The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-08-28
Speech of MIR. Badger,
On Mr.. Foote's proposition to divide

Mr.. BADGER. do not propose. Mr..
President. 70 add an obituary notice 10
those that have been already delivered in
the chamber upon The iafe bill for the ad.
mission Of California. and for ether pur-
p ses. nor 10 enter al all into the inresti-
CATION as 10 the mode OF treatment pur-
sued with il. or 10 inquire whether It's
uniimely death is really to be attributed
10 the mistaken administration Of rene
dies BY its friends, or 10 the infusion poi-
sonous matter into i,by MS enemies; but.
as the yeas and nays have been called
for upon the amendment, and have been
ordered BY the senals. and as shall
give vote upon the amendment con-
irary 20 my individual wishes and opin-
ion, often expressed in conversation with
my friends, | desire 10 bring 10 the con-
sideralion oflhe Senate, as briefly as lean,
and yet so that they may be distinctly uu
derstood. the reasons which will COVER
me in giving that vcie.
The present amendment, Mr.. Presi-
dent, i'll understand il Alright, proposes
TO take from California, which this bill
will admit as State, certain portion OF
the territory included within the bounda-
ries established for that State BY herself.
Now. sir, l wish, in the FIRST place, to say
that. for myself, much prefer California,
ifadmiiled at all, admitted with the whole
extent Of boundary which she claims. l
prefer il because. If we are to have a
free State upon the Pacific, without any
arrangement Of compromise or compen.
sation, il is far better 10 have one than
two free States there; and, although |
know that If California be admitted as a
State, with unmulilated dimensions,
il is competent for Congress. with the
consent ol that State, at any time to es-
tablish another within her limi,s, and
though l think il very probable, ri no
distant day, that that result will be pro-
duced, ret, sir, it is obvious, at least il
seems obvious TO my mind, that, by ad'
hitting California with o portion o.
territory cut of as proposed by this bill
we shall invite, encourage, and at once
precipilate upon ourselves the establish
ment Of a northern free State uponl lbe Pa
cifc.
| But further, Mr.. President, | am moi
desirous Of adding to the number Of these
States. whether the addition be Of free
or Of slaveholding States. l look upor
il as a great calamity, that the country
should be placed in situation which
makes it necessary that other States
shall be admitted into the Union. |
think The value Of place in this Union
is in the inverse ratio of the number ol
States that compose It: the smaller the
number the greater the honor, the power
the influence, the relative strength in the
Union of the different members thai
compose it; and, if my own wishes could
prevail, there should never be another
State added to il from this day forth to
the end Of time.
But, sir, upon this, as upon every
other subject, | desire TO acl like prac-
iical man, locking at the condition ol
things in which the country is placed
considering not what is the desirable
merely, but what is the practicable; moi
what would be the best in itself, but what
is best relatively, By being a less evilthan
something else. Hopeless, therefore, en-
tirely hopeless, in the possible accom-
plishment Of what | desire, Of having the
number Of these States fxed-fixed at
present and forever-the question which
is presented for consideration in this a.
mendment, as affecting this bill, offers, |
think, these alternatives: TO admit one
State upon the Pacific, with possibility
or probability that another will soon
be there, or to admit one State upon the
Pacific, with a provision in the very bill
for her admission which almost necessari.
| ly and certainly draws after i. the admis-
sion ofanother. This, Mr.. President, is the
view which I have taken, both as south
en man as an Amcrican--consideriEg
both what would desire for that portion Of
lhecountry in which live and from which
| come. and what would desire in that far
higher and nobler sense--considering my.
self citizen Of this great American re.
! public. In either view, myself prefer, j
| California is to be admitted, that she
should be admitted with the whole OF heI
boundaries-the larger the better for me
But, looking at this matteras practica
man, and in reference to other consider
tions, am not disposed to persist in tn,
view Of the subject which strikes me a
being in itself the best. Southern gen
ileman here think that il California is ad
miited-if California comes into the Un
ion by a separate and independent mea
sure, that admission will be more accep
table to the people Of the South, to tn
southern country generally. ifshe come
in shorn Of her vast size and present dl
: mensions. Well, if so--if any consid
> erabIe body Of people will be pleased b
! that arrangement--lfit will tend TO max
the southern portion Of this Union eilhe
better satisfied or less discontented wit