The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-10


that i does not belong to Texas. But ! am
willing to dispose Of that in such way that
ii will be q subject of complaint to- no one.
therefore propose TO make il Indian territory,
to put it out Of the reach of the white population
far as possible, andto put it out of the reach OF
the question Of slavery
These, Mr. President, are my views. With
these views, have offered this amendment.
have offered it in good faith, with u wish to
perfect the bill that l can vote for it, and
so that, as | believe, it will pass the other
House. IL this amendment be rejected, and If
the bill fail in consequence of il, the fault is
not with me. shall have done every thing |
could conscentously do 10 place the bill in con-
dition that could support il, and in condition
that believe many others will support il who
cannot do SO in its present form. gaR.g
Mr. HALE. But there is still another view of
it--whether the obligations of thetreaty would be
better fulfilled by assigning these people to err-
Mexico, than il would by assigning them TO the
State of Texas' That is the question which
ask and l ask it in no captiOus spirit. gl.l5s
While am up, let me say that upon This sub
jebt desire light. Upon most questions that have
presented themselves to me for a vote since have
been in the Senate, have had no great difficulty
in voting. may have voted right or wrong. But
| had no great doubts in my own mind how
o ,ght TO have voted. Rut have serious doubts
as to how to vote on this question. My desire Is
for information. desire to give right vote upon
this subject. am aware that, in voting on this
subject, | may be compelled to separate from
friends with whom have acted. My object is to
obtain all the information ! can, to enable me to
give right vote on this subject-auch vote as
will satisfy my own conscience Then will
leave the rest to take care OF itself.
Mr.. EWING. MIR. President, I can answer
the inquiry readily. According to my notion of
things, to set apart as a territory the district Of
country which did belong to New Mexico would
be strictly and exactly complying with the terms
Of the treaty And then TO admit it as State
into the Union as speedily thereafter as might be
without any territorial organiza-
ton, would be most certainly complying exactly
with the terms Of the treaty. should prefer my
self to admit it as State into the Union as soon
as it is practicable to do SO. That would comply
exactly with the treaty.
Mr.. RUSK. simply desire to ask the Sena-
tor from Ohio this question. When ne spoke, a
little while ago, Of town being levied upon, was
it by United States officer or bya Texan'
Mr.. EWING. BY United States officer.
Mr.. RUSK. And not by a Texan
Mr.. EWING. Not at all. But by the United
States officer in command Of the town.
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Mississippi. wish to ask the
Senator from Ohio question. AS the Indians
never can hold territory except in usuyract, wish
to ask him by what sovereignty he proposes to
transfer this territory! Is Texas to have the re-
versionary right, while the Indians hold 1t in tst-
fuct? Or is some other power 70 hold the title
over the territory?
Mr.. EWING. The inquiry of the senator from
Mississippi shows the propriety of my asking that
this amendment shall be printed. The territory
north of what propose to set off for the Indians
would be the territory of the United States AS
matter Of course, the territory propose to set
off would be the property of the United States,
the Indians having the usutruct.
T. Mr. rov phsat II al We n n "
ious to be able to vote for the bill which is now
pending before the Senate. have great doubts,
like the senator from New Hampshire, (Mr.
HALE,) as to what it is my duty to do under the
present circumstances, In reference to the bill pro-
posed by the honorable senator from Maryland
It will be at once very well understood by the
Senate that the compromise bill gave to New
Mexico some forty odd thousand square miles
more than is given by the bill proposed by the
senator from Maryland. This is very large
amount of terrtory--more than forty thousand
square miles. beg to say that have examined
this, and found 1t to be So And will state Tor
the benefit of the Senate, that from computation
that was made of the territory claimed by Texas,
which it was proposed she should cede to the UNI
ted States by the compromise bill, it amounted to
about los, 900 square miles. The amount that II
is proposed by this bill she shall cede, by the
same computation, is about 62,OOO square miles.
Now, confess that with a boundary such as
proposed
senator from Ohio, | would be greatly reconciled
to voting for this bill, although the amount of ter
ritory which will be added to New Mexico by the
amendment is comparatively small. II is OF very
value for the urged by the senator The ter
ritory which 1t is proposed now to leave TO Texas,
but which it was proposed in the compromise bill
should be coded by Texas to New Mexico or the
United States, is very large, but for agricultural
purposes it is of very small account | presume
il contains no population, or next to none. be-
Ieve a few hundred squatters have settled upon 1t
for temporary purposes, but do not occupy it per-
manently. 81 s
If, therefore, these settlements upon the Rio
Bravo del Norte which are comprehended In the
line proposed by the amendment of the senator
from Ohio be added should be glad to take it as
an equivalent, anxious as am to vote for the bill.
The territory, as ! have stated, is very small.
There is, perhaps, only difference OF q very few
miles between the line proposed by the senator
from Maryland in his bill and that proposed by
the senator from Ohio in his amendment. Yet, the
space proposed between the lines contains terri
tory that is valuable II contains not only two
or three hundred, but several thousand souls, that
belong, L believe, to New Mexico. Therefore, if
can get this equivalent for the territory which is
given to Texas by this bill, but which was given
to New Mexico by the compromise bill, am per-
fectly willing to vote for it.
Mr. ,RUSk. Will the Senator allow me.
The PRESIDENT. The senator must not be
Mr.. RUSK. / do not wish to interrupt him.
merely wish TO correct him in a matter Of fact.
This territory, even forty or fifty miles beyond
the line proposed by the senator from Maryland,
has been organized into county, and will be
in the Legislature of Texas next
Monday
Mr.. COOPER. was aware that country
had been organized in that neighborhood, but !
did not know that it stretched up so far. Nor did
know that it would be represented in the APP
preaching assembly which is to convene, accord
ing to the honorable senator, on Monday next.
do not know that this does not obviate the use OF
some facts to which my remarks were addressed
A number made great concessions in going for the
line proposed by the compromise bill, and the sum
which it proposed to pay, which was gong as far
as we could well go. And it can hardly be ex-
pected that without some equivalent we will take
the smaller amount of territory and give the larger
amount Of money. If it will satisfy our friends
from Texas, if it win satisfy the Senate, to adopt
the amendment, / for one shall vote for the bill.
am anxious that this question should be set
tied. | know that the Executive Government OF
the United States is exceedingly anxious that it
should be settled, on terms fair, equitable, and
lust to the parties concerned. There is scarcely