The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-25

L
And let me ask you, fellow-citizens if there is
one man among you all, who supposes that
Northern POLITICIANS resolved as they all are TO
limit the slave States to their present-nnmber,
would be so rdculousy silly as to cut off
nearly $4,000 square miles of saveholding Texas
for the purpose of making of it one or two addi-
tional slave States? The North has the power
to do as she pleases, and no man In this country
doubts that she will please to make free territory
OF these $4,000 square miles which she has
wrested from Texas, with the aid of ten millions
of dollars and a large number of Southernyotes.
shall never forget the hour when this mea-
sure of gross iniquity to the South passed the
House of Representatives. On "Wednesday we
defeated it by forty four majority on Thursday
we defeated it again by eight majority; on FRI
day they carried it over us by ten votes; and
when the result was announced, then went up
from the Hobbies, from the galleries, and from
the floor Of the Hall Of Representatives one
long, loud, wild, maniac yell OF unbridled re-
joicing-the South was PROSTATE and free soil
rejoiced. The South was degraded, fallen, and
her enemies rioted Ten millions of dollars had
been flung to the hungry pack who hang like
wolves around the treasury, and there was fran
tic joy in all their hearts and upon all their
tongues They assembled on the banks of the
Potomac and in utter defiance Of every decent
regard for the Farther Of his country-they as
sembed under the very shade of the Washing
7 ton Monument, and there fired hundred guns
Thus did they, in manifestation of their wild re-
joicing over the PROSTATE South, and their own
clutehing Of the ten millions of dollars. Nor
did they pause here but with drums beating,
, flies blowing and banners streaming, they para
ded the streets of Washingtoh-they called out
Mr.. Clay, and he spoke to them-they called
out Mr.. Cobb, Mr. Douglass Mr.. Foote, and
3 know not who else and they all spoke to them.
) 1t was night of riot and reyelry. The foul
! deed had been done, and when there should
! have been sorrow and mourning, there was
ecstasy and the wild notes of untamed rej"ic-
} ing
left the street, filled as it was with this mot
! ley crew of free negroes and half-clad boys,
! bankers, brokers, BARRIERS, beggars, Northern
7 Freerso;ers, and Southern patriots-aye, South.
, ern patriots - patriots whose affections had
l outgrown their country, and who had taken "all
? the world and the rest of mankind into their
tender keeping left it and them, and retired
! to my private chamber, there to brood over the
} sorrows Of my stricken and fallen country. But
| was not long left to myself and the sorrows OF
my country. We were summoned to yetanother
sacrifice. The South no longer had the power
a of resistance, and q generous foe would not
: have stricken her again. But the Northern wolf
had tasted blood. The Southern shepherd was
G unfaithful to his flock, and another lamb was
. taken.
The slave trade in the District Of Columbia
t was abolished 1t was by this name they called
the deed. 1t was more than this. II was an act
f to punish the Intentions of masters and to eman
, cipate their slaves The bill declares that if
e slaves are brought to the District Of Columbia
for the PURPOSE Of being sold in said District or
r anywhere else, they shall be free. The law does
not punish the act Of selling or offering to sell,
but it Furnishes the intention to SELL and how,
$ pray! Not by filming the master, or by sending
him to prison, but by emancipatng his slave
How this law is to operate In practice need not
t say. 1t is to all in:ents and purposes an act Of
It abolition Under it, mems intentions will be
It judged Of by swift juries, by abolition lures,
o and their slaves set at liberty. Does any man
e doubt that abolition juries will be found in the
y District of Columbia, and in the city of Wash
" ington? There are in the District sirteen hous-
and free negroes, and trenty three hundred slaves
n Slavery is wearing out there, and TO day, fellow
r citizens, would as soon risk New York or
e Philadel phia jury on aquestion involving slavery,
If as a Washington city jury. The people there
are growing more and more hostile to this spe-
e cies of property every day, and pity the mas
It ter who has his intentions tried before a jury
VI taken from among them.
G These, fellow-citizens, are the healing mea-
# sures-the measures Of peace. This the vaun-
), tel adjustment of which 80 much has been
: said, and for tho passage of which the cannon
n has been fred the drums beat, flies blown, ban
b ners displayed, and all the evidences Of nation
d al rejoicing exhibited.
e I cannot believe in the sincerity of these sim
y guar demonstrations. ] cannot think that our
Q irnominious exclusion from California affords
t cause for Joy. | cannot believe that the bill to
punish masters intention, by emancipating
1t his slave has sent JOY to Southern hearts l
d do not believe that the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Texas
g, has filled the South with re oicing. Men make
I. up their minds to submit to wrong, and pride
e induces them to put the best possible face
S pom it. Men whose hearts are wrung with
It agony will smile because they are too proud to
G weep Men, like boys, may whistle to keep
: their courage up. But when causes like these
exist for mourning, it is useless to tell me that
men with Southern hearts rejoice-the thing is
l impossible.
q am told that Texas has not been dismem-
: bered That, in the kindest spirit theUned States
has proposed to pay her ten millions of dollars, to
n relinouish her claim to the territory which has
been annexed to New Mexico. Let us examine
the sincerity of this statement. The United States,
speakipo through the Executive, and through Con-
gress, says to Texas "We want this country,
/. and we mean to have it you are weak and we
4 are strong. Give up the country quietly and we
: will pay you ten millions Of dollars refuse, and
: here is the army, the navy and the militia" Look
t at the power of the United States look at the
threat of the President to reduce Texas to submis
sion. Look at the conduct Of Southern Senators
= and Representatives. Look at all this, and then
turn your eyes towards Texas see her feeble and
weak, without money, without arms in debt and
without credit, and tell me if it is left to her free
:, choice to determine whether she will accept
h reject this proposition The overgrown bully APP
proaches weak and feeble man, without friends
and without the means Of defence, and says, 81
want your land give it up quietly and will pay
you for it, and if you refuse, bear in mind, Lam
stronger than you, and here my guns, here
= my daggers, and there my armed servants to do
my bidding. Choose what you will do" Will
. not every mans of justice revolt at conduct
r like this Is the man thus treated, free agent
: In thus taking his property, has not outrage
3 Gus wrong, posiGYe robbery, been perpetrated :
leave it to the good sense Of this audience to give