The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-06-21

and degraded from an equality with her sister
States. 1t is enough that the outrage is
done. The mode is of little consequence. There
is therefore in the mode of extending the Will
mot Proviso over the territory of California pre-.
sented by the bill nothing to mitigate the indig.
nation of the Southern States, or to battle their
determination to redress the wrong if inflicted.
They are excluded from the whole Territory of
California, Territory extensive enough to con-
tain four large States.
If the Constitution proposed by California
contained nothing about slavery, would the
North allow her to enter into the Union! Such
were the territorial bills proposed for Califor-
mia at the last Congress, but they elected them
because the South was not excluded from this
territory in express terms. The inhabitants of
this territory have been left without any civil gov
ernment, solely because the South would not
consent to be legislated out of them with her
institutions; and now that this object is accom-
plished by the Constitution presented by Cali
fornia. these Observation-Disclosures advocates of
law and order are eager to admit her, with
out right or precedent into the Union. We are
aware ofthe inconveniences the inhabitants of
California may have suffered for want of civ
il government established by Congress, and
therefore are prepared to yield much on account
of the circumstances in which they have been
placed :,
The next measure is in perfect keeping with
this first feature of" the report" 1t takes from
Texas territory sufficient for two large States,
and adds them to New Mexico. What the bill
contains with respect to slavery will be Of lit
tie consequence; for it is designed that new
Mexico, thus constituted, shall follow the ex-
ample of California and be admitted as State
with Constitution excluding slavery from its
limits-for without such exclusion she cannot
hope to be admitted into the Union. The ef-
feet will be that territory, over which slavery
now exists, equal to two States, will be wres-
ted from the South, and will be given up to the
on.saveholding States. The pretext is, there
is some doubt as to the boundaries of Texas.
Texas, by her laws, when she was admitted in.
to the Union, had but one boundary towards
the West, and that boundary was the Rio
Grande. Congress, in the resolutions admit
ting her into the Union, recognised this boun.
dairy by laying down line Of limitation be.
tween the slaveholding States-( being the Mis-
souri, Compromise line of SO deg. 80 min. par.
allel of north latitude through that very part
of her territory her right to which is now ques.
toned. Her boundary of the Rio Grande to
its source alone gave her this country; and
was thus recognised and ratified by the resolu-
tons of annexation. To vindicate this boun-
Diary for Texas, as a member ofthe Union,
the Mexican war took place; and in the treaty
of Guadaloupe Hidalgo 1t was finally vindica-
ted and settled, bya clause in the treaty designa
ting the Rio Grande as the boundary between
Mexico and the United States. Thus, by the
laws of Texas, by the legislation of Congress,
and by solemn treaty of the United States,
the Rio Grande is the western boundary Of
Texas Yet the pretension is set up that her
territory does not extend to within three hun.
dred miles of the Missouri Compromise line,
where Congress, III receiving her into the Union,
determined thather territory should be divided be-
tween the slaveholdiug and n.slaveholding
states Tcxasis the only State in the Union which
Of the United States in every possible form to
her boundaries. Yet this is the Government
which disputes them; and, under the pretext
that they are very doubtful, proposes to take
from her nearly one.half of her territory
1t is by virtue ofsuch pretensinns, that by the
bill two States are to be taken from the South.
ern and given to the Northern States; and this
wrong is aggravated by compelling US to pay it
through the Treasury of the United States.
1t is undoubtedly proper that Texas should
be quiet as to her boundaries; but she should
be quieted by a law of Congress, plainly ac-
knowledging them. If, after her boundaries
are settled, the General Government, to carry
out the purposes of the constitution, or in good
faith to fulfil all the obligations the annexation
of Texas to the Union requires, should think
proper to purchase any territory from Texas,
the arrangement may be unobjectionbble. But
any arrangement concerning her territories,
which leaves shade of doubt as to the right of
the people of the South to enter any portion of
the territory, which, according to the terms of
annexation, are now free to them, neither Tex
as nor the General Government have any right
to make. The terms of annexation constitute
the compact of union between Texas and the
other States of the confederacy-and this CON-
pact secures irrevocably to the people Of the
slaveholding States the right of entering with
their property all her territory lying south of SO
deg. so min. north latilude-wsilst-from all her
territory lying north of that limo they are ex-
cluded The bill in the Senate makes no pro.
vision for carrying out these terms Of the COM
pact, but leaves in doubt the right of the South