Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-04-03

if any operation OF the government couio oe
shown in any degree to have promoted the
population, and growth, and wealth OF the North
it is much more sure that there sundry lmPor-
tant and distinct operations OF the government
about which no man can doubt, to promote, ana
which ABSOLUTELY have promoted the increase OF
the slave interest and the slave territory OF the
South. ALLOW me to my it was not time that
brought in Louisiana;it was the act of men..N
was not time that brought in Florida. it wasthe
act of men. And lastiyssir, to complete those
acts of men who have contributedso mncil 10
enlarge the area and the sphere Of the 'nstltu,
tuition OF slavery, Texas, great and vast ana
jllimitable Texas was added to the Union as a
slave state in lS45; and that, sir, pretty much
closed the whole chapter, and settled the whole
account; because the annexation OF Iexas, up
on the conditions and under the guarantns up
on which she was admitted, did not leave with
in the control of this Government an acre of
land, capable of being cultivated by slave Ia
Dor. between this capitol and the Rio Grande
or the Nueces, or whatever is the proper
boundary of Texas-not an acre, not one
From that moment the whole country from here
TO the western boundary of Texas, was fixed,
pledged, fastened, decided to be slave territories
forever by the solemn guarantees of law. Anal
now say, sir, as the proposition upon Wh'ch !
stand this day, and upon the truth and hrmness
Of which I intend to act until its overthrow, that
there is not at this moment within the United
States, or any territory of the U. States, a sin.
Gle foot of land, the character OF which, in re-
gard to its being free soil territory or slave ter
ritory is not fixed by some law, and some ire
pealable law beyond the power OF the action Of
this Government. Now is it not so with respect
L.. rV.u-,2 yNI,, e =, ,.op;Rocflr ca Tho hon
orable member from South Carolina, at the
time Of the admission of Texas, held a high
post in the Executive Department of this Gov
eminent; he was Secretary of State. Another
eminent person of great activity and adroitness
in affairs, ! mean the late Secretary Of the Trea-
sury, (Mr. Wa)ker0 was a leading member
of this body, and took the lead in the business
of annexation; and Unjust say that they did
their business faithfully; there was no botch in
it, They rounded it off, and made as close join
er-work as ever was put together. Resolutions
of annexation were brought into Congress fifty
Joined toeether-so compact, firm, eficienet. con-
elusive upon the great object which they had in
view.
| wish to be distinctly understood to-day
that according to my view Of the matter, t.is
Government is solemniy pledged by law to
create new States out of Texas, with her con-
sent when her population shall justify it, and
80 far as such States are formed out of Tex.
au territory lying south of So deg. 80 min., to
let them come in as slave States. That is the
meaning of the resolution, which our friends
the Northern Democracy, have left US to fulfill
aud /, for one, mean to fulfill it, because l will
not violate the faith Of the Government. s
Now, as to California and New Mexico:
hold slavery to be excluded from these Terrific
ries by a law even superior to that which ad
mits and sanctions it in Texas. | mean the Law
of nature-of physical geography-the law o
the formation of the earth. That law settle
forever, with a strength beyond all terms O
human enactment, that slavery cannot exist il
California. or New Mexico.
L look upon it as a fixed fact, to use an ex
preston current to the day, that both Californi
and New Mexico are destined to be free, SO fa
as they are settled at all, which | believe, espec
ally in regard to New Mexico, will be very lfttl
for a great length of time: free by the arrange
ment of things, by the Power above US. I hay
therefore to say, in this respect also, that thi
country is fixed for freedom, to as many person
as shall ever live there, by as irrepealable an
more irrepealable a law than the law that a
tackles to the right of holding slaves in Texa
and l will say further, that if a resolution or
law were now before us to provide a ~territori.
Government for New Mexico, l would not vol
to put any prohibition into it whatever. TIL
use of such prohibition would be idle, as res
spect any effect it would have upon the territor
and / would not take pains to reform an ord
nance ofNature, nor re-enact the will of Goo
And l would put n no Wilmot proviso for tn
purpOs of q taunt or q repr0ach. / would pu
into it no evidence of the votes of superio
power, to wound the pride, even whether a jus
pride, q rational pride, or an irrational pride @
gentlemen who people the Southern States.
have no su' h object, no such purpose. 3
Propose to infict no such wound upon an
body, unless something essentially importau
to the country and efficient to the preservatio
Of liberty and freedom is to be effected. There
fore, I repeat it, because / wish it to be under
stood, that do not propose to address the *
nate often on this subject. | desire to pour GU
all my heart in as plain a manner as possible
and ! say, again, that if a proposition were no,
here for Government for New Mexico, and
was moved 10 insert a provision for a prohib
ton Of slavery, !! would not vote for it.
.uf 49, ta&* r. ss = 97
a Sir, if we were now making q Governmer
for New Mexico, and any body should propos
Wamot ~piroyiso, / should treat it exactly q
Mr.. Polk treated that provision for excludin
slavery from Oregon. Mr.. Polk was known t
be averse to the Wilmot proviso; but he felt til
necessity of establishing a Government for tn
Territory Of Oregon, and, though the provis
was there, he Knew it would be entirely mug
tory; and, since it must be entirely nugator
since it took away no right, no describable, n
estimabe, 20 VEGETABLE or tangible right
the South, he said he would sign the bill f
: the sake Of enaeting a law to form . Govern
ment in that Territory, and let that entirel
us~eless--and In that connection entirely sens
less--rrovisio remain For myself, l W
say that we hear much Of the annexation
lralon~I ;e Alo~> 49, r.& non opxrenT II