry property there, when property
means grain and cattle you carry property there
| when il means human beings perhaps your owr
| brothers. or sisters, or children. Because we can
| carry our property there when property means in
animate substances, you have only to call human
being property you have only to call a creature,
| formed in the image Of God, property, and then he
can be smuggled in under the new name. Why,
SIR there is not a respectable village in the country
where, IL jugger or mountcbank were 10 attempt
TO palm off upon his audience 20 flimsy a trick M
| this he would not be hissed of the stage. There
arc certain kinds of property and rights which we
can carry with US TO the Territories, and other
| kinds which we cannot. We can cnrry movable
| property, but not immoyable,-a diamond or IL
brary, but not a cotton factory nor cotton field.
| BY the papers Of this city, as open them every
| morning, I see that lotteries are authorized
| by more or less Of the southern States. Their
Schemes are regularly advertised. remember
when stopping for day in one OF the southern
that the people Of the Territories alone, when they
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