The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-26

RIcHMoNp. June 4. 1850.

DEAR SIN. have seen your letter OF The 23d ult,
addressed 70 several gentlemen OF this city, as well as
to myself asking opinions in regard to the bills re-
ported by Mr. Clay, chairman OF the COMMITTEES OF the
Senate Tor the adjustment OF the slavery question En-
pertaining sincere ddence and great dlstrus in the WIS
dom OF any advice give IN reference TO subect OF
such grave and deep concern 10 the country ieel na
should withhold his views and opinions IN ne cn
SIS which now exists For mine ask no more IMAM
man by birth, education, and uncLang,ng associations
But claim also 70 be and devoted Trend 70
every foot and inch OF thfeat American fepnollc lis
this mean not 10 profss-ess than this will by
acts sustain The bills reported BY Mr. Clay if enacted
as they are will not be satisfactory to me.
These bills provide, first for the admission Of Cafor
MIA second. for territorial governmental for New Mex
leo and Utah third for the partition Of Texas fourth,
District Of Columbia fifth. for amending the act Of Con-
gress providing for the recapture of fugitive slaves
In considering these different propositions, take occa
sion to say, in advance that each will be treated Of by
me uniniuenced by any party considerations. shall
strive, and hope successfully to accomplish this end
California presents constitution made BY the repre-
senatives Of more than hundred thousand beings
within her limits. Thus number is made up Of adven-
turers from all parts OF the world Most OF them had
been but q few months, and many OF them but few
bers to the convention which formed this constitution
Whether they should be considered inhabitants OF the
country. or ~ mere soourners therein, will not stop to
from going to California with their slaves. The
odious Wilmot Proviso is here given us, not by the
action OF our immediate representatives, not by
the instrumentality Of men totally unaccountable
to those whose rights and interests deeply affected by
their acton--by agents, many OF whom may not have
even been citizens OF the United States Over an i'm
mense territory Of more than eleven degrees on the Pa
cic and running into the interior at least three hundred
miles, and embracing one OF the most beautiful and one
oil the richest countries, especially in Its minerals in the
world, 10 this new government extended From every
foot OF lis soil are all the savehoding people OF the
South excluded by the constitution Of California To
1uatf NTH ls,rta
tuition, framed by the adventures then there under such
circumstances, would seem 10 me TO be concession enough
BY the South have been and vel am ready to make
1t. make 1t as a concession, and not as matter OF
right Had California been created Territory and pass
ed through the instructive training and preparation OF
Territory and her fixed and stable population had become
sufficient according to the constitution, to ente her to
admission no the Unio and she had then asked for that
admission and presented republican form OF consttu
tional government, whether slavery was thereby rccog
missed or not, hold she would then have been entitled
legally, rightfuy entitled-to admission OF the
States Of the Union Thus presenting herself the con-
sttuion would entitle her % admission and recognise
other higher authority TO admit or to exclude her
than the supreme law given by this instrument Cali
ornia however, is not in this attitude and yet would,
for peace and as concession, admit her. But in doing
SO would ask some guarantees that the like wrong
should not be repeated in the OF the other Territories
We have had aggressons enough. Let the past be en-
dured but prudence demands should provide for the
future. Give then, something in regard to New Mex
leo and Utah. Do these bills, in this second division
OF the scheme OF settlement, yield anything to the
South, as an equivalent Tor the concession as TO CAL
iiornia Remember pray you, that this is called
a Compromise, which means mutual concessions be-
tween parties differing in regard TO their respective
rights First, the South, OF these partes makes
her concesslon--broad, comprehensive, and opera
ltive---immedlaely operative--in California She
yields all. What does she get return! New Mex
leo and Utah have territorial governments instituted
for them, and Congress does not nterdct slavery within
their limits, aud provides that the territorial Legislature
shall neither exclude authorize slavery in these Ter
riiores And this is the mighty boonthis the abstrac-
fho afufo
made in favor OF the admission OF California; Does
Congress give that they will never nterdic
slavery in the Territories No. mo- and % morrow o.
in next January this may be done Slavery for all time
forbidden in California by her constitution but its pro-
hbtion is only suspended in the Territories. The North
renounces nothing; the South surrenders al now and
forever The Compromise yields TO all that IL asked
permanently and endurngy to the other promises nc
aeon lor the present IA, is called an equal just con
manner in which write. do SO because feel deeply
The purchase OF partition Of Texas is the next in the
series. and makes the third OF the proposals for settle
ment-
Here again, all is conceded by the South Texas wher
annexed came in slaveholding State. So long al
she may will to be undivided every foot Of her territory
may be occupied and inhabited by shareholders, with
their slave property The resolution OF annexation con-
templates that Texas may not elect 70 remain one State
and provides that she may be divided into other States
when she shall have acquired sufficient popy on1 jus
iify the measure and should apply for dNIsonof he
territory In that contingency slavery was TO be inter
dcfed those States formed out oil territory lying norm
of 80 deg 30 min, and might might not exist in the
States formed out OF the territory south OF this line, a:
The people OF those States might determine. This reso
luton comedies them that Texas possessed territory north
OF SO deg 30 mn for make provision for the future
in reference to such territory. What western boundary
can you give Texas that will reach far north as 81
deg 30 min bul the boundary OF the Rio Grandei The
Nueces, which the only other boundary insisted on
will not, for the headwaers OF that south oil
SO deg 80 min by least Ave degrees See the map
companying the report OF the Commissioned OF the Genera
Land Office. and submitted by Richard M. Young ia
December 1s4S) The authors OF the resolution OF an
nexaton evidently designed 10 embrace within the eg
mate and determined boundaries Of Texas all the conn
make this latter stream the western boundary, running
far the north at least 80 deg. 30 min Tor else
this be not those who annexed Texas have committed
the absurdy OF making provision for the future govern
ment OF that which is not embraced within the limits o
the territory annexed Texas, then. when annexed came
in with a boundary, and embraced territory from the
Gull OF Mexico and bounded the west BY the Rc
Gande, running up that river to and above 80 deg %
min north latitude What new limits are now given he
by the bill before the Senate The Particular provision
in question fixes the boundary ontbe Rio Grande
the river twenty miles, measured by straight line there
on and thence eastwardy to point where the tooth de-
gree oil west Longitude, counting from Greenwich, crosses
the Red river Look at the map, and will be seen tha
this new northern line OF Texas leaves the Ro Grande al
the SD degree and strikes the Red river at the saith de-
gree OF north latiude-ihus surrenderng the Rio
Grande all the Texan territory between the 32d deg and
the Seth deg 30 mn and the Red river all north OF the
oath deg and south the Beth deg 30 min In other words
the bill comedies hundred aud seventy miles on The
Rio Gande and hundred and fifty miles on the east
-. L. - o.. - .InN f