The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-03

secure that' Would he scorn to receive, at N
hands of this Government, the execution Of tn
many trusts conferred upon it for the benefit an,
protection Of its citizens at home and abroad
If not, why should he scorn to receive the pro
lection Of Congress for slave properly, which will
secure to the South the enjoyment in these terrific
ries of those general rights of property, not deni
ed to others, but which now fully inure to ever,
portion of the Unionl What, sir, is there humil
iating in the attitude ofthe South if it claims from
Congress legislation to remove the obstructloes o
Mexican lawI What is there humiliating in thu
attitude of an American citizen who claims tina
the Constitution and laws under which he wa
born, and which he is bound to support, shall b'
his shield upon American soil? Sir, our hardy
mariner, who wanders to the other side OF the
globe upon which we live, looks back to the LAND
from which he halls, and claims the shield OF III
laws and Constitution still to be over him. 1t Il
my pride to claim and to receive the protection o.
my constitutional rights at the hands of the Fed
eral Government. 1t is my pride to sustain thus
Federal Government in the execution of those
functions which make it emphatically the pro-
tector Of our constitutional rights,
This is my position ; and this l consider to be
the true position of the South. 1t is not humbly
to beg favors, but to expect the discharge of du-
ties NV colleague first places the South IN
the attitude Of opposing the renewal and extern
sion of the Missouri Compromise, and quotes from
Mr.. Calhoun to establish that position He re,
fers then to a conversation between himself and
| the Senator from Indiana, (Mr. BRIGHT) in the
| presence of the late President, now deceased, to
show his own friendship for that plan fsetement.
I recollect well the Introduction Of that amend
ment by Senator from Indiana but do not
recolect vote which showed the opposition OF
the South. was not one of Southern men with
whom my colleague conversed, and who he says
were opposed to the Missouri Compromise
always
Mr. FOOTE. did not refer to my colleague
Mr.. DAVIS. / suppose you could not allud'
to me in that part of your remarks. But, MIR: Ere
sident, my colleague must recollect, when he at
tacks the position upon which stand before my
constituents, that his remarks are to be, more
than those of another, read by those constituents
and that to reply to them becomes, therefore, es
pecially necessary to me. Then, ask, when die
the South ever show opposition to the Missouri
Compromise since it acquiesced IN by the
Southern States? What vote establishes that fact
What speeches, made in the Senate or elsewhere,
establish that fact? That proposition was voted
down by Northern men in the House of Repre-
sentatives, when offered to the Oregon bill by
a member from South Carolina that proposition
has been voted down in the Senate, believe,
every time it has been separately voted on, save
| once that was when the Senator from Illinois,
[Mr. DoUGLAs offered it in the terms on which
we now advocate 1t, in the sense and spirit
Of the original compact Then it sustained
by the South with unanimity, and then Mr.. Cal
houn was one Of those whose vote is recorded
among the ayes.
Mr.. FOOTE. When was that
Mr.. DAVIS. On the 10th Of August, ls4s
He voted then for the amendment Of the Senator
from Illinois, declaring that the Missouri Compro-
mise to be extended in the sense and spirit OF
the original compromise. That is what we want
now. We want the sense and spirit of the orr
ginal compact honestly carried out. We do not
seek to deceive others. 1t is our purpose not to
be deceived If others willing honestly to
carry out this compromise, and if they will meet
the question like men, and say what they mean in
unequivocal language, am willing to meet them
on that platform. But if they seek to delude the
country, to conceal their purpose in hollow
words, and to bring us into the adoption of a
measure that carries nothing conclusively with
it, then | have only to say do not intend to de-
ceive myself nor to be made the instrument of de-
ceiving or attempting to deceive those whom re-
present.
But from this relation Of opposition my col
league passes on and puts the South in the posi-
ton of seeking the Missouri Compromise then
choice-their desderatum That is not my attitude
either The amendment now pending before the Sen.
ate is an amendment TO limit the Southern boundary
Of California by the parallel of the Missouri Com
promise. Is that asking the Missouri compromise as
our deslderatum or is it not rather claiming that
you shall not infringe the Missouri Compromise
that yon shall not cross 1t with State organized
because of, and influenced by the anti-slavery
feeling Of Congress ?-driven into their organiza
ton and into the prohibition of slavery for thu
very purpose ot gaining admission into thu
Union SurelySHfr. President, that is now suffi
cient ground for saying that the South now CONF
forward for the Missouri Compromise, and tina
it is their particular choice. They have taken il
as an alternative heretofore, and respected it as
peace-offerlng on the altar OF fraternity. They
now demand that you shall not violate it ; but, so
far as know their opinion, and so far as | am
any representative of it, they claim now, as they
always have claimed their constitutional rights to
be as broad the Territories Of the United
| States.
But, sir, in spirit of concession and amity
and for the sake of that Union which is eulogzed
in such sounding phrases by those who alone dis
turb its harmony, and who we must therefore
suppose do not feel for it with half such intensity
ourselves-in that spirit, and tor that purpose,
willing to restrict our rights-to carry out
the compact made by the la st generation, at the
sacrifice of our rights in large portion Of the
| territory. Yes, sir, without asking from our
| brethren of the North that they should yield one
jot or title in all the territory, are willing to
extend the line of $50 80 to the Pacific, and give
| to the North exclusion Of slavery in the country
above that line, without asking any peculiar priv
ileges in the country below it. Ali of the terri
tory south of $50 80 would remain free from
contest or obstruction, open to every man IN the
United States to go and settle there with every
species of property, III the United States. For
this most advantageous arrangement TO the North,
the Missouri Compromise line drawn in
1890; for this it was extended when Texas was
admitted; for this now, when the admission of
California is under discussion, say we are
ready again to extend the line to the Pacific, and
close the disturbing question forever.
Mr.. President, could not imagn an associa-
ton Of freebooters lost to that of justice
which characterizes mankind, that they would
engage in the acquisition of plumber and then,
when those who had stood shoulder to shoulder
with them in every struggle, who had furnished
a fair share of the means, who had borne full
proportion of the toll and danger and sacrifice OF
blood claimed division, that they should de-
prive them of all share in the acquired spois.
And can it be, sir, that band of freebooers have
stronger sense Of justice than the Senate of the
United States will not pursue so offensive
parallel; but ask every man who hears me to
run the parallel in his own mind between the case
which have put and the acquisition which fol-
lowed the Mexican war, and then ask himself
whether, in honor, justice, and good faith, our
friends at the North ought to deny to fair
| participation in the acquisitions of that war; l
am one of those who claim that if the territory
cannot be enjoyed in common, it should be divi-
ded, and that the whole question to our right
TO enjoy that portion gned to us should be