The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-30
DAILY.

hunted out of his secret hiding place. the owner
perils. his life, through the lawleSs violence
Of the mob, in retaining his property and in as
serting rights solemnly guaranteed to him by the
Constitution. The laws and popular tumults
against the master, to which ! have adverted,
clearly indicates the settled, deliberate purpose
of the Northern States to deprive us ofour rights
in that species of property
Northern sentiment on the subject Of abolition
speaks trumpet-tongued in the political privileges
conferred on free negroes in some Of the Northern
States. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
sachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, all ex-
tend the right Of suffrage to the African. At the
last State election in New York the free negroes
held the balance Of power between the two politi-
cal parties. Representatives upon this floor re-
ceve the votes Of this degraded class, and the
cess of republican institutions il made to depend
upon the Judgment and intelligence Of the free negro
sopereigns. The aim Of the Abolitonists looks first
to the emancipation of our slaves throughout the
South, and then is to follow their elevation to all
the social and political privileges of the white
The thick-lipped African is TO march up 70 the
same ballot-box, eat at the same table, and sit in
the same parlor with the white man. This, the
Abolitionists would say, {" is a contamination de-
voutly to be wished for"
Another evidence, sir, of the progress and in
tolerance of this sentiment is TO be found in the
separation of two Of the most numerous and re-
spectacle christian denominations in this country,
(he Baptist and the Methodist.) They assembled
in convention and conference, year after year, to
advance that holy cause in which they had mu-
tually embarked But, sir, the demon of fanati-
cal discord stalked into their asaociations Chris
tan charity and brotherly love were impotent in
resisting its encroachment upon their peace and
union; Northern members demanded that their
Southern brethren should surrender and eschew
the institutions of the country in which they lived
Al Al AL.
which their allegiance was due, and prove recreant
to their obligations to the community in which
they resided. They were too holy to commune
at the altar with their Southern brethren un-
til the latter should pronounce slavery sin, and
agree to enlist in an effort for its extinction. The
terms were too ignominious for Christians or pa
triots. With manly Independence, the Southern
wing of both denominations rejected the offer, and
the separation of their churches ensued. These
two, sir,were heavy blows against our political
union, from the shocks of which we have not yet
recovered
Another evidence of the extent of this sentiment
is exhibited in the popularity, the universal pop
ularity of the doctrine Of free soil-the legitimate
scion, as before remarked, ofthe abolition stock
The popularity of that doctrine is not to Judged
by the independent free-soil party organization.
Those who candidly avow the opinion are few in
number they refuse to co Operate with either Of
the other parties, and hence separate organiza-
ton but the mass Of the Northern people compris-
ing the two great political parties sympathize in
sentiment and feeling with the free-soiers. 1t is
idle to disguise the fact. The speeches delivered
by Northern Representatives since the commence
ment of this discussion is thorough vindication
of the truth of this assertion. They may be well
arranged in two classes, one of which broadly as
serts that the North has been guilty of no aggres
sion upon the South--that the South has no Just
cause of complaint against thenl-that our demand
In nrO W oP NIL
the States is an aggression upon the North--that
our fugitive slaves are always promptly surren-
dered upon the demand of the owner. This is the
language addressed by them to Northern consit-
uencies they do not appeal to them to quiet this
Infamous ngtation-they do not remind them of
course can have no other effect than to fan the
flames of fanaticism until they shall burn out the
vitals of the Constitution and Union.
The other class show equally, in their speeches,
their attachment to the doctrines Of free soil.
Every Northern man OF this class who has ad-
dressed the committee on this subject, except my
friend from Indiana, Mr.. GoRMAN,] and my
friend from Pennsylvania, [Mr. Ross, is in the
same category. Their speeches open, generally,
with violent philippe against the South. They
charge us with arrogance, and some of them are
in hot haste in volunteering their services to march
troops into our midst to force us to continue in
the Union if we should choose to secede from it.
vention. What does this non-inervention amount
tor If it were bona fde non-interference with
our rights, it would be all that the South could
asl1-all that she has right to demand under the
Constitution. But this much she does demand;
and, depend upon it, she will be appeased by no
thing less. Some of the Northern non-interven-
tionists deny that Congress has the power to pass
the Wilmot Proviso; others maintain the position
that Congress has the power, but should not ex-
ercise it, and straghtway offer the excuse to their
constituents that it is not necessary to pass it
that the Mexican laws are in force and they ex-
clude slavery. This is the opinion entertained by
General CAss and all the non-intervention North
ern Democrats in this House. Is not this heavy
tribute which non-intervention pays to fee-soil
Ii is tantamount to saying, we are In favor Of the
end which the provlso aims to accomplish, viz
the exclusion Of the slave States from all the terri
tory acquired from Mexico-we oppose its adop-
ton only because we regard it as unnecessary,
and because we believe the course we propose to
pursue will most effectually subserve the end
without giving offence and producing irritation in
the South. repeat il, sir, such non-ntervention
pays heavy tribute to abolitionism.
Another, and perhaps, Mr.. Chairman the most
pregnant indication of the progress of abolition
sentiment, is the remarkable condition of things
that now exists throughout the country in relation
to the admission of California into the Union. l
venture to say that never in the history of this
0O'cIHnieHt Hos any uucStou UeeH pre-
scented for the consideration Of Congress where
party lines were all broken down as they have
been on this question. 1t is an Administration
measure-one which certainly reflects but little
credit upon its wisdom or patriotism. Parties
have but recently emerged from the heat Of a
presidential struggle, and upon all other questions,
save this alone, which have been introduced into
this House the present session, partisan gladia-
tors have waged as fierce contest as in days of
yore. Irregular and objectionable as all the Cali
fornia proceedings have been, but one solitary Re
preventative q refer again to my friend Mr.. Ross)
from the free States has avowed himself opposed
to its admission into the Union parties are broken
down--the Northis making it a sectional question.
Northern Wings and Northern Democrats, Wing
Free-Soilers and Democratic Free-Soiers all rally
upon this common platform, and the emulation
between them is great who shall be foremost in in
Producing this embryo State into the Union. Some
of the objections to Its admission into the Union,
will briefly notice. No census had been taken either
by the authority of the pretended State or by
the authority Of Congress. We have no official
information which would authorize us to deter
mine whether the population was ten thousand or
one hundred thousand The number Of votes
said to have been polled in the ratification of the
constitution was about thirteen thousand. This