The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-23

the subjects Of Great Britain or the citizens of
| France IL has been said that the doctrine of
! General Cass and that Of General Taylor on this
subject are identical but there is this all.impor-
| tant difference between them: General Taylor
maintains the right OF Congress to legislate for
| the Territories, and will doubtless approve any
bill for the prohibition Of slavery in them; but
| General Cass, denying this right in Congress,
| would. if President, veto such bill He, there
| fore would leave the Territories open TO be in
| vaded and possessed by slavery and in Southern
| law aud practice, possession is more than nine
| points.
Next came Mr. Clsy's Compromise resolutions.
| 80 called BY these, California was to be admit
ted as a State the Territories organized without
any restriction upon slavery; the Southwestern
| boundary of Texas TO be extended to the Rio
| Grande; a part of her twelve or fifteen million
debt to be paid by the United States on condition
| of her abandoning her claim to that part of New
| Mexico which lies east of the Rio Grande; the
abolition of the slave trade in the District of Co
| lumbia, and the inviolability of slavery in the
| District during the good pleasure Of Maryland
and Of the inhabitants of the District; more ef-
| fectual provision for the restitution Of fugitive
slaves, and free traffic in slaves forever between
| the States, unless forbidden by themselves.
A compromise is a settlement of difficulties by
mutual concessions. Let us examine the mutual
| ity of the concessions which Mr.. Clsy's resolu.
| tons propose.
In the first place California is to be permitted
| to remain Free il the Territories Of New Mexico
| aud Utah may be opened to slavery. But Cali
fornis is free already; free by her act free
without any concession of theirs and without
any grace but the grace Of God. 1t is mainly oc-
cupied by a Northern population who do their
own work, with their own hands, or their own
brains. Fifty hardy gold dggers from the North
will navar Stand all dav in wafer shovel
earth rock washers, &c, under broing sun,
and see a man with his fifty slaves standing under
the shade of tree, or having an umbrella held
over hrs bad, with whip in hand, and without
wetting his dainty glove, or soiling his japanned
boot, pocket as much at night as the whole of
them .tngetbess Or rather they viii never sHtfer
institutional 70 exist which toleratesuch unr eat
eousness California, therefore, is free as free
as Massachusetts,; and Mr. Clay might as well
have said in terms, that whereas Massachusetts,
is free, therefore New Mexico and Utah shall
be slave, or run the hazard of being SO.
The next point of Mr.. Clay's compromise is, that
Texas shall extend her southwestern boundary
from or near the Nueces to the Rio Grande, and
shall receive, probably some six or eight millions
of dollars for withdrawing her claim to that part
of New Mexico which lies east of the last named
river Now, Texas has no rightful or plausible
claim to foot Of ell this territory. But suppose
IL 10 De q SUBJECT OF uOuOt anu tnereIort Vi COH-
promise The mutually, then, consists in divid-
ing the whole territory claimed by Texas and
then giving her valid title to one portion Of it,
and paying her for all the rest. Texas, or,-what
in this connection is the same thing,--slavery,
surrenders absolutely nothing gets good title
to some hundred thousand square miles Of terri
tory, and pay for as much more!
But what renders it almost incredible that any
man could soberly submit such proposition and
dare to call it compromise is this: All that part
of New Mexico which Texas caims and which
lies between the parallels Of $50 30 aud 42o, is,
by the Resolutions of Annexation to be forever
free. | shall consider the constitutionality Of
these resolutions by and by; now treat them as
valid Now the compromise proposes to buy this
territory 80 secured to freedom, and annex il to
New Mexico, which is to be left open to slavery.
We are to peril all the bread region between
$50 3O' and 400, and pay Texas some six or eight
millions Of dollars for the privilege of doing 30
Mr.. Clay IL not ieas eminent for his statesmanship
than for his waggery. Wore Ne To succeed Ia
playing off this practical joke upon the North,
and were it not for the horrible consequences
which it would involve, q roar of laughter, like
fen de ioie would run down the course Of the ages
As it is, the laughter will be Elsewhere"
The next point pertains to the abolition of
the slave trade, and the perpetuity Of slavery in
the District of Columbia. This District has an
proposes in consideration Of transferring its slave
marts to Alexandria on the Virginia side, or to
some convenient place in Montgomery or Prince
Georges county, on the Maryland side to divest
Congress forever of its right Of exclusive legis-
lation y over 1t. Should this plan prevail, the
perpetuity of slavery in the District will be de-
Tended by more nnassailable and impregnable
barriers than any other institution in Christen-
dom The President has veto upon Congress
IL. - LrkI.
law, notwithstanding his dissent Mr. Clay pro-
poses to give both to Maryland and to the citi-
zens of the District, veto on this subject an
absolute veto, not qualified one, like that of the
President Of the United States but one that will
control not majorities merely but an absolute
unanimity in both branches of Congress. By his
plan, therefore, three separate, independent pow
ers are 70 have veto upon the abolition of sla-
very Ia the District Of Columbia. And not only
So but while it will require their Joint or concur
rtm action to abolish the institution, any one of
them can preserve it, The laws of the Modes
and Persians had no such guarantees for perpetu.
lily ms this.
MIR. Clay's last point Ia really too facetious. So
solemn subject does not permit such long -contin
ued levty, however 1t may be masked by sobrieiy
Of countenance- 1t is that Congress shall make
mere effectual provision for the capture and de-
livery Of fugitive slaves and, as an equivalent
with the Interstate traffic in slaves. We are
to catch their slaves and, as though that were a
grateful privilege to us, we are to allow them free
commerce in slaves, coastwise or inland. BY this
means, slaves can be transported to the mouth Of
the Rio Grande, and some hundreds OF miles up
that river, towards New Mexico instead Of being
driven in coffies across the country. The CON-
promise is, that for every slave we catch, we are
to facilitate the passage Of a hundred into New
Mexico.
Such is the mutually Of Mr. CIayis oompro-
misses They are such compromise So the wolf
offers to the lamb, or the valp he dove. |
They make the rightful admission Of California |
into the Union, with her free Constitution, con-
tingent upon opening the new Territories 10 sla-
very they ratify one part Of the predatory
claim of Texas, and propose to give her millions
for the other part; they give an unconditional
veto to the State Of Maryland and to the citizens
Of the District of Columbia, over q unanimous
vote of both Houses Of Congress, even when APP
proved by the President In connection with
Mr.. Buffers bill and Mr.. Msson's amendments,
they expose our white citizens to grievous penal
ties and imprisonments for not doing what the
Supreme Court Of the u nited States has decided
we are not bound to do, in relation to fugitive
slaves and they offer our colored citizens TO be
kidnapped and spirited away into bondage; and
they foreclose in favor Of the South, the disputed
question Of the interstate commerce in slaves
In one particular only do they appear to conceie
anything to Northern rights, or Northern convic-
tiops, or Northern feelings They propose to
transfer the District of Columbia slave trade
across an ideal line into Virginia or into Mary
| land, 90 that the slave planter or slave trader,
when he comes to our American Congo to replen-
ish his stock Of human cattle, shall be obliged to
20 mile or two, TO the slave marts, instead Of
walking down Pennsylvania avenue. deem this
to be no concession II 1t Is honorable to produce
corn and cotton, it is honorable to buy and
sell them-and IL it is honorable to hold beings
created in Gods image in slavery, It Is honora.