Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-05-31
CALIFORNIA QUESTION.
SPEECH OF MR.. MEACHAM
y u 10 u . " 7
In TIE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

In Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union, on Mr.. McCLERNAND's Bill relating
to California.
Mr.. MEACIIAM said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN. The bill before US proposes
to admit California, to erect Territorial govern.
ments for Utah and New Mexico, and, by the
purchase of the claims of Texas, to settle the
boundaries between that State and New Mex
leo. propose 10 discuss that bill. 1t is a
practical subject. Whoever consents 10 take
part IN the present discussion, and soorns to re-.
peat the arguments OF others, must be content
with the critics reputation, of having been at
feast of learning and stolen the scraps.
1t is surprising TO see the efforts on the other
side Of the House to make political capital out
of the pending controversy. The gentleman
who has jus t closed Mr. SAVAGE is the most
Jealous of tile number. They seize the floor,
and rush forward as if to announce new dis
covery. With all the earne stness of the philo-
sopher rushing from the bath, they cry Eu-
reka . Eureka ~ haze toand il! Ihare found
a. Found what, sir ? Why have found, that
in the last presidential canvass Ike friehds Of
General Taylor used different motives in dif-
ferent sections of the Union, to aid his election.
If granted, is there anything new in that Has
not the same been true in every election since
true of the friends of Adams and Clay, Craw-
ford and Jackson, and the successor Of Jack
son? Take any subject that had been pro-
mlnent before the country, turn it any side up,
or either end up-turn it inside out or outside
in, and on ever face, you would find either a
vote or speech of Mr.. Van Buren. Sectional
motives were piled in the election of Gen. IIar-
risen. The friends of MIR. Polk had more than
.wo-they had Texas, the tariff, and the North
western boundary. They had motive for the
torr.l, the temperate, and the frigid zone up to
54 ? 40. We can come nearer home to those
who are wagng this war for political gain. Go
up to the gallery of the Patent Office, and in
case hard by the camp-chest of Washington,
you W.l see : form having two heads-one
looking north and the other south. | will not
vouch for the chronology which assert, that it
came into life on the night of the last Baltimor
Convention showing that nature, even in her
lowest works, sympathized with the sublime
production OF the day, that came forth upon the
stage with ore life written for the face that
looked northward, and another tor the face that
looked southwark. do not bring forward lhesc
things as charges against the distinguished
men to whom they refer. Such motives may
be used by the friends Of candidate without
any Just accusation of duplicity against the
candidate himself, But do bring them for a
purpose they serve, to show the gentleman,
that if he courts contest of this Kind the.J !
may be blows to take, as well as i?el Us blows
TO give.
These things are not to my purpose or my
taste. ] have regretted to see men showerng
down upon this House the relics Of old partisan
sectional stump speeches, only that they might
trcke back to the great ocean, and be taken
up and poured out on some after Congress in Il
more furious deluge. 1t is for our shame that
we have wasted So much time in squabbling
over party politics and hurling provoking sec
tonal taunts, while the sublnest spectacle in
the history Of the world is passing before us.
This discussion has often recalled descrip-
tion given by Livy Of q Roman battlefield,
whore the combatants shrouded in temporary
mist, were SO Aotly engaged III the contest. that
they needed not violent earthquake which was
shaking their cities, Changing the course OF
their rivers, ana upheaving the foundation Of
,e mountains. The Spaniard was OIL .he chores
of the Pacific an hundred years before Smth
landed at jamestown, or the Pilgrim trod the
Rock of Plymouth. Since that time, tue Saxon
race has crossed and conquered continent
They have reached the shore, and in three years
done more for mankind than the Spanards had
done in three Centuries, They have not, like
Cortea and Pizarro seized the golIen stores,
and fled from the country, leaving Ito marks OF
their dcsolation in smoudcring villages and Il
slaughtered people. They have settled down
in that country as their home. They have
shown their purpose an! their wisdom, IN ira
ming and adopting, as their own, one of the
MODEST State constitutions ever formed by hu~
man hands. With that constitution. tntJ appear
before us, and ask for admission. Relying on
the practice Of this Government, on the plignteJ
faith of treaty, and on promises made before
the conquest, they demand place in this Union.
Why are they no. admitted? Their proceed
ings are charged as irregular; Congress has
given them no power TO form a Stale Govern
ment-they have had no census. Grant it 3;
but il is shown that they are in the lire OF safe
precedents, by acting as a majority Of the sew
enteen new States have acted. 1t was proved,
beyond controversy, in the Senate yesterday, by
Mr.. CLAY, that they have population emitting
them to two Representatives. 1t is charged
that foreigners voted in their elections. Grant
that, too. low was it 10 Michigan? For
eigners were marched to the ballo,-bJx, in lndi-
an file, and deposited votes which they could
not write, or read, or understand, when spoken.
The convention, that gave assent to the condi-
tions OF admission, was not called by legal au-
thority, but by the chairman Of Democratic
State Committee. Not one-thrd of the people
Of that State ever assented 10 the terms of ad
mission. had prepared myself to discuss the
whole question, but others more fortunate in
gaining the floor, have brought out the ain
facts. | do not propose to repeat them. have
no disposition to turn over the old Kaleidoscope
to get new reflection from the same bits oi
broken glass. consider the objections as re-
ally given up. The gentleman'from Georgia,
across the way, Mr.. WELLBoRN, whose spirit
we all admired, and wish all light have im-
itated, proposed 10 admit California with her
present constitution, restricting her southern
boundary to 36 800 north latitude. Was there
any more irregularity in the wan, Of congress
sional action, or in want of census, or in votes
of foreign population south of that line, than
there was north Of it If not, thee that offer
surrenders the whole question, Oh The ground
of ofirregularity. Almost every southern speaker
has consented TO give up bis objections, provi-
ded territorial governments are given to Utah
and New Mexico without the proviso. Wnal
does that prove? One of two things most Ger
tanly either that there is 10 real objection, or
else, that it stands on such slippery morality
that it can be moved for fair price. Every
one can have his choice in the horns of that
bilampna