The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-02
Proceedings of the Democratic Meeting
in Richmond.

III HlCnlnOuu.
At a large and respectable meeting of the
Democratic party, in Richmond, at the Odd
Fellows Hall, on the 2sth Of June, 1850,
in response to call signed by seventy-eight
members of the said party !:
1t was moved by Mr. Robert G. Scott,
that DR.. William Patteson take the chair.
and no one dissenting, DIR. Patteson took
his seat as chairman of the meeting.
1t was then moved by Mr.. P. V. Daniel
that William F. Richie, Esq, be chosen
Secretary of the meeting.
Mr.. c. S. Morgan moved that the nam
Of John NJ Daniel be added to the motion.
The amendment being accepted the mo-
ton was carried.
Mr. Richie not being in the house, Mr..
Daniel acted as Secretary
Mr. John NJ. Patton having briefly ex-
planned the object Of the meeting, offered
the following resolutions
AS the sense Of this meeting
Resolved, That the plan of adjustment of the
slavery question now pending in the Senate of
the United States, does not contain such provisions
of mutual concession are demanded by prnci.
Piles of justice and equality, and ought not to be
sustained by the representatives of the Souther
States.
Resoiped, That the leading feature of that plan
of adjustment the admission of the State of Cali
fornia with her proposed oundaries-followed
up as it is contemplated to be, by the admission
of the State Of New Mexico, under similar
constitution with that of California, in respect to
| slavery, involves practical surrender to the
| Northern portion Of the Confederacy-of almos
olI ~ pot IF the whole sl,iact of real md
conflict of claim, between the Northern and
Southern States, and cannot be adopted without
violation of the constitutional right of the Soutl
to equal participation of the Southern States, il
the moral, social, and political benefits ofthe com
mon territory Of the United States, acquired by
the common treasure Of the Unian, and by tn,
united valor and patriotic sacrifices Of the people
Of all the States.
Resolved, That the Southern States have a RICH
to demand and oughtto insist on a full and faith
full performance, by Congress and by the Northern
States of the Union, OF their plain constitutional
duty in executing those provisions of the Constr
tuition, which require the surrender Of fugitv,
slaves and of fugitives from justice charged will
violating the laws Of the Southern States, for TIT
protection Of slave property. And cannot re
gard a recognition Of that duty, by Congress o
by the Northern States, boon concession
in consideration Of which, the Southern States
| ought to make acqulesce in sacrifice Of any
! Confederacy.
Resolved, That the obligation of Congress, with
the consent of Texas, to admit four new States
| formed out Of the territory of Texas, as claimed
| by her and sanctioned by Congress at the time of
| annexation, is secured by solemn national com
pact, and is not, and ought not to be recognised
as subject of legitimate controversy, nor made
| the ground Of claim for any concession on the
part of the Southern States in respect to any new
territory subsequently acquired. The Govern
ment of the Federal Union is bound by the high
obligations of national faith TO perform that com.
pact It's execution, without dmnuon or
abatement as to the number of the slaveholdng
Suites thus to be formed, or the extent of their
territory, has become Especially since the re-
cent large acquisitions of territory, out of which
numerous large non-saveholdng States will be
formed) of essential and vital importance to the
moral, social, economical and political interests OF
| the Southern States, as members of the Union,
and the observance of such compact, fully and in
| good faith, ought to be firmly insisted on.
| Resolred, That Congress by admitting Texas
into the Union with boundaries prescribed and
fixed by the constitution and laws of Texas her.
self, thereby recognised and acquesced in those
boundaries, so far as the United States were con-
cerned, and assumed upon herself the obligation
in good faith, to endeavor to sustain the claims OF
| Texas according to such boundaries. And more.
over the United States in effect admitted her right
according to such boundaries, by agreeing that the
very territory which it is now suggested did not
belong to Texas, should be admitted into the
Union as territory taken from Texas, and as
slaveholding or non-slaveholding, as it lay south
or north of 81 deg. 80 min. of north latitude.
The only right reserved by the United States
was the right to adjust with Mexico any question
of boundary that might arise between her and
| Texas. Every such claim of Mexico, no matter
what it may have been, was eXtlnguished, aban-
doned and released, by war, negotiation and
| of Tovoe tharafprn IN all "a
territory within the limits claimed at the time OF
annexation, and then recognised by the United
States became as perfect the rights of any OF
the old thirteen States to the boundaries claimed
by them at the time Of the treaty with England in
| 1888. We regard this pretenson of disputed
territory between the United States and Texas as
mere shadow, resorted to as n means of de-
Driving the Southern States Of territory now
secured for, and sufficient to form, two slavehod
ing States, and converting 1t into free soil-thus
making still further concession to the spirit OF
ant-slavery encroachment and aggression, with
out compensation or equivalent OF any kind foi
the violated rights and interests Of the Southern
States.
ResoIred, That it is an aggravation Of the out
rage and injury to the South involved in the pro-
position in respect to the Texas boundary, that il
is incorporated with and made part of the plan Of
" Adjustment " Of the slavery question and tina
the claim of Texas is not to be extinguished by
fair and equitable division of the territory alleged
to be in dispute, but by buying out her claim with
money-thus making the Southern States pay foi
the surrender OF their own existing and vauabl,
rights and political power. This feature of thu
plan of Adjustment is, in our estimation unjust ant
odious, as.. +. b..
II this pretended dispute about boundary hav,
any real foundation, let be settled and adjusted
on its own merits, and free from the disturbing in
fuences of this slavery agitation, with which i
has no Just connection, Let the claims Of Texas
either on the score of boundary or otherwise, b.
fairly considered and literally satisfied. Cost
what it may, the South will cheerfGlly and eager