The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-25


tention in those States could not be prohibited;
but am, perhaps, leaving the direct considera-
ton of the question before u.s. which is the effect
OF the supposed law of Mexico on this property
within this territory. The law OF nations, giving
n temporary and limited operation to such law
within the conquered territory, is only protective
of the conquered inhabitants, and there ends. It's
charitable Limitation of the rights and power of
the conqueror; mere limitation OF unquestloha-
BILE right and power. IL has 70 pretenson 10 con-
troll the rights and interests OF the conqueror.
There will not be found In all the libraries Of the
law or in the variations of history, any preten-
sion of that kind. The language OF BurlamaquI is:
" Even were to strip the vanquIshed entirely of
their independently, we may still leave them their
own laws, customs, and magistrates, In regard TO
their public and private affairs Of small Importance,
and zoe may not; and in stricness there Is neces-
sarily positive act, express or taclt, to allow
this operation, even this limited operation OF the
laws Of the subdued people. Is there any doubt
but that in the fulness of the power OF the con-
queror, even this limited operation Of his power
does not exist.
II only exists as a Conservative favor, not a
right. confidently believe that no enlarged legal
mind, capable oftakng a comprehensive view of
national law, would for moment recognize the
operation Of tn law on the security OF the prop
erty Of slaves carried into California before 1t was
into the Union. But If 1t were admitted
that this law would have the alleged operation,
what would nave Deen Ine uuly VI u JuSL anu pt'
ternal governmental just government, consult
ing and protecting all the rights of all the people
of a government such as free people ought to
consent to live under and sustain 1: U Undoubtedly,
to have Immediately nvalldated such law. But
so shadowy pretence has been made an instru-
ment to deny to almost half the nation the fair en-
ployment of their property. We need not ask
why, because it is audibly declared that the OBJ
iect is to destroy that property, to abolish slavery,
10 fence the slave States around by what they call
free States, and to lmprson this population With
in limited bounds, so that its labor may become
unproftabe the property less valuable, and us
management more difficult and hazardous, and
thus to prosecute the holders until they shall aban-
don it.
1t is unnecessary to enumerate more OF the afro
cities which are exhibited by this act of legerde-
main Uhe admission OF California; for 1t would
be gross abuse of the language we speak, 10 eau
it a regular act of an established government of
modern civilized times But the magic is as rlum-
sv as it is wicked. 1t can deceive no one IL has
neither sembMnce nor reality. 1t would disgrace
the wand of Prospero.
The hideous features, however, of this political
deformity are nothing, when compared with the
dangerous spirit which abides within 1t, and the
motive which governs it. They are no less than
the entire and speedy abolition of slavery: NOW
let any man contemplate the character and extent
of this proposition. Language fails to portray It,
None but Northern fanatic, or torpid South
hear IL uttered WITHOUT IL leelllS VI uol-
ror Some idea Of it may be gained by recalling
the suferings the massacre and the Punishment,
in poverty and misery, Of the white proprletors OF
Hayt and the present rule OF his sable majesty,
the Emperor Faustin the First. The beautiful and
prolific South and Southwest Is to be desolnted,
it's white inhabitants massacred, or flying from
their abodes in beggary and misery, unshel cred
from the pitiless storm, and without the comforts
or the subsistence of life The country possessed
by some Emperor bearing and exultlng IN the eu-
phoneous title Of perhaps Gully the FIRST. 80
Such, or worse, if worse be possible, will be
the inevitable-not probable, but mevltable-et-
fects of our "glorious Union" in the hands of
I" les amis des norS,'' an ominous name, of winch
the very sound would seem to alright the South
ern mind from its proHrlety, If 1t were not aDso-
lutely torpid. :,
Nor let those of the South who have no direct
interest in slave property, hug to their bosoms the
sweet JUNCTION that they evade the common
fate. Every Southern interest must perish with
the slave institution. Houses, lands, stocks,
moneys at interest, must all be submitted to this
fate. These horrors have nothing appalling tothe
minds Of Free-soilers. An appeal was made to
the lest man of this dabollcal fraternity, a
man now no more but whose spirit still lives. lie
was told OF these horrors, and particularly Of the
destruction of the masters. His reply was " Let
them come though five hundred Thousand lives
! should perish" This is more diaholical than the
declaration If some Marat, or Ro"eap erre IN the
sands of lives are small sacrifice for the estab-
Iishment of princlps." But it is said it IS not
intended to disturb the security OF slave property
in the established States. This is absolutely false
They have declared thousand times that their
great end and aim is universal emancipation. Nor
can they limit their operations for, as John
Randolph pthily said, fanatcism has no stopping
place 1t may not be the view Of all the Free-soll-
ers to bring about these calamities but they are
sowing the tempest, and we must reap the storm
which the moderates will have no power to con-
troll In fact do they not all declare that their OBJ
ect is the utter abolition of slavery throughout the
Union? And iftheir views really went no further
than to pen up within restricted limits, do they
not thereby disturb the security OF the property,
when they render it less profitable, less valuable
and more difficult Of management What their OBJ
iect is, and what they believe they have already
accomplished, is declared in the following extracts
taken from two public journals of great circulation
and authority.
The New York Sun, a neutral paper of larger
circulation than any other journal IN the United
States, has the following, touching the recent acts
passed by Congress
"Undoubtedy there will be camor and clater
from the extreme and fanatic Southern members
it is to be expected-but the final result may be
written down with certainty. Their decision, H. e.
the acts passed by Congress ,oiH be the doom Of
sarerv in the United States Its final suppression Is
near al hand. and may be looked upon as one Of the
most triumphant OLHLSS tUcI yo"SHt ""u NOt' yIt -
corded in the rorld's history 1t will have been IL
victory without bloodshed, Il victory of principle
over habit and association of right over 'rrong.'
The above opinion Of Northern paper will not
be weakened in its force by the following from the
London Times, a paper that can hardly be sup
posed to have any interested motive in misrerre-
sentng the true character and inevitable tendency
Of the measures Of the late session. The Times
says:
'Siarery may, in consequence cf these measures, be
considered as doomed in the United States, and men
no,D firing may see its utter extinction rHhn The
rhoie territories Of the Republic. IN obstinate oppo
siiion TO this ineritabie tendency. the part Of the
South, mda delay, but cannot ultimately prevent this
result. .4nother consequence may indeed attend their
opposition, '0hich possibly their anger and prejudice
tcM not dllop them 10 contemplate. "
We suppose by this is meant the horrors of St.
Domingo.
The next great atrocity committed on the Con-
stitution and the rights of the States is the ex-
cison of the territory ofthe State of Texas. This
is worse, in my Judgment, than the affair Of Cali
! fornia. The most sacred principle Of the Const-
tuition is the nviolabiity of the State sovereignty.
The Constitution does not authorize the smallest
| interference of the General Government, except,
perhaps in the vague clause which secures to each
State republican form Of government. State
! % tha nd