The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-06-26
how soonA-no human precedence can now
|foreteli--bnt whatever may betidc, South
Carolina will ever claim citizenin
ggl EDWIN DELEON.
Washington, June 18th, 1850.

1OTtIejl--Butt = iHay suetiustN SCUM
Carolina will ever claim citizenin
s53 EDWIN DELEON.
Washington, June 18th, 1850.
SIS --------- - ~ a
HIr. Webster and THr. SOsaae's
Amendment to the Conspro-5
raise EBilH. ~
On the 17th inst, the amendment OF Mr..
SoULE to the Compromise Bill, declaring
that, when the territories, or any portion Of
the same shall be admitted into the Union
" as State, it shall be received ip,o The
Union, with or without slavery, as their
constitution may prescribe at the time Of
their admissions" being before the Senate;
for consideration, Mr. WEBSTER rose and
spoke as follows:
Mr.. WEBSTER. On the 7f of March,
| sir, declared my opinion to be, That there
is not square rod of territory belonging
10 the United States, tho character of
| which. for slavery or no slavery, is not
| already fixed by some irrepcalable law. !
remain OF that opinion. The opinion, sir,
i{iias been good deal canvassed in the
country, and there have been complaints
Sometimes ;respectfulaand dccorous, and
sometimes SO loud and 80 empty as to be-
como mere clarnor. But 1 have no argu-
ment upon any question of law embraced
in that opinions which shakes the frHlness
with which hold it, nor have heard any
discussion upon the matter of fact, as 10
| that part OF the opinion which rests on facts,
which leads me to doubt thesaccnracp of
my conclusions as to that part Of the opin-
| ion which regarded the true construction,
or might with more propricty say, almos,
the literal meaning, of the resolutions by
| which Texas. was admitted into the Union
Il have heard no argument calculated, in
the slightest degree, 10 alter the opinion
The committee, believe, with one accord,
concurred in it. a great deal of surprise,
real, or affected, has been expressed in fhe
country at the announcement by me Of that
opinion, as if there were something new in
it. Yet there need have been no SURPRISE
for there was nothing new in it, Other
! gentlemen have expressed the same opin-
ion moro than once; and / myself in a
speech made here on the 23d day of March,
lSIS, expressed the same opinion, almost
in the Same words with which nobody
here found fault-at which nobody here
cavilcd or made question, and nobody in
the country.
With respect 10 the other ground on
which my opinion is founded, that is the
high iinprobabilty, in point of fact, that
African slavery could be introduced and
established in any of the Territories ac-
1uircd by us in pursuance of the late treaty
with Mexico, have learned nothing, heard
nothing, from that day to this, that has not
entirely confirmed that opinion. That be-
ing my judgment OF this matter, | voted
very readily and checrfuily to exclude
what is called the Wilmot Proyso from
| these Territorial bills, or TO keep it out,
! rather, when motion was made to intro
duce II. did so. upon a very full and
deep conviction that no act of Congress. no
provision OF law, was necessary in any de-
gree for thatsfpnrpose that there were
| natural and sufficient reasons and causes
excluding forever African slavery from
those regions. That was my judgment,
and acted on it; and it is my Judgment
still Those who think differently, will, OF
course, pursue different line of conduct,
an accordance with their own Judgments
! That was my opinioniIien, and il has been
strengthened by every thing that have
! learned since, and havS no more apprc-
hension to-day OF the introduction or estab
lishment OF African slavery in these Terri
tories, than have OF its introduction into,
ID establishment in, Massachusetts.
Well, sir, have voted not to place in
these Territorial bills what is called the
Wilmot provis~ md by that vote having
signitied a dispu ION to exclude tho prohi
bition, ms thing unnecessary, am now
called upon 10 vo,e npon this amendment,
moved by the Honorable member from
Louisiana, (Mr Soule,) which provides that
the States formed out OF New Mexico and
U,al, shall have the right and privilege OF
| making their own constitutions, ami OF pre-
senting those constitutions to Congress
conlormably To the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States, with or without prohibition
against slavery, rs the people OF those Ter
! rtores, about 10 become States, may see
fit to declare. have nos seen much prac-
tical utility in this amendment, agree
| Nevertheless, if should vote, now that il
is presented TO me, against it, it might
leave me open 10 suspicion of intending, or
wishing to see that accomplished in anoth-
er way hereafter which did not choose to
see accomplished by the introduction of
the Wilmot proviso. That is to say, it
might seem as il, voting against tha. form of
exclusion or prohibition, might be willing
still that there should be a chance hereafter
to enforce it in some other wav. Now, !
think that ingenuousness and sleadiness of
| purpose, under these circumstances, com
pei me 10 vote for tho amendment, and
shall vote for it. do il exactly on the
same grounds that ! voted against the in
PRODUCTION OF the proviso And let it be
remembered that | avn now speaking OF
New Mexico and Utah, and other terrific
rlcs acquired from Mexico and no,hing
else. | confne myself to these and, as
to them, say that see no occasion to
make provision against slavery now, or to
reserve to ourselves the right of making
such provision hereafter. All this rests,
ON the most thorough conviction, that, un-
der the law o. nature, there never can be
slavery in these Territories. This is the
foundation of all. And voted against the
proviso, and vote now in favor of this
amendment, for the reason that ali restric-
tions arc unnecessary, absolutely unneces-
sary; and as such restrictions give offence,
and create n kind of resentment, as they
create degree of dissatisfaction, and as I
desire to avoid all dissatisfaction as far as
can, by avoiding all measures that cause