The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-18
A Boston Notion.

The North American ReUiear, journal pro-
Tossing the broadcast Nationality, but practically
provincial in the narrowest sense of that term
has devoted leading article to the California
and Territorial question, approvingly mentioned
and quoted from by the Washington Union, a
short time since. In that article the pregnant
admission is made that the abandonment of the
Wilmot Proviso by name, is the best and surest
mode Of securing its practical operation on the
Territories, and the case is thus strongly put.
Under these circumstances, what are the op-
ponents of the introduction of slavery to do?-
If they insist upon prohibiting it by law, it is
morally certain that Congress will adjourn with
out accomplishing any thing, without admitting
California into the Union, without establishing
any government for the territories, without abol-
ishing the slave trade in the District of Colum-
bia, and, very likely, even without passing the
annual appropriation bills which are necessary
for the continued existence of our own govern
ment. No reasonable person, who has watched
the proceedings of Congress during the present
session, can deny that this result, or want of
result, is inevitable.
Suppose then, that we are willing to encounter
this danger, and to make the sacrifice however
great, which will result from the breaking up of
the national legislature without the enactment
Of any law, except the four already passed Do
we thereby secure our main object, and gain the
prize that we have been cOntending fors By no
means. lnaction Is just aoiat the South demands.
The North asks for legislation upon the subject;
it asks that California may be admitted into the
Union, with its present constitution, that forbds
the existence of slavery. The South wishes to
postpone or prevent measure which will simply
add two votes, both in the Senate and House, to
the party Of the Free States.
X
It is hard to imagine stronger case than is
here presented against the continued agitation
of the subject of the Wilmot Proviso, considered
in reference only to the new territory recently
ceded to us by Mexico. Ithas been shown that
there is no moral obligation whatever to press
the subject; that slavery was abolished through
out the whole region thirteen years ago. ard has
never been revived there that the elements
themselves fight against it, the laws of nature
being unalterably opposed to its introduction;
that the country has been entirely open to slave
holders for the last two years, and not one of
them has chosen to transport his slaves thither;
that the inhabitants, a majority Of whom came
from slave regions, as soon as they began to leg
islate for themselves, voluntarily and unani-
mously decreed that it should be for ever excu-
ded; and lastly, that the more the proviso is
pressed in Congress, the more certain it is that
nothing will be done, and that the South will
obtain all it wants-freedom from any legislation
on the subject"
On these grounds this g National" print sus-
tains the course of Mr.. Webster, because
of its giving the North the prize il has been con-
teudj1o for THAT 10 tho cola ,,e,Sa.; q