The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-01
THE SOUTHERN PRESS
AUGUST /.
HE TERRITORIAL QUESTION.
SPEECH OF

Ias4 SFEFIOI1 VI
Hon. DAVID HUBBARD. OF Alabama,
In the House of Representatives., Thursday, Junt
| 6, 1850.
| In Committee of the Whole on the state OF the
Union, on the Presidents Message transmit
ting the Constitution of California
Mr.. HUBBARD said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: 1t has become my duty to
tell this House what my constituents expect at
your hands. They have paid their part in
money, and done their share Of fighting for this
Mexican country, and expect me to get for them
as partners, part of the land upon which they
may go, carry their property with them, own
and enjoy it, and remain part of this Union, un-
disturbed in their rights This is what they ex-
pcct of you; and if you deny them this right,
no special pledding, no learned speeches about
" nor-intervention," or non-action policy" no
proviso, or platforms for making Presidents, by
whomsoever made, or for whichever party, which,
in effect, takes all of the land from them, will
satisfy them.
You have to give them their share, or you
will repent it /; and you had better set about 1t
at once 1t will not require half the sense to
give them their due, that will be needed to cheat
them ont of it; and if you want to keep them
quiet, robbing them is not the way to DO it, and
the rules of this House and my o IN self-respect
will not permit me to say here what think OF
| you. You make your pretended love OF the
negroes of the South pretext for cheating the
whites Or rather, you pretend that your hatred
for slavery-extention justifes your disregard OF
constitutional obligations
It is my purpose, therefore, to examine this
matter, and compare abolition faith with abolition
practice, as well in Europe, where it commenced
as in this country, where it is to be accomplished
(if at alb with such destructive effects upon the
white races. And in doing SO, shall jus. ify
slavery in the Southern States, and defend theil
people. feel, sir, contempt for the spirit, as
well as the intellect, of that Representative who
makes apologies for the institution which he has
undertaken faithfully to represent, and advises
| Southern people to dismiss from their employ
every man who is ashamed of them |, there
| fore, assert, that the negro race is no where
upon the globe doing so well as among South
ern masters and he is not of himself capable
of higher destiny, so far as his capacity has
vet been developed, and is now in the hap
piest condition of which he is capable. But
sir. + go further end assert, that he gets
more of his omn labor for his o,cn use, than
| any other people engaged in like pursuits under
| anv other Government known to me, where
different system of labor is established, not ex-
cepting those sections -four own country where
population is numerous, and, the country old
| Should i succeed in making proofs Of this, il
| will become apparent, that this pretended love
for the negro race, both in Europe and here, is
alike hypocritica and hollow-hearted; having
for its object the subjecting the greet body o.
the white race to the most degrading and servilt
! obedience to Governments of unlimited power
under pretence of giving liberty to the black.
]. am viking to admit, that at an early day
when there were constantly landed upon oul
shores and sold, cargoes of Africans, ignorant
of our language and the labor they had to pur
sue, who were but little above the monkey OF
baboon, and whom, in their wild state, it wa:
very difficult to make do any work. am viii
ling, say, to admit that in this state of things
| m ost of our eminent men thought African sla
very an evil and many of those (Mr. Jefferson
among the number, at one period Of his lfe) Sc
expressed themselves.
! But, sir, they knew but little about it theT
compared with what noe now know The Negro
has improved tenfold since then. He is now
| kind. useful, domestic servant, and is the only
laborer that can bear the Southern climate, ant
he employed to advantage in the cultivation 0
those valuable productions of the. South which
have enriched the whole Union, built up you
manufactures, extended your commerce., AMI
given the country an amount OF prosperity ans