The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-29

at least this Senate which revised his proceedings and
modified the treaty, that if il was ava right, i could
a. @ me p % | moi
conclude Otherwise Than that the United States have not
ssa ,ss f. a"a si
all i must have taken place under some eehaicai con.
slrucon or legal coroary, Of which neither party to
the treaty seems to have had knowledge, q . nave AYE
and the cesson were simultaneous acts; not mo-
ment Of time elapsed between them Mexico could not
have acquired fresh jurisdiction IN these Territories 10
her consent This would have been legal anachonism
Of which there s no example, and to be- matched only
BY the political absardy Of one nation cedng e another
portion OF s national domain, and yet retaining ju-
But before absolutely committing ourselves to this
novel doctrne 1t might be wise to consider where 1t will
lead u.s. Honorable senators should Be prepared to abide
all the consequences that will flow from it. Now, in the
free States, learn il is matter Of universal acceptance,
that slaves carried into Jurisdictions with the consent
oftheir owners) where slavery is prohibited BY. law
cannot be reclaimed, but become free; and will not
pretend to disguise that in Louisiana herself adiudca
lions have been had which give full sanction to that
doctrine Well, have it from reliable authority that
more than hundred slaves in the service OF officers.
quatermasers suffers &C., accompanied the armies oil
Generals Scott and Taylor their invasion OF Mexico
that there thirty Of these in the train Of the South
Carolina regiment alone and that the gallant hero
OF Buena VISTA the President of the United States
had two Of his slaves in constant attendance upon
him during the whole campaign. Now, Mexico was a
jurisdiction where slavery prohibited all these slaves
taken into that jurisdiction with the consent Of their
owners and giving full scope to the doctrine just re-
erred TO- they all became Free and are entitled to their
freedom now. This would undoubtedly have been SO,
had the slaves, with the CONSENT been taken into
any OF the free States OF The Union But who believes
that that effect has been wrought by their presence and
soourn in Mexico! Who believes that the brave old
General would hold men service aud in sdUe bondage
So But what prevented that resnti Why, the suspen
sion OF those laws, clearly and the supremacy Of the con-
sttuon OF the United States lunder the circumsiances
those laws, and through the protection gave to
the property of the owners in these slaves. put to
the grave Judgment OF senators TO say, IT General Tay
or with those slaves, instead oil being IN one OF the po
cal departments OF Mexico had been in either OF the
ceded Territories OF California New Mexico, at the
close of the war whether these slaves though lawfully
held in bondage upon Merican territory would have be-
free upon American territory, and by virtue alone
of the restoration OF peacei
II the political law Of the Mexican constitution pro-
hbiting slavery revived BY virtue Of the treaty OF
peace, not the only political law OF Mexico which
thus brought back to life and into junction by that
measure. Kindred laws derived from kindred authority
have equal force in the same localities and ursdic
lions and Ipropose to bring to the otice OF the
Senate some other political laws of Mexico, in active
force and in full operation in these Territories when the
broke out which, must think, some OF the honora
BILE who hear would be most reluctant TO ad
mt had survived both hostile occupancy and our
possession under the treaty Take an instance AT the
opening Of the war; the Mex tariff laws absolutely
prohibited under heavy penalties the importation Of up
wards oil sixty articles OF our home producesugar rice
cottcn -four &c. Now, during the war, the Executive
y @ ~ 70 Mevc" ,has I" on,
possession tar laying and collecting moderate reye-
nue. duty upon those very articles and this tariff, be-
eve continued in practical force in California long
after the peace and up 10 the time the United States
nue. laws were extended TO her and TO the other ceded
Territories do enter at all upon the question,
whether the executive tariff and its enforcement in
California after the treaty OF peace. had had the
sanction OF the constitution but wish 10 take the judg
OF the Senate upon the point whether, in legal con-
temptation, abTogaed or not by the revival OF the
Mexican tariff with all its penalties and confscations
under the treaty OF cesson II was revived then
all these penalties and conhscations should have Injured
10 the treasury OF the United States and II they did, who
can estimate the millions in value OF the ships and
goes forfeited III it rot revived il not
vved at all and the political provision prohibiting sla-
very most assuredly encountered like fate.
Sir, il the Mexican laws continue in force, there are
other consequences equally important and far more OBJ
noxious to be realized. Those laws necessarily treat
an Amecau could not be acade, magistrate, have
right vote. He might be compelled 10 give evidence
against himself in criminal examinations, or be disal-
lowed trial by Jury, in capital case In reli.
gous matters, too, Americans migrating there would nod
themselves scarcely less aggrleved under those laws.
Protesants could not be permitted TO erect Protestant
churches or to attend Protestant worship. Upon the
numerous Catholic religious festivals feast days, Protes
would be required 10 close their stores and shops,
and 10 desist from all business &c the great object
OF the frees soers be, they sometimes say, 10 gray
our Mexican ellow.ctzens by securing them IN their
rights, they may rest assured that these feowc
viii consider their rights far less nterfered with by the
introduction amongst them OF African slaves than by the
accession oil free soil Protesants and the federal con-
siulon is TO be regarded holding the OF
rights, there Is quite much authority for excluding
from the ceded Territories free soers with their protest.
antsm, souherners with slaves that is To- say,
authority al all
But, sir, those who maintain that the Mexican laws
prohibiting African slavery still obtain in these Terrific
Tics will have 10 encounter another startling conse-
quence and must rid themselves OF il best they may
and that consequence is, that the same laws which pro-
hib African slavery there tolerate Mexican slavery
and the free soers will have make their choice be-
tween black slavery and white slavery The victims OF
Mexican peonags the Slaves of debt and the dominion
of the master quite absolute and the prospect OF the
peoncs quite changeless, those oil the Africans IN
any OF Tue slave States.
Have honorable senators contemplated all the revolving
consequences which iow from the doctrine that the Mex
can laws prohibiting African slavery in force in these
Territories If they be- by the very implication
the laws regulating Mexican psopags and honorable
aors must at once il might be possible, il would
certainly be lawful that while an african would be in
redeemed TO slavery, Amereon eiizsn might become
the peon OF Msriean iepsro. The highest success,
therefore, that our opponents can promise themselves in
this memorable struggle to shield the African from
ensavement and doom from which they neither
nor strive 10 shield their opa. While African slavery
receive no accession except from descent they insist
upon the existence and the ascendency OF foreign code
Of supply IN our own and makes poverty and want
lawful means and justification for ensaving free born
men,
had supposed, until very recently. that in all the
civilized States OF the world, where the people were
living under constitutional charters which they had them
selves made, not parallel TO be found to that sys.
TEN OF servude for misfortune which peonoos presents
l.-~~ ~urnf ukon atr - III