The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-29
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH or aIR. soULE,
OF LOUISIANA,

IA m, Pending Measures of Comproeise delivsred n,
hIs Senate u The Uaitd States Tuesday, May 81, 1850.
The Senate having under consideration the special or.
.erbeng the bill 10 admit California State into the
Union 10 establish territorial governments for Utah and
New Mexico and making proposals Texas for the es-
tabshment OF her western aud northern boundaries
Mr. SOULE said moved an adjournment on yester-
day to obtain the privilege Of the floor, that might avail
myself OF the first moment OF conyalescence which has
been allowed me since the beginning OF the session. and
lay before the Senate and before the country some very
brief remarks upon the matters under debate, and more
particularly the 10Th section Of the bill, which the
amendment proposed BY the honorable senator from Mis-.
sissippi aims 10 modify.
shall not attempt. nor hope will it be expected on
this occasion, to deliver speech am neither pre-
pared for it, nor n the condition OF health which admits
es debate On he as
mission Of California into the Union as she sa wider
range Of debate will be admssibes and when that matter
comes up may have to trouble the Senate again, should
my health be spared
The questions OF controversy between the North and
the South may be reduced to four, all arising out Of
claims OF constitutional rights asserted and insisted upon
on one side. and directly or ateay assailed on the
other.
The first relates to the claim set up BY the South to
Mssico sau' s"1's 7 ~ e''0''e' a'qu'''u IRON
The second grows ont Of the denial on the part OF the
South q any right IN Congress 70 interfere with slavery
in the District OF Columbia or to arrest obstruct the
slave trade between the States.
The third refers to the right of the savehoding States
and lord ordering he delivery of fugitive slaves eascyeg
The fourth embraces the boundary rights Of Texas,
defined in her constitution and laws as secured 10
her under the compact Of annexation and queted Of all
Mexican counterciaims under the treaty oi Guadalupe
Hidalgo-a question more Immediately affecting the
rights of sovereignty and eminent domain Of Texas GER
anly, yet presenting many obvious features as well as
principles which render its solution OF vast moment to
the interests Of the South.
Reversing the order in which have mentioned these
points OF the controversy between the two great sections
lei how they have been disposed OF in the scheme
oi compromise reported by the committee.
The fourth comes back to the Senate with Texas shorn
OF her sovereignty over not only 81 degrees north OF the
line OF 36 deg 80 min and stretching to the southern
boundary line OF Oregon upon the 40 deg Of north la
aude but embracing less than 2 degrees of the slave
territory Of Texas, situate south Of 80 deg. 80 min
which, if the frank expose Of the honorable chairman
[Mr CLAY is to be trusted for the views of the
itee, be converted into free Territories BY the op
Grafton Of the Mexican law, abolishng whatever slavery
may exist there now, and prohibiting its introduction
hereafter in dercgaon not only OF the compact between
large interests stake but destructive OF the vested in
erest under the compact, OF the people dwelling within
the limits OF the surrendered erritoryan act OF power
towhich neither the United States Texas is compe-
tent, without their consent.
The third returns here with provisions so conved that
far from remedying the evil OF which the South com
plains, they obviously embanass and obsruct the
exercise Of her acknowledged rights that any one,
OF the terms Of the resolution OF the honorable
senator from Kentucky [Mr CLAY upon this subject
ered TO the committee, must have concluded that the
evil complained OF not any delinquency, the part
Of the free States, in complying with explicit pro-
VISION OF the constitution. but on the contrary that the
man evil was the abuse, the part of southeners in
claiming free men as siaue in the exercise OF the rights
Of reclamation OF fugtives from service in the free
Snies; Tor, The only provisions reported such as
would greatly embaass, delay, and add 10 the expenses
o reclamation, TO say nothing OF the absence oil all con-
stutonai authority in this government TO exercise luris
dcion the State of the South, enlarge their
jurisdiction, assign them duties require at their
hands records OF matters 10 which their functions do not
pertain and laying aside the absence OF all constitutional
authority in this governmentbeyond and after enforcing
The exIadion OF fugitive savesof exercising federal
Jurisdiction scithin The dpe Safes upon the subject of
aaruy under the guise OF penal bond payable 20 the
United States, conditioned for the performance OF those
duties OF humanity and justice, TO which every OF
The slave States have bound themselves and their courts
BY their own State laws, without the encroachment OF
The second comes back with virtual surrender to
congress OF that very power and jurisdiction slave
W in the District which the South have heretofore
sed SO srenqousy and which there is every reason to
believe she will resist TO the last for if under the guse
OF breaking up nusances the public slave marts
(Which mere matters OF municipal regulaton,) Con-
snanepse S them when they come @housh brought oT
The honorable purpose OF beng sold to pay shareholders
ust debis) is Il not obvious assertion OF power 10
and ny one who ss Ie ,os Of fs
egsae against this species OF property which may be
brought here for the payment Of debts. and convert
This District into free isritry far il relates 70
slaves brought here for sale BY their owners,
ably dispute either the power good faith involved in
making II free territory altogether.
As 10 the first, after surreDdering the unconditional
admission OF California State which honorable
senator, in my view, (Mr. FooTE] but few days
ago held TO be sufficient Of active resistance on
the part of the South IL admitted aloneafter
derng by that unconditional admission every inch OF soil
IN ,he new Territories susceptible OF slave settlement and
euure-ihe committee tenders TO the South, as the only
boon IN which she is 10 seek compensation Tor all the
achces exorted from her, the section before me, which
is The tenth OF the bill under debate tN y ~
ouch being The state of the question now presented to
ne Senate propose TO inquire into the nature, extent
OF that compensation thus poered to the South
rghiA
The section reads as follows
And Iatho enacted, That the legislative power OF
ne Territory shall extend all right subjects OF legisla
lon consistent with the of the United States
suo win the provisions Of this act tMf no lac shah o
.a"d interfering with the primary disposition Of the SOIL
upon the property OF the United Stses shall the lands
ohef property of non-residenn be taxed higher than the
nds OF other properly Of residents Al M fascs passd bg
gHofive assembly AID gor0nor shall bs ssbmtfsd TO fns
eonps of The Ued States, and " dis0pProred shan os
"MsHdOt no o6eef.
What is il that this section comedies to the South
Why nothing but the sfafu quo In the Territories alter
eelnquishment, required In prior sections OF the p'
~ AL prtehsons TO any portion OF the vast ana impof
ani country embraced within the boundaries OF Caor
ma and South OF 80 deg 30 mn.the sdfu quo, win an
unqualified inhibition TO the territorial Legislature from
asslng any law reped 10 Afrcag SLAVERY; and mus,
oedes the solemn assertion repeated time and agan mere
ana elsewhere that the Mexican law prevails IN the Tern
ones, and that by its provisions slavery pfonlDteo
ufance that this sfou quo shall be disturbed by
any law which the territorial legislature might think