Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-03-21

counts received, and continue la receive
daily confirmation, and down to the present
moment ] suppose the assurances are as
strong, after the experience of these sever
al months, of mines Of gold apparently III
exhau>tibe in the regions near San Fran
cisco, in California, as they were at any pc
Rod of the earlier dates of the accounts
1t so happened, sir, that, although in TIE
time of peace, 1t became very important
subject 1; r legislative consideration and le-
gI>latte decision 10 provide a proper Ter
ritorial Government for California, yet dif-
ferences of opinion in the counsels Of the
G.vernmen, prevented the establishment of
any such Territorial Government for Cali
fnrDia, at the last session of Congress-
Under this state of things, the inhabitants
of San Francisco and California, then a.
mounting to great number of people-in
the summer of-last year, thought ii to be
their duty to establish local territorial
Government. Under the proclamation Of
General Riley, the people choose delegates
to il Convention; that Convention met at
Monterey. They formed Constitution for
the Stale of California, and 1t WAS adopted
by the people of California, in their prlma-
ry a>semblages DESTROYS Of immediate
connection with the United States, It's SEN
ators were appointed and Representatives
chosen, who came hither, bringing with
them the authentic constitution OF the State
of CalIf"rnia. 1t Is said, and | suppose
truly, that If the members who composed
that Convention some sixteen were natives
and had been residents of the slayeiolding
III. 10 M
slaeehnlding States. and the remaining ten
members were either native CalIiurnilns or
old settlers III that country. Tins pruhib-
ton against slavery, 1t is said, was Inserted
with eutire unanimIiy.
Mr. HALE VIII the Senator give way
n1il order Is restored
The VrcE PRESIDENT. The Sergeani-at-
Arms Wli see tina, order is restored, and
az ult re persons admitted To the floor.
ir CASs trust tie scene Of tins day
vili not he repeated. The SerseAnt-ai-
Arms must dI>lI , II re eaergy IN sl.'pFess-
rag It's ,I~ gder.
Mr. Hale. he noise Is outside the
door
blc. WEBSTER Aud ii is this crcun-
stance, sir, the prohIOItion OF slavery by
that Convention, which has contributed TO
rli>e-l do not say IL has wholly raised
the dispute as Ia the propriety OF the adinis-
SION ui California into the Union under thls
Constitution. Ii Is not TO be denied, Mr..
Presideut-nobody thinks OF denyIng-thdt,
whatever reasons were assigned at the COM
mencement of the late war win Mexrco, 1t
was prosecuted Tor the purpose OF the ac-
,f attu ullapr the alpUe1
argument that the cession of territory was
the only form ia which proper conpeIsd-
ton could he made To the United States by
Mexico for the various claims and demands
which the people of this country had against
that government At any rate 1t will be
fpnnd that President Folks message 1T the
commencement at the essIou III December,
ic47. avnwed thai the ar was To be prose-
cuied until some acquisition OF territory was
made. And, a. the acquisition was to be
South of the line of the United States, IN
warm climates and countries, 1t was natur-
ally, suppose, expected by the South that
whatever acquisitions were made III that re-
gion would be added to the slaveholdlng
portion OF the Umled States. Events have
turned out as was not expected, and that
expectation has not been realized; aud
therefore some degree of Disappointment
and surprise has resulted, # conrse. In
other words, it is obvious That the question
which has So long hirrassed the country,
and at some times very seriously alarmed
the minds of wise and good men, has come
upon us for a fresh dIscussiou-the qaes-
tIon of slavery IN these United States.
Now, SIR, | propose-perhaps at the ex-
pen>e of some detail aud consequent dete!i-
tlon OF the Sehale-to review historically,
this q ie<lon of slavery, which, partly in
consequence of lis own merits, and partly,
perhaps mostll, III the manner II Is discuss
cd IN one and the other portion Of The couiI-
trv, has been source of 50 much aliena-
ton aud nnkind feeling between the differ
eat portions of the Umiom We all know,
SIR, HAT slavery has existed IN the world
fro.u time lmmemorial There was slavery
III the earliest periods of history, Ia tie On
entail nailous. There was slavery among
the jews; lie theocratlc government of
that pc pie made no Injunction against IT.
There WAS slavery among the Greeks, and
the ingenious philosophy Of the Greeks
f'nnd, or sought TO find, a Justification for
~ a iSttN hlSf''i -i''Ai4'9 "''1Sh H''S
iiee. assumed for such a IuslIlcatlon IN tins
coantrs th.i Is, natural aud original d.
,ereuce among the races of mankind: the
,1ieriuriiy of The b.acA or colored race, to
she elk l-tI-ied their system OF slavery
upon ialt gTound precisely. They held the
African, aud IA some paris the Aslaiic,
tTla,s In be inferior to the white race; but
they did not show, think, by ANY close
process Of logic, that, If tins were true, the
more Intelligent aud the stronger had there
fore L right TO sublugaIe the weaker.
The more manly philosophy aad juris-
prudence Of the Romans placed the jusilf-
cation Of slavery on entirely different
grounds.
The Roman jurists, from the first, and
down To the fall olihe empire, admitted that
slavery was against the natural law, by
which, as they maintained, all men of what
soever cline, color, or capacity, were equal;
but they justified slavery. FIRST, upon the
ground and authority of the law OF nations
arguing, and arguing truly, that at that