The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-11
LEWIS CAss.
COMPROMISE COMMITTEE.

At the instance of Mr. Foote, last Monday,
his motion for a Compromise Committee of thir-
teen was postponed till Thursday, today
The Committee on Territories has reported
bill for the admission Of California as a State !;
and bills for the organization Of Territorial Gov.
ernments in Utah and New Mexico, with provis-
ion for settling the boundary question between
the latter and Texas Previously, the Committee
on the Judiciary had reported bill for the more
efficient reclamation of fugitives from labor
All these bills are before the Senate their
principles have been under discussion for the last
four months every Senator has made up his
mind in relation to the vote he shall give upon
them.
1t is known that the bill for the admission of
California will command a decided majority of
the votes of the Senate; that a majority of the
members will vote against the introduction Of the
Proviso in the Territorial bills, and pass them
without restriction as to slavery, being willing
to give any reasonable equivalent to Texas for
the surrender of her claim to New Mexican ter
ritory.
These facts are known with absolute certainty.
Why not, then people will ask take up these bills
and act upon them at once? This certainly is
the dictate of common sense.
But, the Slavery men will not permit this.
They are not satisfied with being able to reject
the Proviso, and pass Territorial bills without it,
They are determined to link the admission of
California, the organization of Territorial Gov
ernments without any restriction as to slavery,
and the settlement Of the Dexas claim, IN one I'LL;
and to accomplish this, the project of Compro-
mise Committee is urged to which all these sepa-
rate propositions may be referred and by which
they may be united and reported as one
This Committee is to consist of six members
from the North, six from the South, and they are
to choose the thirteenth The Slave Power will
regard it as great triumph to commit six North
ern Senator's to a bill providing for Territorial
Governments without the Proviso. Such an om-
nibus bill, backed up by Committee Of thirteen,
six of them Northern Senators, would of course
have an easy passage through the Senate and
would, it is thought, command at once the assent
of a majority of the House, where, it would be
urged, such bill must be taken, or none such
q bill furnishing the only sure mode of bringing
in California Many, who could they vote on
the measures separately, would support the Pro-
vso might be induced to support the omnibus
bill, for the sake Of California In this way they
would be placed in a false position, and this would
weaken their influence, which is precisely what
the projectors Of the scheme desire. In this
way, too, the original friends Of compromise,
Clay, Webster, and Cass would find themselves
by large number of entrapped
supporters from the free States. Moreover, the
would have carried their point
their ascendency would have been reestablished
and the Washington Uaion would at once put in
a claim, that the entire plan by which this happy
settlement Of the whole question was effected
was Of purely Democratic origin, and constituted
another title Of the Democracy Of the South to
The gratitude of the country!
Let it be distinctly understood, then, that this
Compromise Committee is entirely unnecessary,
except as means to secure certain ends, neces-
vary to the establishment Of Slaveholding as
and important for party purposes.
OF course, statesmen never make any move
nent without . reason-but the reason assigned
Is too often mere pretext Some time since the
Nashville Convention was the papc-maker. Our |
statesmen pointed snxiously to that
project, a. an all-sufioent reason for Compromise
md Cancellation The Convention having been
stripped Of ito terrible attributes, lol another !