Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-05-24
THE PRESIDENTS PLAN.

The Republic, under its new editor Mr.. Hall,
continues ardently to advocate the Presidents po-
licy in contrast with the Compromise plan of the
Senate. In the leading article in that paper of
Wednesday, these questions are asked:
"Is it uhe Presidents plan) not simple practical,
constitutional, and perfectly unobectonable mode of
settling the question whether the introduction of
slavery shall be prohibited in the territory acquired from
Mexico to refer to the people OF that territory them
exist to decide the question, when they come to form
State constitutions preparatory to asking to be admit
ted into the Union as States? Will it not if adopted,
ehectuay put stop to all agitation, in Congress out
OF it, the subject OF the prohibition OF the introduce
ton of slavery into the territory relieve Congress from
the necessity OF bringing itself into conflict with the
passions preudices, and opinions OF either section OF
the Union by egsatng the subject, and terminate
the sectional struggle which threatens the harmony and
perpetuity of the Union :"
Since the original friends of Gen. Taylor are
driven to take sides for or against him on this
grave question, in comparison with which the fate
of an administration is utterly unworthy OF con-
sderation, we shall not shrink from the duty that
devolves upon u.s. We answer the Republics
interrogatories, without hesitation, in the negative;
and in doing so, we believe we express the senti-
ment of every Wing in this part of Virginia.
The policy of allowing the inhabitants of the pub
lie domain, whenever they may please, to form
State constitution, and prohibit Shareholders from
coming amongst them, is not unobjectionable. 1t
is derogatory to the dignity of the older States,
and in violation of the rights insisted upon by the
citizens of every Southern State. 1t abandons
the just principle of all former precedents that a
Territory must be prepared to become State be-
fore it is admitted, and where The public domain
is of great extent abandons the important matter
of boundary to the decision of accident But,
worse than this, the Presidents plan, instead of
putting stop to agitation, as the Republic claims,
must inevitably supply food for its continued ex-
istence. What is this "plan," as it is called, al
though, for long time after it was proposed, the
President was praised for following the example
of Mr.. Monroe, and giving Congress no advice
whatever? In effect, it is to admit California, and
there to stop. New Mexico makes no applica-
ton for State government; she does not want
one. Under the Presidents recommendation, she
is to remain with no government but military
one, until she is willing to become State. In
The mean time, we ask the Republic to nferm us,
whether we must not expect the Free Soil gang
in Congress to press the Wilmot Proviso, and
thus keep alive the slavery agitation? To talk of
Congress adopting the Presidents plan, and thus
settling the sectional question, is in terms an alb
surdity His plan is to do nothing, and, therefore,
it is no plan at all.
The Republic closes its article as follows:
M'We aware that objections are urged against it |
IN various quarters; and that another plan is preferred
by many. These objections, think, it will not be |
othcut to answer and appears its friends and
advocates will have it abundantly in their power to de-
Tend It successfully against all assailans The truth is
considering the state OF parties Congress and the
weakness OF human nature, it is at all likely that
any mode OF adjustment which the President could |
have devised and recommended would have been
readily, and with any thing like unanimity adopted-l
1t may even admit OF doubt whether if he had pro-
posed the Compromise now under discussion in the SEN
ate exactly it is, it would have met with the sup
port of all who advocate that plan of ADJUSTMENT
If any better PLAN therefore, than the one proposed by
him be devised and adopted, most unouestonablv he
will be entitled to the credit OF it,"
These extraordinary remarks cannot fail to sa-
tsfy he reader that the President is unfortunately
surrounded by unwise and nconsiderate advisers
The intatuation of supposng Southern Presi-
dent could be successfully sustained when stalking
himself upon such policy as that which is now