The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-24

and .he great Fundamental principles Of self govern
States of being willing ldeave this and
equal foundaon demand The inerposap OF the govern
meni and the passage Of exclude the cuzens Of
The savcholdng States from cngratng with their properly
into the Territory, IN order TO give their citizens aud those
they may pern exclusive right Of settling it, while il
remains IA that conduon, Preparatory sublecny il 10
like conditions and restrictions when IL becomes State.
Sir. the difference pointed out between the savehold
ing aud non saveholdng States, regard the egsla
live intervention Of Congress in the matter Of slavery in
the Territories, exists no longer senator from the
oid Dominion hese OF The State rights strict construc
ton school, formerly Jealous non .iuerv entiOnst,
now cries out for Intervention. He asks Congress
TOR the passage Of law which. by his account
OF ~ s 10 give 10 the South in the Territories in
gard to The question OF domestic slavery, advantage
over the Ncrlh. He who one Of the abest cham
pons against the Wmot Proviso intervention pnncple,
has now clearly become the advocate in another form.
observing this utter abandonmcnt OF the great and unda
mental principle fog which we fought ealantly,
though an,ssscss!stg IA, e! Y is4s am most seriously
mornhed Thar this claim of .protecoD" Tor great
sttutional right BY act Of Congress from
aor from my nallve State that il is senator from Vir
gina that asks Congress TO egslae the subject of
slavery in the Territories Sir is this standing upon the
rock of The constitution! Is this appeal "io the great
principles OF justice, the constitution. and self-gOven
'nen J" Is possible that the senator from Virginia does
not perceive the danger which turks in such legislation
as he now nvpkes to whole system OF domestic sa
very in the SOUTH Does he not that when Congress
shall have egsated this subject for the benefit
OF the South, there will be preventing the majority OF
it's members, who must always be hereafter from the
slavehoding States from egslatng for the overthrow
OF slavery everywhere the States, and in the District
OF Columbia. well in the Territores' Let this
PandoTa's box be opened, aud God only knows
what ruin is TO upon the South. Peculiarly ingo-
rious will it be for her i she shall fall by the mistaken
policy of her chosen champions upon this floor
Sir. the senator from Virginia demands protection from
Congress for the constitutional rights OF his constituents
fhe senatorial representative of sovereign State
protection from this government OF limited powers for
rights that existed before the constitution itself
formed, and whose claim to continued existence is recog
IIrfh h. lntv nj The dnA
he not discover that he is warring most mischevousy
upon State rights and Stale dignity Indeed. fear that
al the doctrines once 80 highly venerated OF he State
and oblivion Sir, protection granted by the strong to
the weak by the superior to the inferior and with my
notions OF State dignity and constitutional rights should
scorn to suppcae Congress for the protection OF any
Of those rights OF property which guaranteed by the
constitution itself can assure the honorable senator
from Virginia that the tone Of public sentiment in the
South is much more elevated on this subject than he
to regard IT, But let me now recvr for moment
the doctrines sci forth in the farfamed Southern Ad
dress. OF which Mr. Calhoun is the known author
Sir, my honorable friend from Virginia will allow to
say that he and have peculiar responsibility in con
nexon with that meeting Of the southern senators and
represe natives in this chamber in which the Southern
Address originated for in truth he and myself got up
that meeting, having summoned together all who alter
wards assembled for the purpose OF deyisng suitable
means of defending the South from threatened aggres-
sions, aud rescuing the Union from overthrow. read
from the address, the subject of non-interventon
follows:
remarks What the North alleges, enormously, to be the
issue between and them
SO from maintaining doctrine which the issue inn
plies bold that the federal government hns no right 70
extend rcsct slavery moe than TO establish OF abo
the domestic insa,ion. OF one Sta pr section and an
ohc in oder 10 favor the one and discourage the other
bound deal out within the sphere of its powers equal
and exact justice and favor TO all To act otherwise, TO
undertake to discriminate between tbs domestic insuu-
tons and another would be to act in total snbver
sion OF the snd for which csabshed-,obe be the com
ions ask not, North alleges do for The exten
sion of slavery That would make discrimination in our
they ask against in their favor II no. for them nor for
the federal government determine whether domestic
institution good bad whether II should be repress
ed reserved u belongs and Us only, 10 decide
such esons WHAT then, do in,ist is not to er-
tend slavery but thar shall he prohibited from eni-
grating, with properly, into the Territories ei tho nj
tod States because we are SHAREHOLDERS or N other words
that shall tn account be dsanchised OF PRIV
ege possessed by all Others citizens and foreigners WIN
os as %ay ., ssy ss,f A
and remain, we only being excluded
Now sir propose TO recte short but pertinent, anec-
dote connected with that portion OF the address Just read
When the whole address had been reported to the meet
ing by MIR Calhoun, chairman OF the committee, upon
whom had devoved the task OF preparing II, certain
southern gentlemen objected to the part Just ced De-
it asserted this same non intervention doctrine
Those gentlemen insisted that we should IN some mode
or olhe either in the address, by resolution or other
wise, declare desire to obtain special protection Tor
slavehodng rights in the Territories, nasmuch as they
conceived that the Mexican law aboishng slavery was
still in force therein and would operate obstruction
10 the sbmeDt and mantensn OF slavery IN the
Territories unless provided specially tor the annul.
of that law by the action OF Congress- These gen.
tIemen were certainly sufficiently consistent with them
selves ON this subject But what was the course pur-
sued by those Of who then maintained the non-ner-
vention doctrine, and who afterwards, under Mr. Cal
houns ead subscribed and sent forth the southern Ad
dressl Why sir, we insisted that the MEXICAN law
aboshng slavery already nulity, and avoweu the
opinion thai all that the South could honoraby ask or re-
he let alone, and not be nteered with by me
action OF Congress at all, relying as we did, IN Mr. Ca
houns memorable language, upon 'tne great Pfincies
OF justice the constitution, and cell government Ana
this doctrine OF the nulty of the Mexican law has been
gentlemen, including the honorable senator from 6eor-
gia, IMr BERRIEs1 my colleague, and large mum
ber of others, who seem now to apprehend tha' tn's
same law may have been imbued, by some mysterious
process or other, with vitality
One more extract only shall present in explanation OF
the views entertained by MIR Calhoun upon this mo
mentous subject shall again bring TO the notice OF inc
Senate his famous resolution OF lst7, with poron o
his comments thereupon. Here 10 the resolution
Rssoiyed That IL is fundamental principle in our pou-
cal creed that people, In forming constitution, nave
which they may think calculated 10 secure their liberty
prosperity. and happness and that IN con'on'y nee'o
imposed by the federal constitution on
State be admitted into this Union except MAJ
its constitution shall be republican and ihat he npos
ton any other by Congress would not only be VA viola
Of the constitution, but in direct con met WIN 'ne P'
cplc which political system rests
The following Mr. Calhouns language in support OF
his resolution.
Mr. President not only that proposition grossly neon
sisent with the constitution, but the other, Wntcn no'
takes 10 thapo he Admitted into TINS Union