The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-18

| lion and admitiinr teIn into the Union with as
many Senators az ney had Representatives. He
did not think thi5 yas making the Senate what the
Constitution intelded it should be- H. objected 10
the formation of such States and his objection was
not less orcbl, TO his mind whether the State was
| free OF not.
rcslc.tino he boundary of Texas, and 10 the Inn-
ncnt dan gtr o. strife and hloudsaed growing out o!
IT, AID said that he would consider himself as dere-
lict n his duly if he could consent to an ADJOURN
met of Congress before doing something Tor It's
lie then commented Upon the objections madety
| ne opponents q! the hi.!. luosc southern gcutlc-
men Who opposed il said that il icICd every thing
TO The North and northern gentlemen said it yield
"a every thing TO the South Each considered il
az giving up every thing TO the other, they, who
never before agreed upon amy thing under the sun,
now opposed the bill to the death Good fellowship
exists between these sections upon this point; it has
caused friendly feelings, and they meet shake
hands, and mutually cry out, clown with the
bll'-
GA day, an hour of virluous liberty,
Is worth a whole eternity OF bondage"
He ascrbed to those who attributed these con-
trary effects TO the bill the utmost sincerity and pa
troiism. Ills colleague was one OF them. lie was
sorry say that lac differed with his colleague, and
with the members Of the other House from his State,
and ii put 10 vote among them, he would be, lie
regretted TO say, IN a minority.
He said that he believed the bill would settle the
question to the present Territories He believed
that II the WnOIG measures reported ny tue COM
mittee were adopted To day, they would settle a
majority of the questions at present agitating the
country. And this would be a ean-a great gain
to Massachusetts,, and to the North, and - the
whole country. Congress would then be freed from
the constant agitation upon this topic. which
prohibits and excludes all others. This one ques
ion stops the wheel. OF Legislation, parayzcs the
arm Of government, and makes the Legislation Of
the nation appear as II Congress had but to discuss
and act upon but one topic
What does Massachusetts, and the free States lose
by this bi' They lose the application of the Will
mot proviso, and aa'hipg more. California is adj
niittcd, they desire that's the Toxas boundary ques
ton is settled and that they desire, and desire to
be settled upon liberal and just terms What was
the value of the Nllmot proylso as applied to New
Mexico: Nothing. There was no sacrifice made
by withholding that proviso. He ailaded to the
ilnprobability Of slavery ever being carried into
New Mexico, as well account Of the country
the opinion OF the people OF New Mexico them
selves. And repeated that, as regarded New Mex
leo, the proviso nothing but an abstraction, for
whether applied or not, things would remain pre-
csey they were before.
lie alluded in terms of commentator to the
speech of tiie Senator from Connecticut, (Mr.
SsuTH,) upon the lmp.obakiity OF slavery being
carried to New Mexico, and Inalntain-d .hGt by
that speech the exclusion of slavery clearly
demonstrated. He regretted that the Senator,
! however, did 10. intend 10 vote accordingly The
reason given by the Senator was, that he was un-
| der instructions from his State. lie then exam
! ned the doctrine of nstructing representatives,
and the duty Of tho represcn aye to obey those in
! structions. He examined how Tar instructions,
! based upon partc considerations OF subject,
and given under different state OF circums taces
| by small portion of the country, were binding
! upon ppc who is sworn to discharge duty TO the
| whole country; and by whose vote may be deter
| mined questions INVOKING tbe honor, renown, and
! destinits of twenty millions OF people He exam
nel i! as question of morals, and cited the case u
representative instructed by his constituents, and
| who pledged himself To- vote according TO the in
l. l.aS -, Oh. -
llIc French Assembly. objected 10 ana rejected,
ON the ground thHt, being pledged beforehand 10 a
small constituency he was NOT = fair legislator for
] the whole nation.
