The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-19

are ready, as ever heretofore, 10 stand by the
Union, every part of it, and It's every interest
Refuse it, and for one, ! will strike for hide
pendeics.
Mr. T.. withdrew the amendment
Mr. MEADE renewed the amendment, and
said, wish to notice some remarks which fell
from the gentleman from Ohio The gentleman
asks whether the South would have been in favor
of admitting California had she admitted slavery
In the present heated state Of the controversy,
might have been in favor of it but in such case,
we should have committed the same wrong rs the
gentleman is now doing. Let me ask of the gem
teman, wouldh he, in such event, have been for ii
wish him to answer,
Mr.. SCHENCK said, it would be time enough
to consider that question when it arose. He had
always recognized and, did now recognize the
perfect right ofsthe people, when' they formed
State governments, to put in, or exclude slavery
from their constitutions, as they pleased And
his argument in favor of the Wilmot Proviso to
the Territories whilst they were Territories,
was, in great measure, based upon the ground,
that if Congress gave them free institutions whilst
they were Territories, there was the more prob
ability that they would adhere to those insttu-
tons when they came to legslate for themselves.
.Mr. MEADE continued : / undertake to say,
he would not have been for her admission. Now,
sir, the truth Isl if all the States free States,
or all slave States, no one would have been for 1t (;
no, not one. The objections to her admission
would have been too glaring. Her great extent Of
sea coast--her immense size--her utter unftness
for being State-the fact that those who made
her constitution were non-residents. They had
not arrived in the country more than two or three
months before they were by some means made
members Of convention and, having made q
constitution TO govern others; they have left the
country, to which they went merely to fill their
pockets with pearls. Their Representatives have
only come back to their homes and families and
it is well known that onehalf of this territory is
now anxious to be made territory of, and the
other would, but for certain influences. Were
she State tomorrow, she would not support her
government.
The gentleman from New Jersey, [Mr. VAN
DYKE,l assigns reasons for voting against this
amendment perncious TO, and utterly Mt war with,
wholesome legislation. To almost every bill, inn
portant amendments are offered, and it's friends
have the right to perfect those amendments be-
fore the vote is put.
Mr.. M withdrew the amendment.
Mr.. GIDDINGS renewed the amendment. He
said he had been willing 10 abstain from the dis
cussion of this question for the past three four
months, from the conviction that the time for talk
ing had gone by, and the time for action had ar
rived. He had been induced to rise merely for
the purpose of expressing his dissent from the
opinion thrown out, that northern men do not OBJ
ject to the admission of more slave States 1t
would be understood by all that if slave State be
admitted, she must come into the Union with her
slave representation, by which the freemen ofsuch
State would have voice, in the election Of Pres-
dent, Vice President, members of Congress, and
in the conducting Of this Federal Government, in
proportion to the number Of slaves which they
hold in bondage. That is to say, that for every
five slaves they will increase the influence Of the
STAKEHOLDER to the extent of three freemen.
. This power is exercised in favor Of slavery and
oppression, against freedom and the rights of man.
The power of the slaveholders-of the ffeemen of
,aA ~,
freemen of the northern States. He regarded this
inequality as disgraceful to the freemcn OF the
North. His constituents regarded such propO-
sition as unjust and degrading to northern free
men.
He had seen honorable members from Illinois,
and from Pennsylvania, state that they were will
ing to go into union with new slave States upon
such terms. Gentlemen had told us, that their
constituents were willing to go into such union,
upon such terms; in other words, their constitu-
ents were willing to be thus degraded.
To this degradation ofNorthern freemen he was
opposed. He saw neither justice nor propriety in
it. He, for one, would oppose it; his constituents
would oppose it. He felt himself as worthy Of
moral and political influence as he wonld be il
a hundred slaves bowed beneath his LASH His
constituents treated such proposition with con-
tempt. They will never consent to go into a
union with New Mexico, upon terms by which
the owner of hundred slaves in the mines of
that country shall hold influence equal to sixty
Of our intelligent faYYYers and mechanics. They
will never yield their opposition to prop
ostion so dishonorabIe to freemen and to hui
mainly.
Mr.. q. withdrew the amendment.
MIR. EWING renewed it. He said the vote on
this amendment has now become matter of vital
importance. So long as it was opposed by the
main body Of the North solely on the ground Of
its impractcability and abstract character, it pro-
duced no serious anxiety in my mind; but, sir,
when the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. ScHENcK,l
who belongs to the Wing party, and boasts that
he does not belong to the Abolitionists, refuses to
answer whether he will ever vote for the admis-
sion of slave State, and says he is in favor Of
applying the principle OF restriction of slavery
over the Territories until their admission,
to prevent the possibility Of slavery, the question
assumes different aspect. The people of Ten
nessee, sir, have been, and are now, in favor of
the principles Of the Compromise bill. They are
now moving unanimously and harmoniousy in
its favor. They sought, almost alone, to have
its prOprety recognized in the Southern Conven-
ton. They are essentially for harmony, concil-
iation, and union. i, sir, have supported this
measure on this floor; but it is time now to under
stand the North, before we commit ourselves r-
revocably to this adjustment. We wish not to
or be misunderstood; we do not
wish the concessions of that bill, like Dead Sea
fruit, "to turn to ashes on our lips"
The principle of non-intervention in the Com
promise Dill means, that upon the applcatlOn oil
the Territories for admission States, they shall
be free to enter the Union either as free slave
States, as they may determine. If this is not so,
and hereafter, when the Compromise bill has
wrought its work in its other provisions, that we
are then to have death struggle for our rights
under it, then, sir, all adjustment is useless and
worse than idle. Wewere warned the other day
that when Mexican territory was about to be ac-
CURED, the South was duly notified that if ever
admitted as States into the Union, they must
come in as free. Now want no more such mott
fcations; or if made, we wish them placed upon
the records If no more slave States can be re-
ceived into our Union, then the contest is over,
the door Of Cancellation is closed, and you drive
us from your doors, although we retire in the
deepest sorrow at the unfortunate result would
hin hope that this declaration viii not be made,
and in that strong and earnest faith, call upon the
North to support this amendment and rescue us
from impending danger.
MIR. T.. withdrew the amendment.
MIR. WILLIAMS renewed the amendment. Do
gentlemen (said hey understand the sentiment of
the North in reference to this subject The voice
of the North speaks trumpet-tongued against COM