Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-06-22
SPEECH OF Mr.. DAYTON,
OF NEW JERSEY.
ON THE COMPROMISE BILL.
TuEsDAY, JUNE IL, 1850.

TUESDAY, JUNE IL, 1850.
The Senate having under consideration the sPeca ofoe
being the bill to admit California State into the Unlon
TO establish Territorial Governments for Utah and New Mex-
ca and making proposals to Texas for the establishment OF
her western and northern boundaries which bill Mr. BrsroS
had moved to postpone till the 4h day Of March, 1851
Mr. DAYTON. avail myseffof the first opportunity
presented since the report Of the committee Tor the
Of my upon the general subject before the Sensse
regret the delay that has occurred since the report and the
speech Of the Senator from Kentucky there would seem to
have been wanting proper promptItude upon the part OF
Senators concung the views OF the Executive IN coming
up to its supports and have sometimes fell sense Of per-
sonal humiliation that have been slow IN the expression
of views the question purpose examining not 50
much the recommendation of the Executive as the plan OF
the committee. In doing so, shall make no antagonism
between them and shall place myself in no point OF
antagons with the committee with any member OF the
committee, and least Of all with its distinguished chairman
Sir have followed him at distance too long to desire or
even to to position Of personal antagonism now
When we saw the result of the action Of the committee
Of general surprise and disappointment was felt IN
this chamber well in the country at large Here was
committee organized for harmony got up with view TO con-
Citation and intended to reach united result was thus
that the mind Of the country to be affected by the moral
force of grand compromise But sir, when this report
comes in find that instead Of being the result OF an mar
monious compromise it is literally the offspring Of confusion
and the child of disco The report scarcely born before
it was denounced by many Of its putaive fathers They
seized upon it. stranged it. and would have choked dead
in its cradle but for the ndomtabe energy OF one man. who
seized with one hand and defended against all Corners
with the other Although dissenting from his positions,
spectacle Of moral grandeur which could not but res
pect and admire.
But sir when the result Of this committees consultation
with almost many dissenents concurens became
apparent required much confidence in the committee to
still persist in its plan and permit me to say with great
respect, that il required still more confidence on the part OF
the chairman under such disastrous circumstances to say
that he bad seen with profound surprise and regret the
around us of the Chief Magistrate of the country in his
pecuarpan" Mr. President recollect that during the
last Presidential canvass, New ork politician somewhat
distinguished for pquant sayings whose father was at that
time an irregular Democratic FIeesoi candidate express
ed his unbounded surprise that General Cass would persist
in running his just to distract the Democratic party
(Laughter] Now, sir, with all proper respect, seems
to me that 10 view Of the action Of this committee, and
its utter want of harmony the surprise and regret referred
would naturally have been looked for in another quar-
ter, and from opposite direction. thmk-and my
belief il that the gea. body Of the Wings of the North at
least will agree with rnethat the Cancellation and effort
harmony referred should have come from this end
rather than from the other end of the avenue Why s
what have seen After weeks Of struggle you have
organized your committee they have gone into session
thirteen learned doctors consulting the body Of poor
dying paen and yet the thirteen have not united upon the
mode of treating solitary Of the five gaping wounds OF
which the patient is said to be dying Seven majority Of
that committee Why, sir the President with his six mem
bes Of the Cabinet would have formed the majority they
had been part Of that committees yet under such circum-
stances considered of surprise that there not
some nmaon the part the Executive hathe would aban
don his recommendation for that Of the committee. The
suggestions the President when made certainly well re-
ceived by the country large In the beginning he proposed
(what understood the South had first
and then, sir when In, and, under the recon-
mendation Of the Executive work up that ponno nterer
the Territories at alive find that the stake pulled
up and set down further on and we again required to
work up and told further, that unless we DO so
nothing be donehat the question is the plan OF this
committee nothing Sir, if that be regret deeply
If it so turn out shall believe that is the unfortunate
result this attempt accomplish than the state OF the
times and circumstances would permit
Mr. President desire to make some remarks upon the
plan of the committee do not compare this plan with
any other because although newspapers and speeches have
designated the plan Of the committee and the other as
the plan Of the Executive the Executive itself never
suned any such title for its recommendation It did no more
than recommend single It is indebted Tor Its
to speech-makers and Journalists It was no pan;
it protested TO be grand scheme for settling all the s
which might possibly act the body politics it was the
Recommendation Of simple and single measure. The
Committee of Thirteen have brought forward grand scheme,
and insist calling the President scheme
plan like their own and ask comparison They are not
susceptible Of comparison. The Presidents recommended
ton and the plan Of the committee go together until the
recommendation of the President stops They are Identical
certain point and if you take the remarks Of the dis
nguished Senator from Kentucky, Mr. CLAY) you will
find avowed by him. He says that the Executive re-
commends the introduction of California State, and SO
does the committee. The Executive recommends non
Intervention to the subject of slavery and does the
committee. They therefore identical, in the view OF
that Senator far From that point forth, the plan OF
the committee is plan Of its own, and it must stand or
fall not by comparison with opposite plan, but BY its
own single merits
The Executive recommends the admission Of California
State; and the committee in it, with certain other
matters Now, sir, upon the point Of preference between
the two recommendations. The Executive recommends
single act direct, plain, and straightforward He says
California deserve upon her own merits to be admitted adj
init her if she do not reject her. That is the plain, d.
and straightforward method Of legislation Invested Of all
exraneous, outside influences. What does the committee
do They recommend the admission Of Californathereby
admitting the Executive to be rgh-but in addition, from
uves policy political strategy they recommend other mat
ters wholly exa.eous to the main proposition; other and
weaker measures to be carried along by this the stronger
submit IN the beginning, that the recommendation of the
Executive thus far the unexcep.ionabe and proper
course OF egslation that California alone
than proposition which connects il with and ovedes it
by other matters Then, s TO the Territories. The
Executive recommends nonntervenon upon the subject oil
slavery and the committee recommend nonnteventon on
the subject Of slavery Both plans respects this exciting
topic, (Which alone deeply the public mind are
thus far dentica they do nothing ALL Cat least the report
OF the committee processes to do nothing) although soma
Senators suppose advantage gained the South by the
extension OF Territorial Government there When the
plans therefore, commence differ, they differ in relation
10 saverynot in reference the matter ABOUT which the
country deeply excited but TO matter about which the
country knows little, and the great majority care less, wit
the civil organization of those Territories aside from slavery
The want Of civil organization OF the Territories IS not one
of the FIVE gaping wounds which have been graphically de-
scrbed II is said that it is duy-that we are under
treaty obligations provide the inhabitants Of those Terrific
res with governments The ninth section Of the treaty OF
Guadalupe Hidago provides
Americans Who in the Territories Aforesaid shall not pre-