The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-23
CITY OF WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 2s 1850

ned the precedents in all the in which new States
have been admitted into the Union, from Vermont 70
Wisconsin will not go over them IN detail and point
out the pecuartes in each case That duty has been
we'll performed by The senator from Maine, in his speech
few days ago Those precedents show that there is
established rule upon the subject each case stands upon
its own peculiar state OF facts.
There are several cases in which there have been no
previous assent OF Congress, no census taken, no quail
caions for voters prescrbed and in short where they
were situated precisely as California now s There Is
no rule therefore, and consequently be rregular
~ think, however, that the practice, which has gene
rally obtained recently OF prescribing all these things BY
law wise bne and should be adhered to in all cases
where il can be done without too great Inconvenience
My bill OF last session confomed to this practice, and
was designed to settle the slavery and Texas boundary
10 have been satisfactory 10 all portions Of the Union
II was useless TO attempt to conceal the fact that the
slavery question was the disturbing element which
Tsmi,oriss 81 of law and government % Tie North de-
sired that the whole country should remain forever
free, and, above all, that slavery should not be ex-
free Tie South I naturally desired that The country
should be open 10 their peculiar Institutions but without
any well founded expectation that slavery would ever 20
there The South said however that while such were
her wishes in this respect she did insist any egs
alion in its favor that she only insisted upon the point
Of honor that she should not be excluded by an act OF
Congress; that she would cheerfuy submit TO be ex-
eluded BY the natural course Of eventsby the law Of
ture, OF climate, and OF productonor by the deci-
sion Of the people. nhabiting the country. But she
cular institutions from the Territories Of the United
States, when the people Of those Territories were not
represented herethat it violation Of the spirit of
the constitution and OF the principles OF our in
stituons. This was the point of honor presented by
the South II is unnecessary here to inquire how far
il was well founded My own opinions upon that point
have been already sufficiently expressed Il is apparent
that her demands at that time only extended to the
establishment Of principle, and not to the accomplish
ment OF any practical result favorable to her own wishes
equally clear that the North could have refraned from
any legislation upon the conoyerted point without the
slightest hazard that slavery would ever be extended TO
controversy when brought in my bill last session 10
authorize the people Of California to form const-
tuition and come into the Union State. II should
be borne in mind that my first proposition was to
bring the whole OF the country acquired IRON Mexico
into the Union as one, reserving the right to subd
vide all that portion Of It east oil the Sierra Nevada
determine l frankly avowed my opinions at that
time, that under this bill the whole country would
come in as free State. and that each OF Its parts
free, however, not by virtue OF act Of Congressor
do not think that Congress ever made any country
freebut BY the decision OF the people nhabitng the
faith that kind Of freedom which depends upon the
braTy enacments OF power not elected BY nor respon-
sible to the people governed have no confidence IN
your unaerabe provisions in favor OF freedom, to be
fastened upon people in opposition TO their wishes and
against their supposed interests Slavery can never be
exermnaied, liberty can never be established and per-
must first find abiding place in the hearts OF the peo-
pie, and show itself in all their works Wnen whole
people will come together and unite IN the establish
Of free institutions for themselves, there is
TO hope that their children will maintain and preserve
the liberties bequeahed to them by their fathers. These
were the principles ayowed by me when urging that
bill upon the Senate last session, and when venlured
the prediction that slavery would be forever excluded
under it, called upon the North to support IL, because
under ii would secure all that could desre-the
exclusion oil slavery from the whole country BY cons
utona provision also called upon the South TO give
it her support upon the ground that while the country
destined TO be free at all events and under whatever
measure that might pass this free from the obec
tons used against Others because secured TO them the
point OF honor then thought and still hold, that when
there two modes OF accomplishing the same result no
matter how desirable, and the is obnoxious and oen
sive to large portion OF the community, while the other
is not, any right minded man-any man who has heart
to respect the feeling OF his neghbor and patriotism
enough desire the peace and harmony of his countrys
bound to adopt that mode which is least objectionable
and would impar the slightest wound For these reasons
thought that the duty OF every who desired
this agitation cease apd to restore peace and quiet
to the country at the same time that il furnished govern
ments to The Territories to pass some such bill rs the one
proposed.
il unfortunate; but in this may be mistaken. The
jory decided against me, and bowed in Difference TO
taeir decision refer TO it not by way oil boastng
OF my own superior sagacy, nor for the purpose OF ar
ragnng the conduct OF Others but with the sole view Of
placing myself right here and elsewhere this question.
For me there seemed 10 reasonable prospect that
the Dill would receive the support Oh Do SECTIONS OF tne
Union, and become law by common consent But at
length the southern section began 10 make dem
against it, upon the ground that, inasmuch as
il would bring free State into the Union al and
be divided into several others OF the same chaac-
ter, il would destroy the equilibrium and give the pre-
ponderance OF power TO the free over The slavehodlng
States in this Union, now and forever On the other
hand The extreme wing OF northern free sollismthose
who TO lead the advance guard of the great north
ern wing against the extension OF sayeryofessed to
have discovered just about that time, that II the people
OF California allowed decide the question iof
themselves slavery would be extended over the whole
Of the country acquired from Mexico and that this man.
moth State OF California would eventually be sub
divided into half dozen slave States. This view OF the
ure while about the same proportion OF the other sec
ton opposed il for decidedly the opposite views. Thus
the bill was defeated by union between those two ex-
tremes whose movements and schemes have always
been so peous The harmony and safety oil the Union
Yes sir, the extremes met upon common ground--har-
monized and raiernzed upon this question 1hey were
coaborers in the work, with common object Inc
defeat of the State bill. and then Justified iher conduct
TO their respective constituencies by assigning opposite
and contradictory reasons They defeated the measure
prevented adJustmentdeprved the people Oh the Ter
rories OF governmenskepi the question open-conun-
ued the agitation and produced the present excitement
these OF the results o their joint laboIs We'll
short year has elapsed and the people OF Caorna
have settled the slavery question Tor themselves Weai
dicons have been verified, and whose have been fals
fed Time very short time, has settled this disputed
point 1t s no longer matter of conjecture or con,
what would have been the result under the Dill
OF the last session, had II become law. Slavery IS
now prohibited by provision in the constitution OF the
State o California covering less Than one third OF he
territory acquired from Mexico, and we told II
tha linn