The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-24

ELLwOOD FISHER,
Washington City.
ton of the recognition Of the title OF the United
States TO the public domain within her limits and the
want or a compactnot TO interfere with theprimary
disposition OF the soil. The usage of the Govern
ment demands such provision tits the exercise of
| high sovereign power, and cannot be had without
the call of another convention, because the present
Constitution Of California does not confer it upon
the legislature. Without such stipulation, the
United States cannot preserve any title TO the pub
| lie lands and mines Of California. The title Of
one government to lands within another, is ncon-
sstent with the sovereignty Of the latter, and can
only be maintained, with the consent of the State,
in the nature Of a compact Such has been the uni
form construction Of Congress, ofour Constitution,
and system of State sovereignties, in regard to this
complex subject This object cannot be secured
by the simple legislation of Congress- II must
have the form and sanction Of compact, which
can be consummated only by the assent OF Cali
fornia.
Since the Constitution of California must return
to the people for further action and new and inn
portant provisions, it becomes the duty OF Con-
gress to adjust her boundary and curtail the vast
extent Of this Pacific empire. There is great dam
| ger in permitting one State to engross all the ports
on the Pacific, especially when the remoteness
and isolated condition Of that country. is con-
sidered To say nothing Of the political hazard
of our system, arising from combinations among
large and disproportionae States California, with
her vast limits, presents e'hsr sunJss's Oh serious
existence by the wide extent and produciveness or
her mines-by the still richer treasures that VIII
flow from Eastern and Indian commerce. From all
these causes we may look for hostility TO the rev,
enus and commercial system OF the Union. Al
the great commercial ports of the Paclhc should
not be left under one local jurisdiction. San Diego
and San Francisco ought to be in different States,
for many and cogent reasons OF policy. In the
progress Of events, the Government OF the Union
will have slight hold upon that extensive isolated
region. with its great mines and western trade, II
/ the country is all embraced by one State govern,
ment Ii is our policy TO strengthen the bands OF
| the Union there by the erection of two or more
States, the multiplication Of seaporis ana the
| creation Of commercial rivalries. II you admit
California with her present limits, the bay of San
| Francisco will engross nearly the whole of the
| foreign and domestic trade of the Paciilc
| II Is apparent from the report OF Mr.. King,
that the country possesses much more aSricuitu-
raj power than is generally supposed. It's mines
vii FIJI the country rapidly with large
a population composed, in a considerable degree,
Of foreigners, with very little sympathy with our
own Goxer,,ment. 1t is not the part OF wisdom to
organise ths State in such a manner as 10 tempt
its inhabitants with the advantages OF separate
political existence Independent OF the American N
Union.
| THE DasMEalBERMENf os TEXAS.
/
present shape / desire to speak Of that Illisnous
statesman with all respect. BY his lofty patriot
ism and great intellectual exertions during the pre-
sent session of Congress, he has shown himself,
what he has been often termed, the Chatham OF
America But aaa constrained to say, that the
provisions of this bid in relation to Texas are to-
taIly inadmissibe as Southern measure, glaringy
unjust to that State and destructive to her highest
interest, to her security and prosperlty.as slave
State.
The Senate bill declares, that all that portion of
the territory Of the United States acquired from
Mexico by the treaty, concluded I'd February,
1913, and not included within the limits of the
| State of California, nor within the limits OF The
Territory of Utnh as prescribed III this act. be ana
the same is hereby erected INTO a temporary gov
eminent, by the name of sc the territory Of New
Mexico" with a provision that Congress may
hereafter divide il into two States.
| This bill is accompanied by report, with the
following Statement: "The committee beg leave
next to report on the subject of the northern and
western boundary Of Texas. On that question:
great diversity ofopnon has prevailed. Accord
ing to one view Of it, the western limit OF Texas
was the Nueces; according to another, 1t extended
to the Rio Grande, and stretched from Its mouth
to its source" The report then states that the
committee had agreed on an amlcabe adjustment
with the following boundary: The northern
boundary Of said State shall be as follows: Begin
ming on the Rio del Norte, commonly called III
Paso and running up that river 20 miles, measured
by straight line thereon, and thence eastwardly to
point where the Tooth degree or west Longitude
crosses Red river, being the southwest angle in
the line designated between the United States ana
Mexico, and the same angle in the line OF the ter
ritory set apart for the Indians by the United
Stntes."
In the first place, the bill and report taken to-
eether throw discredit and doubt upon the whole
western boundary of Texas. They cast doubt
upon n portion Of the line which il and has been,
for considerable period, under the quiet Jurlsdlc-
ton of the officers and government of Texas from
the mouth Of the Rio Grande to Ell Paso.
The Senate bill, it will be perceived, pushes q
free line, down into the immediate vicinity of El
Paso, on the great military road from the coast OF
Texas to the Pacific. 1t opens highway for our
slaves into New Mexico, Utah, and California,
with every means and facility for escape from the
frontiers Such line cannot fail to render slave
property in western and northern Texas, and espe-
ciay on Red river, insecure, and seriously affect
it's value. The salubrious climate, rich soil, ana
productions of Texas, together with cheap lands,
invite emigration, and offer great Inducements TO
the planter. Her caracities for producing sugar
and cotton are almost incalculable. She must re-
ceive large portion Of the negroes of the more
northern slave Sates unless emigration is retarded
by an unjust and, TO the South, unwlse adjustment
Of this subject IfTexas is true to her own inter-
ests, she never will consent to such a boundary,
when the resolutions OF annexation guarantee
slavery to new States to be formed out of her ter
ritory south of 36 degrees 80 minutes north latl-
tude How can she consent to permit slavery to
be abolished within her limits to the 32d degree OF
latitude, with the inevitable consequences IN iuh
view
This bill further provides: If theState of Texas
shall refuse or decline to accede to the preceding
articles, they shall become null and void, and the
United States shall be RENTED back to all their
territorial rights, in the same state and condition
as if these articles of compact had never been ten.
dered IN the acceptance of the State of Texas"
The amount TO be paid in Texas accedes to
the proposition i, by the bill left blank.
Ii will be perceived that the Territory of New
Mexico is, by this bill, to be created with with
out the consent Of Texas. 1t will of course be
organized according to its ancient limits, and in
derogation Of the rights Of Texas. IL will be