The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-20


by rejection. SIR have nothing to lose by the opposi-
ton made 10 request foI leave record our obiee-
lions the power OF the majority has terror TO me-
have stood OF the minority representing the rights
Of my constituents, and upon that ground proud sl
10 stand. When that minority sinks 10 one-half of the
number who signed that protest. my pride will be doubled
and my determination to persevere in the have
pursued will be IN no degree diminished Sir, we be-
eyed we had right 10 appeal to the Senate upon SO
great question as this and TO expect that leave would
be granted us 10 spread upon the journal statement
OF wnat we believe to be the constitutional rights OF
constituents, and in what believe those rights to be
invaded In that paper notwithstanding the arg OF
the senator from Maryland say there is not one single
position which goes 10 affect the consti.utionay OF adj
hitting State. know that Congress has the power TO
admit new States into this Union that II is grant
without express restriction or limitation but will any
one deny the obligation 10 exercise the power with
sound discretion! Would this argument drawn from the
plenary nature of the grant, SUFFICE il claim TO form
State and such to be admitted into the Union,
set up by dozen of rappers in the mountains The
provisions OF the constitution subordinate TO It's great
principles and purposes, and must be used that the lat
Ter will not be disturbed or violated Whatever may be
the terms of particular grant, bound exercise
il in the spirit OF the instrument from which il is derived
We claim in this case for submitted. that the
acton OF TINS body has been such as to violate our con-
stitutonal rights We do not deny the constitutional
power OF Congress TO admit States but deny that
constitution and assert that is abuse OF the
stituonal power because II IS done in violation oil the
equality of the States, and of the equal privileges and
nmunities OF their citizens which are the cardinal prn
cipes of the constitution.
But the senator strangely construes language upon
another point He has, in conjunction with another who
sits upon my lett found in that instrument
daton 10 the States for resistance have often said to
the Senate that, standing here representative to the
federal government would not in that position, If for no
other reason, recommend any Tor it's destruction
And more, Sir know too well my relative position to
those whom represent to allow myself to assume the
They Instruct me- and would be as little disposed to permit
as 10 assume reversal OF our relative position.
But IS It not true as stated that the anti slavery feeling
OF Congress dictated the formation of the constitution of
California, and now forces its admission State
Does any man now deny that territorial government
refused to that country because the Wmot Proviso
| could not be attached TO it? Ia any man bold as
to say that the State OF California could have been adj
United If il had contained in its constitution provision
for the admission OF slave property and if not is not the
allegation contained in the protest established
But SIR, we who, as duty, have incurred the respon
sby OF protesting against the majority in this chamber,
nave out poor encouragement 70 struggle on for the rights
sustaining them, when the most active opposition
comes from those who represent the interests with
ourselves Our friends from the slaveholding States, ii
they had not chosen to act with us, might at least have
had the grace keep their and let us have fair
however unequal, contest with the northern majority
been the first to be raised, have rung oudest the
hct, and the last be heard We can get our
rights, sir until the South is represented by those who
are ready to maintain them. II the South had been SO
represented here, we had friends from the slaveod-
ing States who would have joined and given US that to
which entitled
|
complaining by the friends OF the called Compromise
with this eternal waling like "Rache mourning Tor her
children, and would moi be comtoed because they were
not" 1t met the doom which, in my opinion, it de-
served aud glory in being OF those who inflicted its
death upon it They never showed ability 10 have
gained what they now assert The votes OF the Senate,
repeatedly taken the night TO introduce slaves and
restrict the boundary of California show the Judgment Of
the Senate on bolh When The ability to have obtained
such concession was first suggested those who conded
IN II were called upon If they had the power then,
show II by vote Thus has not been proved But 1t
may be said the opportunity had passed away II so,
who is responsible for il Surely those whose votes
were always given, and always ready to be gwen for
those objects, whether jointly separately presented
The of failure to obtain any concession is
rather to be found in the fact that some southern men
failed 10 demand enough than for the often assumed
reason that others were mpracicabe or extreme IN they
requirements. Had we been united il would not have
come to pass that TO claim the renewal OF contract
forced upon would be denomnated ultrasm or 10 de-
mand IN part OF the Territory that to which const
tonal equals we were entitled in the whole would be
repudiated by southern men extreme claim.
There was recently period when had but fifty
seven votes in this body. IL then the OF TOUR
een saveholding States had unedy sustained the Mis-
SCUM Compromise IN the and spirit OF the original
compact could have laid my hand upon senator
non-slayeholdng State who would have voted with US
TO carry the The division line might have
tended till It's trace lost in the OF the Pacific
and the monument which marked the end of the line
might have had engraved upon it, Here lies the demon
OF dscord, which for many years disturbed the peace
and threatened the existence of the United States" Il
was not these extreme demands. but the recreancy Of
our own BRETHREN representatives OF the southern States,
that has brought about the sad condition in which we
stand.
| The PRESIDENT. The senator is not permitted to
speak OF the recreaDcy oil senator's
Mr.. DAVIS. | am not through with
The PRESIDENT. The Chair will be under the ne
cessity OF preventing the senator from going on
Mr.. DAVIS | will, then. abandon thai view, and,
Withdrawing whatever is in violation OF order, will turn
my attention to another point IL has been argued as
novelty in the history OF this government that have
had sectional meetings and sectional press established
at the seat OF government Sir, if there have been
onal meetings, because there has been
upon a section Had there been no sectional legislation
TO deprive section OF its rights, there would have been
no sectional meetings to resist IT. Such they were
they have not disturbed the OF legislation,
been engine for public agitation III meetings were
brought 10 the deliberations OF the Senate Our purpose
was resistance to wrong and we necessarily met with
those who would act with But, sir, sectional press
is novelty An abolition paper has been esiab shed
for years in this city, and il has gone without rebuke
Southern representatives who advocated what they be
eved TO be the rights of the South because they opposed
certain measure on which organization had been
formed, were without any press through which they
could speak to the country. Both the great political pa
pers OF the city upon side and their power
was fully exerted against those who vIndcaed the rights
OF the South by opposition to that measure Then, sir,
were We not reduced to the condition of being Judged
without being heard TO the necessity OF finding here
the by which could speak the country-that
we might not despite the justice Of cause be crushed
by that great lever, the public press IL not then, at
the doors of those southern who held the meetings
or advocated southern paper that the charge lie
We did because there sectional aggression and be-
cause we stood unprotected.
But, sir, the senator from Texas reading this paper
through different medium from those who signed il