Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-21

orna presented By the bill nothing to mitigate tho In
dgnation of the Southern States, TO battle their de-
termination to redress the wrong if inflicted They are
excluded from the whole territory of California, terri
| tory extensive enough to contain four large States
If the constitution proposed by California contained
nothing about slavery, would the Worth allow her
ter the Union? Such were the territorial bills proposed
for California at the last Congress, but they rejected
| them, because the South not excluded from this
territory, in express terms. The inhabitants OF this
territory have been left without any civil government
solely because the South would not consent to be egs
lated out of them with her institutions; and, now that
this object is accomplished by the constitution presented
by California, these conservatlves-hese advocates of
law and order-are eager TO admit her, without right
| precedent, into the Union We aware of the in
conveniences the inhabitants OF California may have
suffered for want OF civil government established by
Congress- and, therefore, are prepared yield much
account OF the circumstances in which they have been
placed. In the resolutions have adopted and submit
Tor your appreciation you will perceive that we recon-
mend you to assent to the admission OF California
stale on certain conditions
The next measures in perfect keeping with the first
feature of " the report" 1t takes from Texas territory
sufficient for two large States, and adds them to New
Mexico What the bill contains with respect to slavery
will be OF little consequence; for tits designed that
winter New Mexico thus constituted shall follow the
example of California, and be admitted as a State with
a constitution excluding slavery from its limts-for
without such exclusion she cannot hope to be admitted
| by the non slaveholdng States into the Union The
effect will be, that territory, which slavery
| exists equal two States, will be wrested from the
South and will be given up to the non-sla> eholdng
States The pretext is that there is some doubt as TO
the the boundaries Of Texas. Texas by her laws, when
toward the West, and that boundary the Rio
Grande
Yet the pretenson is up that her territory does
extend to within three hundred miles OF the Missouri
compromise line, where Congress- in receiving her into
the Union, determined that her territory should be d.
vided between the sayeholdng and non-slaveioding
States Texas the only State in the Union which has
the solemn guarantee OF the government Of the United
States IN every possible form to her boundaries. Yet
this IS the government which disputes them aud under
the peteX that they very doubtful proposes to take
from her nearly one half of her territory 1t by vir-
tue OF such pretensons that by the bill two States
to be taken from the Southern and given to the North
ern States; and this wrong is aggravated by compel
ling us to pay Tor it, through the Treasury OF the United
| States.
Congress, in the resolutions admitting her into the
Union, recognized this boundary,ny laying down line
| OF limitation between the slaveholding and non-save
holding Staes-fbeng the Missouri compromise line Of
50 deg. 80 min. parallel Of North atitude) Through
that very part OF her terrific her right TO which
questioned. Her boundary OF the Rio Grande to lis
source alone gave her this country and was thus
cognzed and ratified BY the resolutions of annexation
10 indicate this boundary for Texas, member Of
| The Union, the Mexican war took place and in the
treaty OF Gaudaoupe Hdago, it finally indicated
and settled by clause in the treaty, designating the Rio
Grande as the boundary between Mexico and the Uni
ted States. Thus, by the laws OF Texas by the egsa-
ton OF Congress- and by solemn treaty Of the United
States, the Rio Grande is the Western boundary OF Tex
|
as to her boundaries; but she should be quoted by law
OF Congress, plainly acknowledging them. IT, after her
boundaries are settled the General Government to
carry out the purposes of the Constitution or in good
faith to fulfil all the obligations the annexation of Texas
to the Union requires, should think proper purchase
any territory from Texas the arrangement may be up-
Objectionable. But any arrangement concerning her
territories which leaves shade of doubt as to the right
OF the people OF the South to enter any portion OF the
territory, which, according to the terms of annexation
are now Tree to them, neither Texas nor the General
| Government have any right 10 make.
The terms OF annexation constitute the compact of
union between Texas and the other States of the con-
tederacy-and this compact rrevocaby to the
people OF the slavehodng States the right OF entering
with their property all her territory lying south of Sc deg
80 MIN. north attude-whst from all her territory w.
ing north OF that latitude they excluded The bill
In the Senate makes provision for carrying out these
terms of The compact but leaves in doubt the right Of
the Southern people throughout all the territories pro-
posed to be purchased whilst many who support the bill
declare that in effect excludes entirely the neone of
the Southern States from all the territory purchased
The least evil therefore, the bill bring to the people
OF the States entering it, will be contention harrass-
ment, and litigation.
But you will have very inadequate conception of the
importance OF the territory taken from Texas by the
bill, 1t you conne your views to Texas. II you will
look at the map OF the United States you will perceive
that the territory proposed to be surrendered BY Texas
lies throughout its whole extent along the from
tier OF the Indian terrific y. This is savehold-
ing country, and must be considered part OF the
South Place along their whole western boundary
-slavefolding States and how long will the Indians
be able to maintain the institution of savery2 II the
agency OF Congress not used to abolish slavery in the
Indian territory this end can be easily accomplished by
the very means in operation against slavery in the
Southern States, which the Indian will have but little
power to resist
The effect will be, that the Indian territory, large
enough Tor two more States will be controlled bv the
non-savehoding States. Thus by these two points in
the report the South will lose four large States in Cali
lorna, two in Texas and two in the Indian territory
Nor is this all The non-slaveholding States will be
brought to the western boundary of Missouri and Ar
kansas along their whole extent, and will bound Texas
on her whole northern and western frontier Thus the
Southern States will be hemmed in by the mons slave
holding States their whole western border-a policy
which they have declared essential the end OF abo-
fishing slavery IN the Southern States. What can COM
pensate the South Tor such enormous wrong and spo-
| liaton
But this is not the lend of your concession by this
report We must not only yield to the interests, but
to the peludces OF the Northern people Slavery exis-
ted in the district of Columbia when Congress accep-
ted the cesson OF the territory composing it, from
the States of Maryland and Virginia. No one can
| suppose that Maryland and Virginia, slaveholding
States then and slaveholding States now, could have
designed to give Congress any power over the institution
ots avery in this territory Independently Of the wrong
to the people oil the District TO emancipale slaves
it would be an ntolerabe evil to have District be :
tween them where emancipation prevails by the authori-
ty OF Congress Congress in the bill reported part of
the so called compromise now begins the work OF eman-
cpaon by declaring that if any slave is brought into the
District for sale, he shall be liberated and ree" If
slave liberated because he is BROUGHT into the Dis
frc the next STEP TO berae him because he is in the
District is not diiiicult.
The power TO emancipate the slave in the District
Of Columbia thus claimed and exercised by Congress
| Many OF the ablest men of the South have denied
that Congress possesses any such power, whilst all
agreed, until lately that for Congress interfere with
this institution, whilst slavery existed in Maryland and
Virginia, would be gross breach of faith toward those
States, and an outrage upon the whole South. How
long will that facility which yields to the prejudice
against the buying and selling of slaves be able to re-
sist the greater prejudice which exists against the hold
! ING of slaves at all in the District oil Columbia
For all these sacrifices the interests and preudices
of the people OF the North the South is rendered the
last measure Of the comprehensive fugitive slave
bill, as they propose to amend it. To understand the
extent oihe concession the South receives this point
we must look to the rights the constitution coniers.
The trainers ofthe constitution perfectly aware
| that the General Government could have but little
power to to them their fugitive slaves in the nom
| slaveholdmg States. The whole internal police Of
State must be under the control of the State and by
this chiefly could slaves be recaptured The constiu-