The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-09

as never conquered all the country 10 the lower MO
Mexico, on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, which
scarcely think Texas conquered AT all events can
say that when was wandering along The RIO G!ande, at
towns in the State OF Coahua, the Texas side OF the
river. living quietly under Mexican law and Mexican
authority and they had ever been conquered BY Texas
was wholly without their knowledge, for they were v
ing in the most happy ignorance o such conquest But
while this Is my opinion, am ready and willing to pay
TO Texas or such claim as she has. enough TO wipe ou
her whole State debt That debt was contacted ~ no.
bic cause.-the struggle for liberty and her war cf nde
pendence The United States have got the benefit Of that
struggles by the annexation OF the country and hold
that s only generous duty 10 be performed by the gov
whole Of her State debt.
On the question Of making new State in Texas, am
prepared to say that feel myself bound 10 pef0m every
stipulation condition and obligation, Of the resolutions
OF annexation. Whatever the stipuatons are, we are
bound by them This nation is bound by every princi
pie OF honor and good faith, TO fulfil its obligations with
Texas No man can give any for the violation Of
these spulatons that he cannot give for the violation OF
every human obligation. do not know, SIR, the opn,,
ion OF my State this subject; but take il for granted
that the State of Illinois will never SO far forget her duty
to this nation and her character as to violate the
plighed faith OF this government DO not think there
in my State who will not consider himself bound
by the engagements OF his government The Mormons,
while they lived in that State; were accused Of assuming
that they had authority from God to violate their engage
ments with But they have left the State, and do
think we have any political M0rmons in Illinois now
But must be permitted to say that think Congress has
no right to take the initiative in this matter. think
there wrong here the initiative ought to be taken
by Texas II for her to take the preliminary steps,
designate the territory, and organize a new State, and
when that State asks Tor admission into the Union,
within the conditions OF the resolutions OF annex
ation il is the duty OF Congress to admit IT, But sup
pose the southern friends anxious to
squeeze State out OF Texas at this time s to bring slave
State into the Union in conjunction with California, 70
preserve the balance OF power, TO maintain the equibr'
um in the Senate Now, think there is thing to
which southern gentlemen must make up their minds
thottu IN limit IN vuh4
world must submit to what is inevitable, and the South
must submit 10 il like the rest OF mankind tell you,
sir what think is inevitable that the free States wall
ounumbe the slave States. and that the power OF the
free States will preponderae over the power OF the slave
States They will lose their relative power in this ma.
ton They are doing 50 every day not sy the action o.
that control the moral social, and political condition oil
man. You may as well talk Of equalizing the poPua-
on e q aug ls heIe @ssan Ss an as
prediction and that Isl that the people OF the North Will
to foot OF free soil converted into
ance. believe he North does not contemplate any other
mode OF resistance Ii territory is annexed free II must
remain free until Stale il may choose TO change It's
condition Ii slave territory be annexed tCuba, tor IN
sance) let il remain slave territory until State it
chooses to change its condition. Sir, II seems TO me
there nothing unfair in all ths on the contrary that
is lust and en- utabe No one think, in this advanced
age Of the world, should attempt TO convert free man
into slave, or free territory into slave territory;
Mr. President, sincerely believe that if the South had
y
normal law Of this counuy that like the electric aaid
pervades all space that II exists throughout this whole
land, where not expressly excluded by laws that slave
holders could carry their slaves like their horses TO Cali
ornia and New Mexico, by force and virtue OF the con-
stulion OF the United Sates and contrary 10 the mum.
epa laws Of Mexico still in force there, the terrible
feeling awakened in the North on the subject OF the
Wilmot Proyiso would have found such general
expression in that portion Of the country When south
declare that slaves like horses mere chaiies
that they carry them with them into California and
New Mexico BY virtue OF the constitutional that the con-
stdtlon protects the right OF property IN chattels, and
consequently in slaves the northern feeling reyos against
such can and even the very best friends OF the South
compelled 10 reject such untenable pretensions SIR,
cannot believe that you southern men Mr. CLAY IN
the ehai] have absolute property in your slaves You
have property in their service, and that service is per-
petua Slavery is state OF perpetual servude and you
have right TO employ all necessary power over them TO
enforce such service But you have no absolute prop
erty in the in that mysterious being composed oil
body and sou you do not own him as You own your own
horse because no human law give you such property
IN him Sir slavery never was understood 10 M .ns sense
or even the Mahommedans, and II is to be deeply re-
gret,ed that such claim should be urged by Christians
have already said that the South may give up all idea
OF an equilibrium Here never existed and never can
exist Ii most fancful notion at best the mere dream
OF a political visionary. You cannot balance political
power You cannot weigh i in scales. You cannot reg
simply impossible Why sir, South Carolina, a proud
little State spirited and intelligent has welded more
political power in this confederacy Tor several years past
ment has been often tried but has always failed The
French tried it, as they have tried every kind OF expert
ment Aftet their first revolution they established gov.
ernment most fancfuy constructed upon equilibrium
compounded OF territory and population II was the de-
light OF the enthusiasts OF that age No liberal politician
OF that day seemed fully TO appreciate the absurdy OF the
experiment but Edmund Burke; aud that great English
statesman, should say Irish s,aesman-but England
appropriated him TO herself she does all renowned Irish
mer-tbat great statesman, TO say, rdcued the
whole scheme pointed out its absurdy and impractical
bility and predicted its speedy destruction And, sir,
the prediction was soon verified The very first beaye
OF the great political mass shattered the government
into a thousand fragments, and buried its projectors
under lis ruins The experiment. therefore, wholly fall
ed in France After the fall Of Napoleon the Holy Alli-
ance tried similar experiment. and II any body OF men
ever possessed the power to carry such experiment
the members OF the Holy Alliance did at that time They
settled the relative condition Of the several nations OF
Europe and they established great continental SYSTEM
upon what they called the equilibrium OF Europe Sir,
should like to know what has become OF that system'
would like 10 find out the state OF the equilibrium OF
Europe nowi Sir, in my opinion, the Gar OF Russia
could throw the whole OF Europe at this moment with
scale and he would only have TO throw bis sword into
the same scale, and n one year the whole OF Europe
would be Cossack, from the Bosphorus to the British
Channel So the experiment OF equilibrium has utterly
failed in Europe SIR has succeeded, and never
can succeed The thing is impossible and mpracticabe.
You can maintain permanent equilibrium between
States, nations, parts OF nations. But am wasting
time unnecessarily upon such subject
Now, sir II all the dangers which the South sees in
pressing upon US, would most respectfully ask southern
gentlemen to tell me what remedy they would propose in
such a case Say, dissolution OF this confederacy
the peaceable separation Of the Satesan amicabe dc.