Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-08-31
The Southern Protest,

We, the undersigned Senators, deeply
impressed with the importance of the occa-
sion, nui with solemn sense of the respon-
siblllty fnder which we are acting, respect
fully s,iimit the following protest against the
bill adinii,lng California us a State into this
Union, fpd request that it may be entered
upon ths journal of the Senate. We feet
that it n not enough to have resisted in de-
bate alone, bill so ifaught with mischief 10
the Unhh and the States which we repre-
sent, Wall all the resources of argument
which We possessed, but that it is also due to
ourselves, the people whose interests have
been eunusted TO our care, and TO posterity,
which oven in its most distant generations
may fed its consequences to leave in what
ever form may be most solemn aud enduring,
meuoFal of the opposition which we
have made TO this measure, and of the rea-
sons by which we have been governed, up
OH the pages of Journal, which the Consti-
tuition iequires TO he kept so long as the
Senate Dhy have nn existence, we desire to
place the reasons upon which we are will
ling to be judged by generations living aud
yet TO conIe, for our opposition TO bill
whose Consequences may be so durable and
porcntoas as to make it an object of deep
interest,o all who may come after us.
We live dssented from this bill because
il gives The sanction of law, and thus imparts
validity 30 the Unauthorized action of por-
ton of the inhabitants of California, by
which an odicus discrimination is made
against de properly of the fifteen slavehod-
ing States of the Union, who are thus de-
prived Of that position of equality which the
Constitution SO manifestly designs, and
which constitutes the only sure and staple
toundation on which this Union can repose.
Because the rights of the slnveholdiDg
States td,a common and equal enjoyment of
the territory Of the Union has been defeated,
by n sysiem of measures, which without the
authority of precedent of law or OF the
Cous;isiion We're maniiestly contrived for
mat PtlrI5ose, aud which Congress must
sanction and adopt, should this bill become
law. In sanctioning this system of meas
ures, this Government will admit that the in
hahitauis of its territories, whether perma-
nent or transient, whether lawfully or un-
lawfully occupying the same-may form
State without the previous authority of law,
without even the partial security of terri
torial organization formed by Congress,
without amy legal census or other efficient
evidence OF their possessing the number of
citizens necessary TO authorize the represen-
tntion which they may claim, and without
any of those safeguards about the ballot box
which can only be provided by law, and
which are necessary to ascertain the true
sense of people. 1t will admit too that
Congress having refused 10 provide Gov
ernment except upon the condition of eX-
cludlng slavery by law, the Executive branch
OF this Government may at its own discre-
tion invite such inhabitants TO meet in con-
vcnlion under such rules as it or its agent
may prescribe, and TO form constitution
affecting not only their own rights but those
also of fifteen States of the coniedcracy, by
including territory with the purpose OF eX-
cluding those States, from enjoyment, and
without regard TO the natural fitness OF boun-
Diary or my of the considerations which pro-
perly determine the limits of State. II
will also admit that the convention thus
called into existence by the Executive may
be paid by him, out of the funds of the
United States, without the sanction of Con-
gress, III violation not only of the plain pro-
visions of the Constitution, but of those
principles Of Obvious propriety which would
forbid any act calculated TO make that con-
yention descendant upon il; and last but not
leHsi, IN the series of measures which this
Government must adopt and sanction in
passing this bill is the release of the authori-
~ Of the United States by the Executive
alone 10 u Government thus formed, and not
presenting even sufficient crodence of its
having the assent of majority of the people
for whom il was designed. With a view of
all these considerations the Undersigned are
constrained 10 believe that this Government
could never he brought TO admit State pre-
senting itself under such circumstances il il
were not for the purpose of excluding the
people of the saveholding States from all
opportunity Of settling with their property
in that territory.
Because to vote for bill passed under
such circumstances would be TO agree to q
principle which may exclude forever hereaf-
ter, as il does now, the States which we rep
resent, from all enjoyment of the common
territory of the Union; principle which de-
siroys the equal rights Of their constituents
tho equality of their States in the c0nedcra-
cy, the equal dignity of those whom they
represent as men aud citizens ia the eye OF
the law, and their equal title 10 the protec-
ton of the Government aud the ConsttIl-
| ton.
because all the propositions have been re-
jected which have been made TO attain eth
er recognition of the rights of the slave
holding States TO a common enjoyment OF all
the territory of the United States, or 10 a
fair division of that territory, between the
slavoholding and non-slaveLolding States OF
the Union. Every effort having failed which
has been made 10 obtain fair division ol
| the Territory nronosad in he brolInht in IA