The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-02-27

form OF The Constitution or The Uniied
States. that oNjeei could be accomplished.
II sss, In other words. an exact. ar near
ly exact. transcript Of The provisions made
in The iresIies By whirh We acquired
Louisiana and Florida. There has care.
ly been an instance. I imagine. ~here
there was any difference n III. in which
The Senate was 50 nearly nnanimous as
agsinsl adopting any such provision. Az
low me. in order that The matter may be
understood. 10 call attention TO The subsii>
iule adopted by The Senate.
The words ef The original article. 50 Gar
as relates 10 this matter. are these:
@The Mesieans who. in the Territories Store
ssid, shal not preserve the ehsrsrier Of eisi,rns
OF the Mexicsn republic. coniornsbly with what
10 stipulated In the preceding sricle. shall be
incorporated into The Union Of the United States,
and admitted. a. soos a. possible, according 10
the principles effhe federal coasfifufioa 10 the
Enjoyment Of all The rights Of The citizens VI the
United States"
The amendment made by The Sensir is
in these words:
aWho. In the Territories aforesaid, shall not
preserve the character Of citizens Of the Merican
republic, conformsbly with what is stipuIaird In
The preceding article. shall he incorporated into
the Union Of the United States, aud be admitted,
al he prepr fine. Ito be judged Of by the Con.
grcss Of ihe uniied Slsies.) 10 the enjoy ment Of
the rights Of eitizcns OF the United States, ac-
cording 10 the principles Of the constitution
Now. what was The meaning Of this
amendment ! am very well aware that
a certain document. which excited some
attention here, called The Protocol. inform
ei some Mexican funciionaries that. in
truth, The Senate ofihe United Sta es meant
nothing by il; that they had some pariicu-
lar choice Of phmseoloey, some preference
for their own mode ofexpression; bui as lc
the notion that they intended 10 make any
essential alteration in the article, that was
slI mistake; ihai. so Ear as that was con.
eerned, they were not in earnest; and that
the words inserted by the Senate are TO have
the same meaning as those words that had
been stricken oui Of The original article.
Mr.. FoorE. I wonld remind the Sena-
Tor that no such words were used by The
commissioners; and he surely would not
reflect upon lhem-one Of them 10 dead,
the other absent.
Mr.. BADGER. am aware that no such
expressions were used by them. | am mol
stating or undertaking 10 state wha, they
said, but the inevitable result Of what was
said. However. meant not to cast any
reflection upon either Of The gentlemen
none al all; merely wanted 10 state what
would be the result Of holding the two
provisions identical In meaning. But, in.
dependenily Of that, the alteration was a
real and substantial one. and was so un.
derslood by the Senate. The idea that
the people of ihese Territories should be
admitted into the Union with all the ra.
pidiy consistent with constitutional forms,
was shocking TO The minds of Senators.
II was so stated on this floor; and while
the Senate was willing that at some future
time such admission might take plare,
there was decided repugnance TO tying
up The unfeliercd judgment and discretion
Of Congress.
| have said that this amendment was
made with remarkable unanimiiy. When
the vote was taken, there were 40 Sena-
tors present. and the amendment received
vote OF "A out of the 40; and, sir. was
one Of those who voted against even this
amendment; for |, as the honorable Scna-
tor from Mississippi (Mr. Fooie) remem-
bers well, and other gentlemen here, was
opposed TO any slipulaiions which might
be presumed to imply even an imperfect
obligation 10 admit at any time. do MT
know how the four gentlemen were in.
huenced who voted upon this question
with me. The real sense Of the Senate
then was as TO against immediate sd.
mission. The four gentlemen who voted
with me were Messrs. Baldwin, Corwin.
Hale, and Webster. Now, what are we
10 understand as the fair Interpretation Of
this amended arlirle! There is no pro-
vision iha, these Territories shall be ad.
milled so soon as the form of the consiilu.
lion will permit, or when they shall at
tain certain population. There is moth
ing resembling the provision contained in
the cession of Northwestern Territory BY
Virginia to the United States, or IN the
treaties by which we acquired Florida and
I.ouisiana--nolhing at all. They are 10
be admitted at proper iime--to be judy.
ed of by whom! By the Congress of the
United Stales. Now, sir. i, seems 10 me.
the force and effect, the pnrport and de-
sign Of that is. that Congress was first to
move in this business; that there should
be some material change or condition Of
in the future, TO be first
Judged Of by Congress, previous TO move.
ment for admission. know that, il we
admi, this State into The Union now, Con-
gress will have Judged Of the proprieiy Of
il. No doubt about that. But that article
contemplated, think. more than ,his-a
prior. not a subsequent approval. that we
II f-it .f