The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-18

1uceu anOtner RESULT no less Important III col-
pred the sentiments Of the numerous emigrsnts
then pouring from the States into California, and
they left US deeply imbued with the Free Soil
feelings then 80 prevalent throughout the North.
It was easy to understand that General Taylor,
elected under these circumstances could not over
look or disregard sentiment which had exerted
80 much control over the politics of the country
Had there been no such agitation, his feelings as
a large STAKEHOLDER, and his natural associations
would have inevitably led him to favor the policy
Of the organization Of Territorial Governments
without the Proviso. But, elected by party,
radically divided in opinion on this subject,
elected because he was unpledged, and aware of
the deep feeling in relation to it in both sections
of the country, it became necessity with him to
strike out some line Of action which should pre-
serve his non-committal attitude The policy of
eUdsiOn had been adopted by the party at Phila-
delphia-it must be continued. We do not be-
lieve the President was anxious to extend Sla-
very-it is folly to imagine that be wished to
b.. .easi.l nvs eyes h<. .
never opened TO the true nature or relations OF
the evil aud his great desire was to suppress, il
possible, all controversy about it. His position
was taken: Let Congress abstain from all action
on the subject of the Territories till they organ
ize themselves into States. In that act they can
settle the Slavery Question for themselves, and lei
| Congress acquiesce in the settlement, whatever
it may be. Such was his position. 1t did no!
sanction the Wilmot Proyiso-it did not condemn
| it-but il waived it, II showed no disposition to
favor Slavery, none to favor Liberty; but its de-
sign was to avoid agitation, and maintain the
harmony, consequently the power Of the Wing
party II left Slavery free to push its claims
it left Freedom unprotected against aggression ;
it aimed to get round difficulty without meet
ing it, without regard to the consequences as
they might affect the cause Of Freedom, with par
amount regard to results upon the strength and
stability Of the Wing organization.
Are we uncandid and illibersl when we say
that in these resgons We fpd nvthing TO warrant
any claim upon the gratitude, appreciation, or
confidence Of the Anti-Slavery men of the coun-
Sry I But the position -tskewvas made 10 resi-
upon o principle adverse to Free Soil doctrines
the principle that, no matter what the decision
Of the People of Territory, acting spontane-
ously in the organization of form of State Gov
eminent, may be, whether for or against slavery,
Congress is bound to acquiesce in it. Against
this, the Wing party in several free States had
talen an apparently firm stand but acquiescence
In the position assumed by the President, necessa-
rily involved an abandonment of their proposed
opposition to the admission of any more slave
States.
Finally, the policy when first adopted, worked
of the Wing party in the free States, so far as
Slavery was concerned it distracted its coun-
sells; it put it out of its power to sustain with
any efficiency the Wilmot Proviso. The Demo-
cratic party in the same States suffered similar
distraction. Hunkers, emboldened by the quasi
apostacy of the Wings with new hope sought
to regain their sscendency, and O large portion
of the Democratic party, no longer fearing Wing
competition for Anti.Slavery votes, retreated
from their position. The first startling evidence
the country had of the mischief wrought, was,
the defeat of Mr. Roots resolution, on the organi-
zation of the House of Representatives, instruct
ing the Committee on Territories to report Ter
ritorial bills with the Wilmot Proviso To that
act, and the divided counsels of the Wing and
Democratic parties in the free States, of which it
was the evidence and the offspring, and which re-
suited unavoidably from the position taken by
the President, we ascrbe, to great extent the
present overbearing attitude and aggressive de-
mands of the Shareholders. They have taken
courage from the weakness and division Of the
North Much of what we have since seen in
Congress of the feebleness and distraction of the
on-slaveholding members, and of the violence
and desperate purposes of the slaveholding, we
trace to that cause. Had the Wings and Demo-
Gratis of the free States maintained inAexibly
and unitedly their original position the siaue-
holdsrS would have become the supporters of the
policy of General Taylor, for it is substantially
the non-ptervention ground which they once so
earnestly insisted upon. But the easy virtue Of
their political brethren of the free States, in
,uaiuing the Proviso, has emboldened them to de-
mand its saerifee-snd instead Of Non-lnterven-
ton on the subject, they now virtually require
Intervention, to open the way for the extension
Of Slavery
II will be observed that we have blamed, not
so much General Taylor, as the Wing and Demo-
cratic parties. Having no principle on the sub
ject Of Slavery having been elected as the repre-
sentative of the policy of evasion in relation to
it, we are not surprised that he should have taken
a position in harmony with that policy. He did
just what might have been expected from one
the attitude in which his friends had
placed him. But this does not excuse them for
having placed him in such an attitude, for having
forced upon him such party necessity, nor does
it excuse the Wings and Democrats of the free
States for their psltering course. Whatever
General Taylor might feel himself justified in
doing, their duty was plain, unmistakable-it
was, to sustain without finching the time-hon-
ored policy of the Ordinance Of 1887.
By conjunction of events brought about in
part by natural causes under the direction Of an
overruling Providence, and in part by the Free
Soil agitation in the country, the position of Gen.
eral Taylor, taken for reasons having no respect
to Slavery or Liberty; advocated on principle
unsound and unsafe, and which at first worked
evil instead of good, has of late become favorable
to the cause of Freedom. The discovery of the
gold mines Of California unsealed the fountains
of emigration in the free States, adventures from
which FASTENED to California, and obtained a con.
trolling influence there, before the Shareholders,
encountered with their lands and negroes, had
time to strike their tents and set out These free
State emigrants carried with them Free Soil
principles, just nourished by agitation into vigor
Gus life. This event, and the frequent passage
of the Wilmot Proviso through the House of
determined the institutions of
California When. encouraged BY the Admins