Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-06-22

guing or afordng ground of argument, against hui
man laws TO enforce the moral laws Of the Deity.
i Such persons knew my meaning very well. They
chose to pervert and ,misrepresent it. That is all
In classical times there set of small but rapa-
cious critics. denomnated captatores rerboruni, who
snatched and caught at particular expressions; expend
ed their strength the disectd membrd of language;
birds of rapne which preyed words and syllabes,
and gorged themselves with feeding on the garbage
of phrases chopped disocaed, and torn asunder, by
themselves, as flesh and limbs are, by the claws Of
unclean birds. Such critics are rarely more dis
tnguished for ability in discussion than for that man
w. moral feeling which disdans to state an adverse
rys argument otherwise than fairly and truly, and
| he meant to be understood
! II has been thought remarkable that an intelligent
field officer in the American Army in writing pri-
vate letter to a friend here, dated at Santa Fe the
capital of New Mexico, days before my speech was
delivered, that is, on the 9th OF March, should have
used this language:
We have papers later than the Presidents message
fancy Congress debating about slavery in New Mexico,
where sarsry is prohibited 6y stronger than all human
iapShe LaW of climate and production, and nteret.
Not more than hundedh part of New Mexico could
be cultaed if water plenty such is the SOIL
topography and rock of this land But in the of
without large bodies Of water the rocky surface
sending what little water falls upon rapidly down the
ocean, under atmosphere thirsty, into which evapo
ration is maveousy rapid not than one part in
| hundred and fifty can ever be improved
And now gentlemen, have one other consdera-
ton to bring your minds and that is that the sla
very of the African race does not exist in New Mex
leo; that it is altogether abolished; that there is not
a single African slave to be found among any of its
mountains, in any part of its vast plains And the
people of Mexico to man, are opposed to slavery /;
their state OF society rejects it, their of cheaper
labor rejects it the opinions the sentiments and feel
ings of the people, all reject it. warmly and dec
| dedly, as it is rejected by the people of Maine.
And IT appears to me just about as probable that
African slavery will be introduced into New Mexico
and there established, as it is that the same slavery
will be established on Mars HILL or the side Of the
White Mountains.
Among the maxims left us by Lord Bacon, one is
that when sedtions dseontents arise the part of
wisdom is, to remove by all means possible the causes
The surest way to prevent dscontents, if the times
will bear it, is to take away the matter OF them for
if there be fuel prepared II is hard to tell whence the
spark shall come that shall set it fire. So counsels
Lord Bacon; but with US, there other advisers.
Although the dispute be obviously altogether unim-
portant, and although the times will well bear the
taking away Of the matter Of it, their patriotic ardor
still admonishes continue the contestto ightit
out if the oyster be gone still to make fierce battle
for the SHE'LL nor give up the warfare till obtain
joyful victory or shall nobly fall
Gentlemen, | will conclude this letter by short
| reference to other topic. A good deal OF COM
plant has been manifested, as you know on account
of the opinions expressed in my speech respecting
Texas and the legal construction and effect of the
resolutions by which she became annexed to the Uni
ted States. Surprise and astonishment, and all the
eloquence of capital letters and notes of admiration
have been summoned to mark the utterance eof such
new and startling sentiments The truth is however,
that there is nothing in the whole matter. The
same view, substantially, of the resolutions of an
nexation had been taken again and again, by myself
and others.
Gentlemen, / voted against the treaty by which
these Territories were ceded by Mexico to the United
States~and in open Senate, in speech made on the
23d Of March, 1913, referred to Texas and to the
resolutions of annexation The speech was published
in the newspapers and circulated in pamphlet form
and read by everybody who chose read it, In that
speech you will find these words:
''Now sir do not depend on theory. I ask you and
ask the Senate and the country to look facts, to see
where we when made the departure three years
ago, and where and shall leave to magma
ton to conjecture where shall be.
"We admitted Texas State for the present But
if will refer to the resolutions providing for the
ton OF Texas you will find provision that shall be in
the power of Congress hereafter to make four other
States out Of Texan territory Present and prospecvely
therefore, fire States sending ten Senators may
into the Union of Texas Three years ago did that
Now propose make two States for, undoubtedly if
take what the President recommends New Mexico and
California each will make State that there will be
four Senators. We shall have then, in this Terri
tory seven States sending fourteen Senators to this Cham
ber Now, what will be the relation between the Senate
and the people, the States from which they I"
You will seee that here is the same opinion of the
meaning of the Resolution of Annexation, expressed
nearly in the words, as are contained in nv
speech of the 7th of March last And this only two
years ago. But nobody then expressed either surprise
or astonlshment. There call to arms, no in
vocation of the Genius of Liberty to resist false
construction of an act of Congress- no stirring and
rousng paragraphs in the newspapers patriotic APP
pealS to the people, and insane declarations, such
as we now hear that the Texan Resolutions utter
ly void. .t=#".
But, gentlemen, I will pursue no further topic Of
some little interest to myself but Of great impor
lance to you the country leave it. with the single
remark that what true, respect to the construc
ton of an act of Congress in 1s4S must be true, in
the same case, in 1850; and if individual on his
own authority may declare act Of Congress void
he may, with equal propriety, absolve himself from
the obligations imposed on him by all other acts his
oath binds him only the observance OF such laws
as he approves! How far such a sentiment is fit to
be acted upon by men, to be lnsed into the minds
OF YOUTH the country must judge.
But you and the whole country, gentlemen are in
teresed most deeply in knowing what is the prospect
of settlement Of existing difficulties.
On this point, am happy to say, that can speak
with hope, If not with confidence. think | in
dicatons that the public judgment will, ere long, be
brought to bear upon these troublesome and exciting
questions, and that the voice of majority of the peo
pie will hush other dscordant voices. How soon this
will happen cannot say but fully believe that the
floods will yet subslde, that the troubled waters will
return within their banks, and the current of public
affairs resume its accustomed and benefcent course
] am, gentlemen, your obliged fellow-citizen, and
obedient servant.
DANIEL WEBSTER
ROBERT Fl. GARDINER, Esq, and others.
TAu1S On THIN TrNrITHp on, .rpc