The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-03
WHOLE NO. 1876.

y
down the principle, that the Federal Government
was not instituted TO interfere with slavery at all
either 10 exclude or admit-and ATTEMPTS 10 give
force and character to that principle by saving
that the Hancocks and the Rutledges. the
Adamses and the Pinckneys, bequeathed it as a
precious legacy to So full is nv learned and bib
lica colleague on the iect Of fate and Heavens
DEGREES, that he impu,es to D,rias PrOrideae>
the introduction of slaves! Hear him " Provi-
dence has fret this anomalous class of human be
ings on our otherwise free form Of Government
had before supposed that Providence O. fixed "
this anomalous class in Africa, and the Indians
here
! am not here to impugn the wisdom of Provi-
dence, or TO assert the folly that Providence works
without plan but God has his agents and his
means, and they are part of his DEGREES. | be-
ieve too, that it is decreed that slavery shall not
prevailin the Territories we have lately acquired
and further believe that the laws which we are
sent here TO enact, are part and parcel of the
means deereed for its exclusion. From the prin-
ciples asserted by my colleague dissent in toto.
The Milma6 -Psssiso ia only a r--es-rtion
der this new lame, OF a great principie Of human
liberty older than the Republic principle
which will last as long as the Republic shall en-
dure IL showed itself in the petitions of our
fathers to the King Of England TO prohibit the
slave trade it was reiterated by those primary
assemblies which embodied and gave form TO
those complaints and grievances which preceded
and produced the Revolution it was embazoned
in our Declaration of independence, and was en-
acted as an efficient and enduring principle by
our wise forefathers in the Ordinance of 1884, as
their unanimous, moral, political sense and senti-
ment Will my learned colleague look to the
record and inform himself what part these great
men, whose names he recounts enacted in the pas
sage of the Ordinance Of 1887 If human accents
could penetrate the dull, cold ear of death, how
would the bones of those departed patriots rattle
in their collins when it was alleged that the Or
dinance of 1887 ",rds useless, mischeUoHS 0b-
araction? p 1t is a practical an enduring prin-
ciple 1t comes with healing in its wings-it
dedicated all that vast territory north OF the
Ohio to freedom-it made glorious Ohio what
she is--it gave life ~apd. health and unbounded
vigor to Michigan and Illinois Indiana and Wis
consin-those young giants of the West What
freemans heart does not beat with quicker and
holder emotion when he reflects on these magnih-
cent resultsl Suppose our wise forefathers had
thought as my theological colleague thinks, had
entertained his fatasm, and had left all these
matters "to the providence of Almighty Cod
would that providence have been "a cloud by
day and pillar of fire by night" to exclude sla-
very from this young empire2
Alas alas sad experience has taught us that
wherever the question of the existence Of slavery
is left, as my respected colleague proposes to
leave it, TO Gods undsturbed decrees," there
slavery has invariably found and ever will find
its way. Repeal the laws of the State of New York
prohibiting slavery, and much as we are opposed
to the institution, hundreds of families would have
domestic slaves.
venture to say that there is no way Of effect
ually excluding slavery from any civilized habit
able territory, but by common law or positive en-
actmeDt.
With reference to physical causes which will
l. nx.A
suppose that is what the gentleman means by
" Providence and immutable DEGREES we have
other opinions upon the same subject, and we
have certain facts which worth more than
thousand theories Slavery did exist in all these
Territories till il was abolished by Mexican law,
and it does now exist to some extent in Califor-
mia, New Mexico, and Utah.
IL is curious to note in the same newspaper,
and on the same page and in the adjoining col
umn--as though sueering at each other-ihe
ssyipsh6 from North CaiSA phhhf sFavH(nSs 81 the
on the same subject.
As my colleague MIR. BRooKsl is a capital
reader, and has voice musical organ, and
loud trumpet, will he favor me by reading
what our friend from North Carolina says upon
this vexed question
Z" frankly tell gentlemen that in my opinion slavery
will find inducements sufficient to carry IL there From all
tn. informant that have been able to obtain by private
correspondence with there from publications In the
papers and from conversations with gentlemen recently
from that country including members Of the legislature
California believe there sufficient Inducements to in
vite slave labor. Gold mines known to exist there
AIN satisfied, also, that the Delegate Oregon Mr.
THussros Ia right in ing that mines of gold and silver
exis the Of the Colorado aud Ga rivers we'll
ss IN New Mexico Wherever goId mine. exist especsly
surface alluvis deposit misses contrsdistngushed
from vein Mines slave labor can be employed the greatest
advantage have right to express opinion this
subject because my district for great many years
past, two thousand slaves employed
In the gold mines They preferred to white laborers
general being constantly under the Of the oyersSer
they he kept regularly and steadily work Such is
the constitution Of the that he remain with
his feet In the water and his head exposed the hottest
sunshine without injury to his health The mode Of
ployiDg them In the riceheds is well known, and they
thrive there In an occupation which could genera y be fatal
TO white And may add, sir, that slaves nj this
time generally employed in the mines Of California, al In
creased amount Of gold would be obtained without the
rigbtfu loss Of human life which Is known 70 have
cured Besides sir in addition TO the inducements which
the mines Afford southern California say nothing Of the
plored valleys Of the Colorado affords sufficient ag
cultural advantages TO this species Of labor It's soil
and climate have little doubt but that II will produce
gar, cotton rice, and tropical fruits" &c.
Very well read and apt to the purpose
Mr.. Speaker, both these gentlemen favor this
bill they are both willing to add to 1t the Terri
torial bill for the government Of New Mexico;
both insist that there shall be no clause Of free
dom inserted, and both are equally confident
the one that slavery can the other that slavery
cannot exist there both are willing that IL shall
have at all events fair chance. They are both
willing 10 leave IL 10 tate ana time ana chance 10
decide.
Who shall decide when statesmen disagree SO
long as do nothing to tbwart the divine will-so
long M am acting in furtherance Of and In ODE
dience to these immutable DEGREES, shall be con-
tent to remove all doubt upon the subject, and ex
cude slavery by law, and then II will be excluded
fate or no fate. The treasure that is safe with
out a lock is none the less safe with 1t.
My colleague fMr BRooKs asserts that the
L. 81 ,l.~~x 49,
with Mexico, that afterwards it WAS useless,
mschevous abstraction The war ceased the
"a day Of February, ls4s. In September of
that year. about eight months after the Wilmot
Proviso had, according to my colleagues present
opinion, become "a useless mischievous abstrac-
tion,n the Wings Of New York held q State
| Convention Mt Utica for the nomination Of State
officers and Presidential electors or that Con-
vention my colleague was distinguished men,
ber and he was one Of the committee to report an
address and resolutions He reported an ad-
dress, and that committee reported resolutions,
In which he fully concurred. and 80 to the utmost
| extent endorsed the Wilmot Proviso, and pro-
claimed that the Wings Of New York were not
only its friends, but it's only safe friends; that
we were and always had been the uncompromi-
sing enemies Of the extension of slavery. re-
peat n few lines from that eloquent and patri-
otto address, and from those resolutions:
"if obtain m-jori,y In Congress to prohibit the
extension svery maintain freedom where freedom
already exists shall secure freedom In ,hs territory we
hsv. conquered !"
IL would be interesting to hear my colleague
explain Of what use a majority in Congress
could be to prohibit slavery, II that majority is
to let the subject entirely alone.
Again in the resolutions predicated on this
address, occurs the following:
"Rssoirei That the Wing party Of the State Of New
York faithfully adbepg 20 every Obligation OF the Cohsu
tuition and diseising all desire Interfere with the inter