The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-09
Washington, Tuesday, July 8, 1850.

W iuuuCe uein 10 90 so, was the fear tnat DINER
wise northern majority would not admit the
state INTO the Union. So that revolution there,
with agitation and threats here will have effectu-
ally excluded us from country acquired by the
common blood and treasure, and peculiarly adapt
ed at present to our institutions. Mr.. CLAY says
very truly, IN his repot introducing his compro-
mise California, Of all our recent territorial ac-
QUESTIONS from Mexico, was that in which, if any
where within them, the introduction of slavery
was most likely to take place" And will add
the opinion, derived from information considered
good, that even now, if all improper restraints
and influences were withdrawn, the introduction
Of slavery there would take place forbear to
draw any picture Of the effect Of such introduce
ton upon the condition of the South II is clear
that II would be highly beneficial. ''.'
NOW, SIR, IT is needless for me to argue thatthis
territory, being the property of the people of the
united states, 1t was for their Representatives to
determine when, and by whom, and over how
much OF that territory new authority should be
established. II wns for Congress TO say when a
State constitution should be formed In California,
who should be the voters, and what should be the
bounds OF the new State. .,,.
uentiemen tank great deal about the right OF
the people there to govern themselves. Did they
not go there, most of them, to occupy deliberate
~ territory which they knew belonged to all the
people OF the United States? But unless defined
py law, VINO shall say who are the people that
should govern themselves Shall women be in
cluded or boys, or, foreigners, or idiots, or the
insane! II these classes are to be excluded, who
excludes them unless the competent law-mating
power! Did the first hundred who went there
constitute people who could exercise sovereignty
over the whole territory? As applicable to this
subject, beg leave to quote passage from
speech delivered by the Hon. Daniel Webster, in
ls4S, IN the Supreme Court of the United States,
on the Rhode Island case. He said: .... .
- nOh hat ~ erot
together and count themselves and say we are so
many hundreds, and SO many thousands, and
judge Of their own qualifications, and call them
selves the people, and set up government"
3" What is this but anarchyi" 49, .."..t... .....
Well, sir, neither the President of the United
States nor General Riley had authority to take
the place of the law-making power. II does not
in the slightest degree tend to reconcile me to
this revolutionary movement, that it has been
approved and was encouraged by the President
Of the United States. If he whose duty it was,
to the extent Of his authority, to maintain the
rights of the United States, has encouraged their
invasion-if, when Congress, the proper author
ity, had refused to the people of California the
right to take the sovereignty over that territory,
he encourages them to do soft at a time when
every man Of reflection in the country might
have known, and at least one member of his Cab
met believed, that the verdict would be against
the South, he encourages measure by which
the verdict must of necessity be rendered-then,
sir, these considerations tend rather to increase
than diminish my objections to sanctioning this
movement.
Omitting now the question Of the power Of
Congress to admit State with two represe nta-
tives, without an enumeration of her inhabitants.
to prove that she is constitutionay entitled TO
them, think have shown strong grounds of
deed, fear if we sanction all this irregularitv
and usurpation, Congress may surrender all au.
thority over any territory hereafter. 1t would
certainly, therefore, require some strong eauiva-
lent to make me willing 10 sanction it,.and il is
needless for me to say that such equivalent is not
given in a series of measures to each of which in
itself should be opposed This is my estimate
of this compromise, and upon it must act.
shall not complain if other gentlemen view it diff
ferently. Some for whom / have high respect
seem to do so. They must act upon their own
views of propriety. But if thew seek, by the
power of pertinacity or by the weight Of author
ity, to compel us to act upon their convictions
instead of our own, l tell them for myself, once
for all, their labor is in vain. Gentlemen NAV
60 on. They may roll upon our ears the thun-
ders Of the press; they may flash before our eyes
the fictitious lightning of made-up public opin-
ion; they may pile up their letters mountain high:
they may heap Peion upon Ossa, and Ossa UPON
Olympus, until they scale the heavcns-my course
is clear. Anchored upon a conscientious conyic-
ton OF DUTY, no storm will shake me. and no
perils move There is one voice that shall ever
respect. When voice shall come from nv con.
stituents, and come think it never will, reoui.
ring my support for such measure. il will then
be time enough for me to decide whether / shall
obey, or seek in retirement and in the walks or
private life that self.respect which could neyef
hope to retain if yielded my honest convictions
of duty to any stress or weight of influence
whatsoever. have spoken Of this compromise
as it is; how it may be altered, Of course I know
not, and consequently cannot say what effect
those alterations may have upon my judgment.
To gain my support for the measure, they must
be neither unmpartial nor trivial. ! am willing
to vote for any fair compromise, but am not
commissioned to make surrender. l am sin
cerely desirous, if possible, to see the question
settled but it is too much to ask that the South
should be sacrificed by her own votes. When
you ask that, say at once, 81 don't go for il. -
think have shown that every plan now under
consideration for settling the question of slavery
in our newly acquired territories is based upon
the idea that the South is to get nothing, and the
North everything. "5 .. g.. =,
Now, Mr.. Chairman, if you ask whether there
has been aggression, refer you to the general
understanding. Of the country few years ago.
Was il not universally understood that the line of
JOY 3o' was TO be the line OF adjustment and
evsloh on TINS son)ec. between the free and slave
oates, until very Few years agof i ask the