The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-23


n,ltee has taken placef. in addition. did not feel my
self restrained from rearkng upon that part Of the plan.
which should have been glad io>have done IF ! had
The PRESIDENT. The senator cannot proceed ;
there is no question: before the Chair
Mr. FOOfE will. then. merely say in regard to the
appeal, that Tor these reasons and others that shall
stale, will moi withdraw the point Of order | wish
the rules OF order enforced against others they
Mr.. HUNTER Mr. President. | will pass from the
subject which you have decided TO be oul order
discuss, although in discussing ii following ex-
ample by many Others who have preceded me- and
pursue Ge of remark which believe to be strictly in
order. may surely compare the bill under consdera
ton with the resolutions OF which have been speaking.
proceeding in the downward Of concession and sub
mission The resolutions of the senator from Kentucky
proposed to admit California with suitable boundaries" J"
and thus justified hope that the proposed limits for the
new State would be curtaed il those resolutions
10 be taken the basis of action But the bill before
us gives to California the whole. extent Of territory
which she claims. In this respect then, the bill s
than the resolutions The latter proposed to buy only
as much from Texas as she claimed from New Mexico ;
but Of much more. which ndsputably belongs % Texas
and thus enlarges the territory TO be Withdrawn from the
jurisdiction OF slave State In this respect then, the
scheme OF the bill worse and much worse than that of
the resolutions. So far the Territories OF Utah and
New Mexico are concerned both the bill and the resou
tons propose to give them governments and say nothing
OF slavery IN the fundamental law which establishes
them. But here preference is claimed for the bill
the resolutions because does not contain the assertion
TO be found the resolutions that "savery does not
exist by law and s not likely 10 be introduced into any
OF the territory acquired by the United States of Mex
co !, but think It can be shown that here there even
is little or nothing to choose between the two II the bill
contains such assertion, the report does contain
thing very like it. The given in the resolutions for
not introducing the Wilmo, Provso is, that it is un
necessary. account of the existing law and physical
causes. But does not the report excuse the ssion
of the PrOvs0, on the ground that il is unnecessary and
does not refer to the experience OF California in which
these causes supposed by its author to operate
proof OF the assertion! What gives emphasis 10 the in
ference thai the Provlso Only omitted because
necessary y the fact that whosesez the South sup
posed to have rights arsag either from the constitution
or from compact, those rights enforced and their
foundations demonstrated In relation TO the recapture
OF fugitive slaves, the abolition OF slavery in the District
without the consent OF the adjoining States, and without
compensation, the division OF Texas no four States, and
their admission hereafter, with or without slavery,
codlng to their own cholce The rights OF The South were
distinctly stated and eaiorced; but wheh the settlement
0i the vacant territory discussed nothing said
of the right OF the South share In enjoyment-noh
ing IN Reputation OF the power OF Congress to exclude
slavery by Legislation the contrary the omission to
recommend the Provso seems 10 have been excused
the ground that it was unnecessary The almost rresis
ble from that report, me, is, that
the PrOvsoswoud have been recommended had il been
necessary tor the exclusion OF slavery but We are told
that the report part OF the bill and that vote for
the last and not the hrs But is it true that the report is
be considered along with the bill, estimating the
moral force OF the precedent to be established by the pas
sage OF thus bill Is not rule IN the Attorney Gene
rails Office to consider report in constituting and inter-
preng law which II recommended In estimating the
moral influence OF the passage of this
entirely political It's chaTacter-is there any n-
quirer who would not turn 10 the report one OF the
sources OF explanation TO It's objects and mohves The
friends OF this must thus esteem IT, for they
Ter its recommendations to Texas Of the ad
vanages conferred the South but nothing il proposed
TO be done TO this matter the only benefit which IT
coniers Is The moral force OF All expression OF opinion
on the part OF the majority oil the committee II the
moral force OF an expression OF opinion be good for u.s.
il must also be good against US and il am right in
these conclusions. there no one respect in which the
COMPROMISE scheme better than that OF the resolutions
whilst IN some important particulars II is worse
Blu, told that il is compromise, and will give
peace 1t is, lear like other compromises which
have made--a surrender OF right the part OF the
Southland will lead, probably. to the same or worse
conclusion. We were TO have peace and harmony on
the passage OF the Missouri Compromise Under that
hope, ana from OF honor, the South has adhered
to il since but what sort OF peace did il procure Tor
scarcely dozen years elapsed before he run OF anti
slavery petitions" commenced; and thus began the
whose object told. to denaonaxe the inst-
tuition of savery-that place it without the pale OF
the consuuon and beyond the protection Of the general
government Mr. President, we all remember hs
and excitement to which this warfare gave rise. The
South insisted that these petitions should not be coune
nanccd encouraged, or even considered. The agitation
to which they lea endangered southern property and life
and accordingly the House OF Representatives adopted
rule excluding aDOuon petitions. But we were
advised consent to the repeal OF that rule. We
told that furnished fuel TO fame OF slavery agi
taton, and aliment to those who famed II into fury
Abolish this rule and were told that they could have
no means OF lnfAming the public mind in the North but
perish from want OF the means Oh
rule rcIealed-that compromise made. And what IS
the condition which the country Is now pacedi Has
gwen peace, the appearance of peace Or on the
contrary has not encouraged the anti slavery sprt.
and made II presumptuousl Formerly, when these
abolition peions and papers presented, the qnes
ton in debate whether should consider them.
Now the question whether shall upon them, and
how shall act upon them. Let the present condition
oi legislation testify the TACT oi the peace which
such compromise has gwen And who shall tell
alter these warnings from history that the adoption OF
his "A
OF the South. will give peace and that it will not,
on the contrary, lead 10 and extravagant de-
mandss have said that this proposition WAS IN my
opnion OF surrender OF right and power the part
OF the South. Certainly such a surrender II ieated
by what the South have hitherto claimed and to sustain
that point wish to show what the South has hitherto
claimed what has been her standard in relation TO
rights, and compare that standard with what il
proposed she shall accept The South has claimed in
relation TO the territories OF the United States,
that all the States OF the Union tenants in common
that II is property, and that each and all have
right to settle with their property OF every description,
all the vacant territory OF the United States That "a
the position which they have taken, and do not stand
here argue has been argued often, and argued too
with ability than can bring to the tack That ia
her positions and what follows from ~ Ii these be her
rights, follows concIusvely that she is either entitled
to paltion and division Of the territories, or else to
the social posse ssion and enjoyment OF ALL That the
rule OF tenany in is the rule OF justice and oil
common sense and 10 the rule which history will show
the South herse has applied TO the case She has
offered to settle difficulties of this sort both modes.
First she agreed that all differences should be settled by
division OF the territory, the OF the Missouri
Compromise. There the rule worked against her, and
territory covered BY pro,savery laws was given up TO