The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-22

courts YOU were punished for it, You were COM
PEELED 10 make compensation in damages Tor your
all good feeling, if they can justly urge as reason
for dissolving the Union annoyances consequent
upon state of things in the free States which they
cannot prevent at their own doors!
We are met by the gentleman from North caro-
lima with another difficulty, for which he holds the
North responsible He suggests that the increasing
anti-slavery sentiment in the North will prevent
the President from appointing shareholders to ONCE
For the present let single fact allay the gentle
mans fears. The Presidency has been given to the
saveholding States during forty eight OF the last
sixty years. And this too, though the white pop
ulation of the slavehoding States has rarely il at
any time exceeded half that of the free States
Ofthe foreign missions of all grades, more than a
majority have been given to the South. OF the Cabi
net appointments, very nearly, If not quite hall,
have been given 70 the South OF the officers In
the army and navy, it will be found that, consider
ing the relative population of the free and slave
holding States, at least three out of five have oeea
given TO the South. How is il at this very moment,
sir, while these very complaints OF outrage insults
tyranny, and loss of Office are being made! why,
sir, the President, majority of the Cabinet,
ma jority Of our foreign ministers, a majority
of the members Of the Supreme Court, and the
presiding officer and clerk OF this House, are
southern men and shareholders. Does not this sat
isfy the gentleman from North Carolina! Surely
he might, this subject, rest quite easy Another
difficulty, gravely set forth in that gentlemans
speech, ought, perhaps, 10 notice with becoming
seriousness. / allude To the refusal OF the New
England spinster TO take the southern gentlemans
arm! That was wrong, unquesuonably. But then,
these Yankee girls are very independent, and VIII
do Just as they please--as some of us have learned
from very painful personal experienced But do
not think that DISSOLUTION of the Union need to
follow necessary consequence. IL is proper
subject for negotiation And, the lady cannot
fail TO perceive by this time that she is in danger of
becoming second Helen, she will doubtless be
more yielding.
Another charge against the free States is that of
aiding fugitive slaves TO make their escape. That
We have vicious people as well as deluded people
among us, we do not deny; and that they have
aided slaves to eude the pursuit Of their owners,
ID, lregret TO say more than probable. Such acts
are not IN consonance with the spirit of our Con-
stitution, and they tend directly destroy that
good neighborhood among the people and the
States of this Union. which every true hearted
American desires 10 cultivate. They are acts,
against the commission and for the punishment of
which the General Government ought TO provide.
hope such provision will be made before the
close OF this session. Ii need not be expected,
however, that any human laws, however rigidly
enforced, will wholly remedy this evil. There
are bad men In all communicate the North as
well as the South; and one unprincipled man,
by enticlng away or aiding the escape of a slave,
may bring reproaches upon whole State am
confident, however, that the number of such men
IN the Tree States is very greatly oveEestimated by
gentlemen from the South. They should remember
that it takes but very few men to occasion all the
annoyance they have suffered in this respect
They should remember too, that these things
Gone secretly, and are by no means countenanced
by the mass OF the people. For my own part, am
ready TO go any reasonable length 10 secure such
legislation as will henceforth prevent, as far as
possible, this grievance / desire to law en-
acted this pres INT session, which shall secure to
you, as far practicable, your rights in this
spect. The slaves your own property; recog-
Missed as such by that Constitution, every line and
every intendnent of which hold sacred. But
let me ask gentlemen if they have not negro steal
ers in their States-if they have not every
variety OF unprincipled characters among them?
Neither they nor free respective States
from such men; and they should consider whether,
If things were reyersed-they occupying our posi-
ton and We theirs-they would be likely TO keep
themselves freer from just reproach than we have
done. am not unmindful Of truth as TO deny
that III respect TO the subject under consider
alton, some OF southern friends have good cause
TO complain. But il must have been remarked by
all OF that the Representatives from those States
which have really been aggrieved in this respect
are not those who have threatened with dis
: union. These threats have come from the Repre-
sentativcs of States from which, venture TO say,
on an average not one slave escapes in five years.
Who ever heard of a slave escaping from Mssis-
sip or Alabama? Where does he 60 to, Who
hel rs him away! Certainl y-pot the people of the
North. Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and Mis-.
souri, the only States that areS really sufferers by
the escape Of slaves, do not seem to have dreamed
of dissolution a remedy; while the Representa-
tiycs from few of the extreme southern States,
whence slaves could no more escape than from the
island of Cuba see ample cause and imperious ne
southern confederacy," in the alleged fact that
their slaves entced away by the citizens of the
North.
| believe there remains now but single other
"charge against the North" for me TO examine;
and that brings me TO the subject more immediate
ly under consideration in this committee-the Cal
ifornia question. The proceeding which has
suited in bringing California to the door Of the
Union Is characterized by the honorable gentle
man from Mississippi, Gas unwise, unpatriotc,
sectional in its tendencies, insting 10 The South,
and in the last degree despicabe." at is" says
that gentleman, Gin derogation Of the Constitution
Of the United States, and intended 10 rob the
southern States of their just and rghtinl posses
sions."
II is also objected that these proceedings are
likely 10 introduce into the other House Of Con
gress two "Free- Soil Senator'S" which will destroy
the equilibrium now existing there between the
North and the South, by giving 10 the free States
the majority. Well now, sir, what are the pro-
ccedings complained Of, and for which the Union
is 10 be dissolved and the North held responsible?
The President, himself southern man and
save-h holder, with Cabinet majority Of whom
are southern men and slave holders, sends Thomas
Butler King, southern man and a slave-h holder,
90 laid and comfort" encourage and advise,
tine gold diggers in their efforts Join the sister
hood Of States. Mr.. King returns, bringing as
trophies two southern men-one a MssissippiaH
and the other a South Carolinian- land both
slave holders, believe whom our southern Pres
ident desires 10 introduce into the Senate Of the
United States members OF that body. And
thereupon our southern friends declare that il this
infamous measure Of "northern aggression" is
carried out, the Union shall be- dissolved and the
North held responsiblci But what, pray, has the
North had 70 do with all thsi Where can you dis.
cover the slightest traces OF northern mans finger
in the whole matter, Nay sir. who are they in
Congress who arc understood 10 have distinctly de-
clarcd themselves in favor Of the admission Of Cali
fornia since the reception Of the message on that
subject Who but Clay, Houston, Benton, Of the
Senate, and Bay, Of this House-a shareholders,
And this California proceeding fills the measure
Of northern aggression" and makes IL impcra-
tive upon every southern rise in rebellion -
and exclam to the North. "gve W liberty. or give
DEATH" Mr.. Chairman, how j. il that this mat
ter expected never 10 be understood by the people
Of the SOUTH Surely their representatives DO not
intend to deceive them-they could not hope TO do
50 on subject 80 plain and papable.
Now, sir, having disposed Of the charges Of
+" northern aggression, - Of which have heard 20
much since the meeting Of Congress, appeal 70
gentlemen 20 say whether there IL any thing in
them, taken separately or in the aggregate, which
in the slightest degree jusiies their threats against
the Unions appeal To them also 70 say, whether
the overthrow Of this Government and the estab-
hshment OF a" southern confederacy" would miti-
gate in any degree the evils they complain OF.
Would anti-slavcry societies 90 down would anti.
slavery presses cease their issues would lecturers
0iN nj Cattld De-