The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-02

with their presses, took up the cry, and the fat
went forth that freedom must give way. Slavery
extensonists must not be crossed in their wishes
or plans During this time, measures were
adopted to win over to the side Of slavery the
last remaining prominent asprant for the Presi-
dency, and the central organ the Washington
UniOnl commenced angling for the god-like Sena-
| tor The hook, as we all know, was baited with
the highest honor" Rumors were rife that the
gentleman had been waited upon by distinguished
Southern members of both Houses and both par
| ties, and hopes were freely expressed that he
would throw his great influence in their scale,
and secure Union, or rather the power Of the
| shareholders. These rumors were not credited
| by the friends Of freedom, but fast-crowdiog
events proved their truth. OF the speech of the
honorable Senator from Massachusetts, j do not
propose to speak, further than to say it sent a
thrill Of JOY through the hearts of slavery extern
sionists, and of sorrow and disgust through the
hearts of the friends of freedom.
The people of this country are o reading peo-
pie, and they will Judge for themselves whether
MIR. Webster has abandoned his post and gone
over to the enemy or not. Some may be unchari-
table enough in this connection to remember Ar
mold his great talents his disappointed ambition,
and unsatis6ed longngs for more extended power,
while engaged in the service Of his country. They
may recollect, perchance, his traitorous compact
! to obtain the much-desired object-the discovery
and capture of his agent-the high -hearted patri-
otism of John Paulding and his associates: who
arrested that agent on the banks Of the Hudson
in New York-that great State which was then,
is now, aud | trust in God, sir, ever will be,
ground over which traitors cannot safely pass
These men were poor, but, untainted by the thirst
for gold or office, could scOrn the offered bride,
the watch, the purse, and the promises They
| may recollect that the memory OF these true
hearted patriots is, and ever will be, enshrned in
| the memory Of all firm friends Of freedom, while
the traitor lives in thought but TO infamy and
scorn. | trust in God sir, that there are yet mil
| lions Of such men as John Paulding and his two
friends, in this glorious Republic, in whose hands
the cause of human liberty will always be safe
| In the speech of the honorable gentleman from
| Maryland, MIR. McLANE the members OF this
House were called upon to trample down the
Free-Soilers | confess, Mr. Chairman, that
could hardly realize myself in the Congress of
the United States when such words fell upon my
ear, OF that this was claimed as land Of liberty.
In Justice to the gentleman, however, ought to
say, and it is done with great pleasure, that he
omitted those words in his printed speech.
have no doubt, upon cool reflection, he regretted
having uttered such sentiments.
Mr.. WINTHROP here rose, and interrupted
the honorable gentleman, and begged that the
honorable gentleman from Connecticut would not
misrepresent him.
20 ;st.g vFi.a ND MY spoerh IL SAsiiten.
[ shall not have time to deliver it entire. | ten
der it to the honorable gentleman, in order that
he may compare every quotation with has printed
speech
Mr. WINTHROP. Does the gentleman in
tend to say that called upon the House to tram
pie down the Free-Solers2
Mr.. CLEVELAND. | am now abiding to
! the remarks of the honorable gentleman from
Maryland; and | am glad to see that he is now
present.
Mr. McLANE did not intend to call upon
the House to trample upon the persons of the
Free-Soiers, but upon the spirit and principle of
| Free-Soi and this stand TO now.
Mr. CLEVELAND. would not have refer
red to this, but for the purpose Of showing the
spirit with which the friends of freedom have had
to contend. Another honorable gentleman, from
Louisiana, Mr. MoRsE,l declared in this Hall
that, had he the power, he would seize and sell
every free negro in this country! And yet We
are denounced as mad, or as fanatics, because we
desire to keep within its present limits an institu
ton which leads the minds of intelligent aud
highly educated men to such results
The honorable gentleman from Illinois Mr.
McCLERNANDl has presented bill to connect
with the admission of California Territorial Gov
ernments for New Mexico and Deseret, leaving
both those Territories open to slavery. Some
claim that, in those vast regions slavery will
never exist and try to make the nation believe it,
when they have daily and hourly, since the CON-
mencement of this session, heard Southern gen.
tlemen declare that slavery will be carried there
as soon as governments are given without the
prohibition of slavery IL was but the other day
that heard the honorable Senator from Virginia,
| Mr. MASON, in the presence OF Mr.. WEBSTER,
| declare that there was no law of Nature or of
God which would prevent shareholders from doing
this, and that it was inevitable For fear Of a
charge of misrepresentation, | will read an ex-
tract from the printed speech Of the honorable
gentleman:
"We have heard here from various quarters
and from high quarters, and repeated on all
hands-repeated here again to-day by the honor
able Senator from Illinois, Mr. SHIELDS that
there is law Of Nature which excludes the
Southern people from every portion of the State
! of California | know of no such law of Nature
none whatever but do know the contrary, that
if California had been organized with a Terrific
rial form of Government only, and for which, al
the last two sessions Of Congress, she has obtain
ed the entire Southern vote, the people Of the
Southern States would have gone there freely
and have taken their slaves there in great mum
bers They would have done so, because the
augmented to them many hundred fold. Why
in the debates which took place in the Conven.
| ton in California which formed the Constitution
and which any Senator can now read for himself
after the provision excluding slavery was agreed
upon, it was proposed to prohibit the African race
altogether, free as well as bond. A debate arose
upon it and the ground was distinctly taken, as
shown in those debates that If the entire African
race was not excluded, their labor would be found
so valuable that the owners of slaves would bring
them there, even though slavery were prohibited
under contract to manumit them in two or three
years And it required very little reasoning, on
the part of those opposed to this class Of popula-
tion to show that the productiveness of their Ia
| Dor would be such as to cause that result. An
estimate was gone into with reference to the value
of the labor of this class Of people, showing that
| it would be increased to such an extent in the
mines Of California, that they could not be kept
out. 1t was agreed that the labor Of a slave in
any one Of the States from which they would be
taken was not worth more than one hundred or
one hundred and fifty dollars year, and that in
California it would be worth from four to six
thousand dollars. They would work themselves
free in one or two years, and thus the country
would be filled by class of free blacks, and
their former owners have an excellent bargain in
taking hem theren
And believe all, or nearly ALL who have spoken
on the Southern side of this question, have agreed
in saying that, but for the agitation Of this sub
ject California would, ere this, have been filed
with slaves.
What then, sir, becomes of this ne,o doctrine of
non-intervention or non-action Though, truth
to say, sir it is nor new doctrine it was in prac-
.ce more than eighteen hundred years ago-in
the days OF ony Saviour. We read Of an instance
where one Of earth's unfortunates fell among
thieves, who robbed, bruised and left him nearly
dead priest Glanced that way, looked at, eonld
relieve him, but woSM not, as he was believer in
the doctrine Of H0n.uaerUention. A Leuas also
passed; no help came from that quarter, however
as lbs creed was nOH-dciion