The southern press., 1850-09-04

an Abolition Administration OF that Government.
The strides in that direction since the last pres
dental election are most alarmingly aggressive (;
and we have lived TO receive a message from q
President of the United States announcing his
readiness TO press freesoil conquests at the point
of the bayonet. The whole history of the Cali
fornia government, the advice Of T. Butler King
to members of the Convention, as they report in
debate--that to take all the territory, all the
sea-coast, and settlement OF the slavery ques-
ton for themselves, was the soundest, safest,
surest policy to secure admission into the Union
His agency is owned by the Government, and
Intervention not being denied, the proof is con-
elusive that, rs far as California was concerned,
the government is for abolition. -
The policy recommended in the message OF
the President for the organization of New Mex
leo, forces us to the same conclusion. But one
year since, when it was proposed to exclude the
Southern stakeholder from emigrating into the
newly acquired territory by the Mexican laws.
we were told that the laws and Constitution OF
the United States did not necessarily reach our
conquered territory. But a declaratory act OF
Congress was necessary to effect that end. We
have not forgotten the debate between Mr.. CAL
houn and the present Secretary of State, MIR.
Webster, in the Senate, upon that question:
The Secretary brought all the powers of his
great mind to that encounter. Abolition was
expected then from the Mexican laws. Neither
the Constitution nor the laws Of the United
Suites could protect the STAKEHOLDER for, said
that statesman, they arc not there But the
scene is changed. To defeat the claims of Tex
rs, the President and his Secretary now declare
that the Constitution and laws are in the Terri
tory; that it never belonged to Texas and that
there are combinations amongst the citizens OF
Texas to prevent the execution ofthese laws.
| Ia IN ho fns hy fha
lean laws. the Constitution of the United States
is not there. When the power of the army is
called in requisition to extend Abolition, the
same parties, in message to this House, declare
that the Constitution and laws are there, and
must be enforced and executed. Is not the fact
established that this is an Abolition Govern
ment! An anti-slavery constitution has been
gotten up within the boundary claimed by Texas,
and the President proposes to march an army to
compel Texas to abandon her claims, or induce
Congress to buy her soil for Abolition purposes,
or that we should vote ten millions, the price
fixed in the bill now on your table. Sir, Texas
is first insulted, then threatened. A deliberate
attempt is made to intimidate her; she is then
offered bribe, and, to crown the ndignty, set
up for sale. And this is called peace offering
to Texas, and measure of conciliation! Texas,
our younger sister, came into our family upon
equal and honorable terms. will never pre-
sumo on her weakness, neither will | avail my
self of her necessities, produced by IL struggle
for her independence, and the burden of debt,
the price of her liberties to advise induce her
| to stoop to such sale of her domain. / say
such SALE for it is violation of the under
standing by which she united herself with U.S.
She came rs a slaveholding State, and to sell her
territory for Free-soil purposes, is to inflct an
injury on the South.
will never advise her to accept of terms
which are accompanied with a menace of the
sword and the use Of force to compel acquics-
ence If | offer her the olive-branch it will be
plucked from vigorous and healthy tree, fresh
and beautiful-not a limb broken off by the
storm and soiled with mud from the gutter, an
offering at once unworthy ofthe one who offers
and the one who receives. will not aid in a
negotiation which must carry to her a sense of
lost self-respect. Were these ten millions to
be distributed amongst the gallant survivors
and the families of those fallen brave men who
shared her trials suffered in her poverty and
achieved her glorious independence-if it We're
to carry Joy to the hearts of widows and Or
phans whose gallant husbands and sires fell on
her battc-felds with the shouts of victory
sounding in their ears--if the families of those
who were assassinAted at the Alamo, or perished
on any other of those fields of glory which
make her history one of the most romantic of
modern times-I could be less averse to this
odous measure. But the bonds and scrips
have long since passed into the hands of brokers
shavers and spectators, at from five to ten
cents in the dollar; and the opportunities and
appeals which we see and hear are the sighing
for the rise of Texas scrip, rather than any JUS
tice or proprcty in the measure, or apprehen-
sion of collision and civil war in New Mexico
or in Texas Il am no stranger to this mode of
raising money by dispute. 1t is a stale con-
trivance of unscrupulous men in private life, to
set up claims and seek to arbtrate them. lfany-
thing by possibility is secured, it is clear gain;
if nothing, then nothing is lost.
This dispute is got up with great dramatic
effect All the horrors of civil war are depicted
gentlemen seem to yield to the pressure of ne
cessty-they are complimented for their patriot
ism the Union is praised, its danger magnted,
the country alarmed, and the public mind agi-
tated. Behind all this dust and smoke, the
Texan bond holder sits and calculates how much
more thunder it is necessary to pump to cause
Congress to vote the millions. Sir, there is no
pretence for this offer. The land belongs either
to Texas or to the United States. If to Texas,
do not wish to purchase it for free soil if to
the United States, | do not think it Just to tax
the South, who would pay two thirds of it, to
make the fortunes of brokers and claims-agents
for the purchase of our own property. do ap-
prehend dapger to the country from the agita-
ton of the public mind, if California with her
present boundaries and constitution be admitted
into the Union, or from stern refusal to divide
the territories, or determination to exclude the
Southern STAKEHOLDER either by pretence Of the
Mexican laws, or the Wilmot Proviso. | have
no doubt that if the Administration be guilty of
the folly or the weakness of marching troops
into Towns nndpr the prpteuce of fixing the
boundary of New Mexico, the gr,vest conse-
quences may ensue. But, sir, the least Of the
dangers is to be found in the last measure 1t
would be the greatest if the President really in
tended to execute the threat in his message.
But he will not do it, sir. Stand one side, Mr..
Chairman, let Congress refuse to purchase the
dispute, leave him to advance or recede, us pru-
dence may determine, and there will be no col
lision. If he does not command the army to
assail the authorities of Texas, they will not do
it, if he does without the assent of Congress- he