| He said that members ought to be free in their
ton in tDs public councils. The Senate should have
! a Wilnot upon IL. Members were not free to act
according to their notions VI what was just, wise,
and eEpedient. He thought that il the genius OF
liberty, having power 10 enforce its decree, would
appear in the hcavens, bearing a scSoil on which
we're inscribed the words, "heither slavery IN
voluntary servitude shall exist in the Congress OF
! the United States, except for the punishment OF
| crime" that 1t would be great blessing. How
| could the sEjrt of freedom free mems limbs and
bodies in the Terntcyies, and leave Congress bound
| and shackled;
| lie commented upon the evils OF inslructing rep
reseutatyos upon this idea, while the very fac
of being instructed upon IL acted 10 the prejudice o
the other great and paramount interests OF the
country : Il the great business interests, tie la
bUrcr, the merchant, and the Manufacturer were
behalf and his Wilmot proy!so stands in the way
| aud checks all things. Never were the vast busi
ness interests more depressed for want of proper
protection than now, and yet nothing can ie don,
iil ibis subject Is disposed of and settled The ps0
! pie wanted the question settled, and they would
| demand j.
| IL was asked what the South would gain by thi.
bill with respect u the Territories lie would TAX,
| the State Of Maryland, and say that Maryland
| gained exactly the same that Massachusetts, lost
and that yas precisely nothing
There were no dispniOuists IN the Senate, but th
world outside Of Con gres3 vas not so wise nor S,
patriotic as the world IN Congress; and be believed
that there wcfc those who we're the lOudest ~ Op
position 10 the proviso, who in their heart woLl,
rejoice to 1t applied to the bill, and who would
be glad ID that and other restrictions place.
| upon the South, that when the South was driven &
| extremes they might know what TO do.
lie alluded 10 the unlund prejudiccs erifting a
the North and at the South against each other
| growing out Of attributing 20 the whole North O
whole South what ives said OF done by few only il
those sections. in this point Of view he spoke o
the Nashville convention and It's address. lie sal,
that the address wa studlOus disuniOn argument
Mr.. BARNNELI. and Mr.. WEBSTER mad,
mutual explanations ON this point.
Mr.. WEBS TER continued. and alluded 10 Do
Cuba expedition, and said that il was not attribu
table TO the Whole South, and denied that the doc
thine of the Nashville address was the sentiment q
the southern people.
lie maintlia cd that the Senator from Connection
(Mr. SStTr) had told the truth whom De attributes
tire acquisition OF territory, not TO the South az sec
ton, but 10 the Democratic party.
lie alluded, also. 10 the unconstitutional impris
Onmcnt of free c0lOrcd persons who entered south
ern ports, and commented fayorably upon IN
character and mission Of Mr.. lIoar, who went
Charleston with view TO test that law.
lie animadycrlod upon the great prejudice ex
istng in Massachusetts, upon the subject of the re-
camEtiOn VI fugitive slaves, that prejudice ha
been created aud kept alive by the incessant publ
cations Of the abolition press. And this, too, Whc
there had not, 10 his knOwledgc, been singh
| slave rccapturcd and deli, cred 10 his master D
that State Tor twenty years. From the tone an
spirit Of the abolition press, IL would seem that
Z | rccapturc was thing Of weekly occurrence. )
! f,-r 10 h,s knowledge extended, there had ncyc
been case Of false Claim by master in all Ne'
I England. IL was strange that there should be thi
. excitement in respcct TO this matter, which ha
, / been going on for more than two hundred year,.
he read a letter from the Governor Of Virginia
1 tie Governor Of Massachusctts, dated in the yea
l66i, wherein il j. said ihat.a citizen Of Nrgini
had lost his servants, and IL supposed they Ia
He'd 70 Massachusetts; and asks that the goycrnc
Oi Massachusetts will lend all his kind offices 10 e
feet their recapturc aud rcstOration the govcrno
| of Virginia had often done with those who ran o
from Massachusetts,.
Mr.. W. explained that in Massachusetts,, at tina
time, an e1tensiye system Of apprenticeship was ]
E existence, and those apprentices often ran away