The southern press., 1850-09-03
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
Remarks Of Hon. A. g. Brown,

remdIhs Oh f1Ou u. VI. 6IOWu,
III The House Of Representatives., Thursday,
August %, 1850, on the Bill from the Senaate
relating 10 The Teras boundary.
Mr.. BROWN, of Mississippi, obtained the
floor.
Mr.. FEATHERSTON appealed to his col
league to yield the floor to enable him to move to
amend the instructions.
The SPEAKER said, if the gentleman from
Mississippi gave way to his colleague, the gentle
man could move his amendment by general con-
sent.
Mr.. FOWLER objected.
Mr.. BROWN resumed the floor. He said he
designed to make few remarks only in reply to
the gentleman from Illinois, Mr.. McCLERNAND,
and the gentleman from New York, [Mr. BRooKsl
who had just taken his seat. Both these gentle
men had taken position which had been assumed
since the beginning of the session by many gentle
men from the Northern States, and had put forth
views which they seemed to regard as likely to
obtain the favor of the South. If these gentle
men (said Mr. b. were right in supposing that
we Of the South are mere shadows, occupied only
in the pursuit Of shadows, then they may sccceed
in the object at which they aim. But if we are
real, substantial men, things of life and not sha-
dows, then they will find themselves mistaken in
their views What was it the South had demand
ed?. She had asked to be permitted to 90 into
these newly-acquired Territories, and to carry her
property with her, as the North does; and he de-
sired to tell his friends from illinois and from New
York, that she would be satisfied with nothing
less than this. Ii in vain to tell the people OF
the South that you will not press the proviso ex-
cluding slavery without the operation of this
provision, and therefore it is not necessary to adopt
it. He would tell gentlemen who use this argu-
ment, that the Southern people care not about
the means by which slavery is to be excluded
They will not inquire whether nature is unpropiti-
Gus TO the existence of slavery there, while they
| I Il Al. l.
| has been with view to its exclusion from the
shores Of the Pacific. 1t was only necessary to
look at the history Of the last few years to satisfy
ourselves that it has been the purpose Of the North
to produce this exclusion.
The honorable gentleman from Illinois had ad-
minstered well-deserved rebuke to the factious
spirit Of freesoil, as manifested in the proposition
Of the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. Roor;] for that
he (Mr. b. felt us profoundly grateful any
other man. 1t was spirit which oug ght to be re-
buked every where. 1t deserved the universal
execration Of all good men. But it was his duty
to say to his honorable friend, that such of his
remarks as were directed against the proviso, on
the ground that it was not necessary to our eX-
clusion, failed to excite his (Mr B.'s) gratitue,
as they would fail TO elicit the gratitude of the
Southern people. The gentleman from Illinois
would not be informed that he had Mr.. BIS
highest respect gentleman, and his sincere
personal regard-but as Southern man, he felt
all persons, friends and foes, that he and his Sec
ton demanded as a right an equal participation in
| all these Territories, and they could not feel CRATE
ful to any man who placed his opposition to the
proviso on no higher grounds than that they were
| excluded by other means. If his honorable friend
had placed his opposition to the proviso on the
grounds that the South had ghts, and that those
rights ought to be respected, then MIR. Z. and the
whole South would have felt thrill of gratitude
which none of them would be slow to express
If the proviso was wrong, it ought to be opposed
on the high ground of principle, and not on The
oppose it on the ground that it was not necessary
was to say, in effect, that it would he sustained Il
it was necessary.
The gentleman from New York had just in
formed the House that he was elected as Wllmo
Provso man, and now he rises AMI makes il his
boast that he is backing out from the position he
Mr.. BROOKS (Mr. BRowN yielding) said, tina
although this provso was made test, he had tolt
the people who elected him that he would moi
pledge himself to vote for it; that he was willing
to remain at home, but that, if he was elected, III
must go as AN independent man.
Mr. BROWN resumed. The gentleman from
New York had certainly taken high ground. Blu
if he was not mistaken, that gentleman was th
editor of daily paper in New York, Qhe Ex
press,) and in that journal, unless he was agar
mistaken the Wimot Provso had been sup
ported. The gentleman, therefore, had not left
much room for doubt as to his real sentiments
There was very little occasion for him now to
come forward and to say whether he was fol
or against the proviso. But he desired TO ask thai
gentleman, whether he for or against this
proviso when its adoption was deemed necessary
for the exclusion Of slaves from these new terrific
res? If he was then in favor of the proviso, the
fact that he is now opposed to 1t, because he Ii
satisfied that the South cannot carry her slaves
thither on account of the hostility Of the climate
and soil and other more potential causes, his po
stion was not one calculated to excite the graft
tude of the friends of the South.
Mr.. BROOKS (Mr. Brown yielding) said, hi
had not changed one principle, but he had beer
converted to the genteman's doctrine OF non
intervention, or nona action. 1t had always beer
his opinion that the power Of the General Govern
ment ought never to be exercised, whether IL
favor of or against slavery. If the South shoult
suffer from her inability to carry her slave pro
perty into these territories, the North would suffer
still more if she was permitted to do so, because
her citizens would not consent TO go to these terri
tories If slavery existed there.
Mr.. HOLMES. ! congratulate the whole coun
try that the gentleman from New York has giver
up his adhesion to the Wilmot Provlso
Mo. BROWN, (resuming.) The conversion
the gentleman from New York to the doctrine o.
non-intervention had come about as much too late
as his abandonment of the Wilmot Proviso. They
were both too late to do any good. II the gentle
man hrd kept his hands off slavery before the las
Presidential election, then, indeed. the southerr
people might have had some reason for gratitude
But, instead of doing that, the gentleman adhere'
to the proviso until it is too late for non-lnterven
ticn TO do any good, and then he forsakes tht
former and becomes convert to the latter.
The gentleman from New York appeared to be
greatly Mortified at what he was pleased to cal
political associations on this ioor-at the strange
phenomenon Of the two great extremes of the
North and South voting together. He would ex
plain this apparent Inconsistency. The South
regarded the whole of the territory to latitude 42c
and east of the Rio Grande as the property o.
Texas, and was not disposed to permit any por
ton of that territory to be surrendered for The
purpose of being made free-soiI. This was the
position occupied by the Southern extreme: The
Northern extreme considers the title Of the United
States to all this territory clear beyond dispute
and therefore are opposed to purchasing it. This
the why the two extremes are aG%g o
the purpose of defeating this bill. Is it remarka
bic that he (Mr. b. and his Southern associates
believing conscenti"usly that the title to the coun
try, in the language Of the gentleman from Ken
lucky, [Mr. MARsHALL,] is in Texas, and tha