The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-12-04

The Federal Constitution that all Con-
gress could do was to take care that tie
State Constitution was "republican in
: its form"-and that the people who ask
ed to come in as State, and they alone,
could adopt such provision. The pre-
gress and result of this controversy are
we'll knew. If agitated the whole ma
ton. 1t shook the Union to its centre.
A Compromise was at last agreed upon,
and resulted in the admission Of Mis-
souri, without such restriction, but pre-
hibiting slavery in all the territory out
\ Of which that State had been formef
North of Sc s0', and leaving it to the
people South Of that line. to establish
slavery or not as they might wish. This
Compromise settled the question Of
slavery as to all Territory east Of the
Rocky Mountains. Our title to Oregon,
lying west Of those mountains, was at
+, last perfected, under the administration
Of Mr.. Polk, and on the application Of
her people for a territorial government,
the question Of the power Of Congress
over the subject Of slavery, was again
raised. This controversy was finally
ended as FAR as Oregon was concerned,
by the passage Of bill establishing a
territorial government for that Country
with the ordinance Of 1897 prohibiting
slavery Incorporated in il. Mr.. Polk
approved this bill, and based that ap-
proyal expressly upon the grounds, that
Oregon was situated North Of the Mis-.
souri, line, and that he desired to ad-
here to the spirit Of that compromise.
The passage Of this Bill would have
settled the question Of slavery. as to
every foot OF Territory belonging to
the United States, had it not been for
the fruits of the Mexican War--result'
ing as il did, in the acquisition Of vast
territory, lying on both sides Of the line
of sc deg. SO min. north latitude. L
, was during the progress Of that War
, and when the acquisition Of such terri
) tory was anticipated, that the Wilmo
Proviso was introduced, which is des
tined to secure an execrable immortalit,
, to its protector, as /" skillful architec
of evil"
: Well, California and New Mexic'
had been acquired. "by the common
E blood and treasure of the whole Union.
: They needed governments. Congress
was bound, by treaty stipulations, an,
: in Justice, to give them efficient civ j
: governments. This duty was delayes
: from time to time, owing to the confiic
! between the North and the South, tn,
former seeking to extend the Wilmt
: Proviso over those territories, the lat
ter resisting it as unjust and unconsti
tutional. In the mean while the i'm
mense and astonishing riches Of Cali
Il fornia were being developed. The &C
J counts which reached US Of the extraor
: binary discoyeris of gold in that re
J gion, were more like the creations o
, fable than reality. A stream OF popu
{ lation began to How in the direction o
! that land of promise. Wave succeeded
: wave. Nor were they ignorant ant
worthless, but bold, intelligent and ad
venturOus men of all classes and ave
!. cations, who knew the value Of well re
| gulatcd government, and would not lon!
A stand the deprivation Of it. Congress
| neglected them. Whilst that body de
E bated and wrangied about distractions
/. mighty nation was springing up il
1 that distant region. They were threat
e ened with anarchy. They resolved up
n on forming Constitution and present
t ing themselves for admission as a Stat
into this Union. During the Fall Q
e I849, a Convention of Delegates as
/ sembled, and framed State Constitu
: tion, in which there was a clause pro
|, hibiting slavery. 1t is estimated tha
!. in January last, there was in Califor
e MIA, population Of lO7 900 souls. Tn
d Constitution was submitted to the Peo
$ pie and ratified by a vote Of l2.O61 t
! 8I1, besides about 1900 blank votes
: making in all upwards Of $4,000.
President Taylor transmitted thi
Constitution to Congress with recon
;s mendation that California be admitte
!. as State. She was finally admitte
e by large majority in the Senate an
n $50 to 81 in the House. This was on
Il of the measures of Compromise. LII
IS gentleman voted against it. lie say
= It was unconstitutional. In what part
:. cular! Not because there had been n
,e territorial government before the tol :.
v nation of the State Constitution, y
n = there is no article in the Federal Coz
stitution which either directly or b
y implication, requires this. 1t may =
a an argumenst against the regularity
IL the admission but none against ITS Coz
IS stitutionality. But he says, she dl
h not obtain the consent of Congress
j. frame Constitution. So did not A
Df kansas, and several other States, who's
.r admission was not otregarded either as
e violation of the Federal Constitution
10 in dercgation of the rights of their 81
II ters. Would he have remanded the
'. to territorial State on account. of SUE
, sunnosed irreouIarityf Besides. own