Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-06-28
NO 6

in what manner she is stripped of her
property, and degraded from an equality
with her sister States 1t is enough that,
the outrage is done. The mode is of lit
tie consequence. There is therefore in
the mode of extending the Wimot pro-
viso over the territory Of California pre-
sented by the bill nothing to mitigate the
indignation Of the Southern States, or to
battle their determination to redress the
wrong if inflicted. They are excluded
from the whole Territory of California, u
Territory extensive enough to contain
four large States.
If the constitution proposed by Cali
fornia contained nothing about slavery,
would the North allow her to enter into
the Unienf Such were the territorial
bills proposed for California at the last
Congress, but they rejected them because
the south was not excluded from this ter
ritory "a express terms. The inhabitants
of this territory have been left without
any civil government, solely because the
south would not consent to be legislated
out of them with her institutions; and
now that this object is accomplished by
the constitution presented by California,
these conscrvatives--thc advocates of
law and order-are eager to admit her,
without right or precedent, into the I'm
ion. We ere aware of the incovcniences
the inhabitants OF California may have
suffered for want of a civil governments
established by Congress, and therefore
are prepared to yield much on account of
the circumstances in which they have
been placed.
The next measure is in perfect keeping
with this first feature of 'the report" It,
takes from Texas territory sufficient for
two large States, and adds them to New
Mexico. What The bill contains with re-
spect to slavery will be of little consc-
quence; forit is designed that next winter
New Mexico, thus constituted, shall fol-
low the example of California, and be ado
mitted as a State with a constitution exc
Guiding slavery from its limits-for with
out such exclusionshe cannot hope to be
admitted by the -slaveholding States
into the Union. The effect VIII be that
territory, ovei which slavery now exists,
equal TO two States, will be wrested from
the south, and will be given up to the
non-slaveholding States. phe protextis,
that there is some doubt as to the boun-
daries of Texas Texas, by her laws,
when she was admitted into the Union,
had but one boundary towards the West,
and that boundary was the Rio Grande.
Congress, in the resolutions admitting her
into the Union, recognised this boundary
by laying down line of limitation be-
tween tie slaveholding and non slavehol-
ding States being the Missouri compro
mise line of SO deg. 80 min. parallel of
north latitude e)-through that very part
other territory her right to which is now
questioned. Her boundary of the Rio
Grande to its source alone gave her this
country; and was thus recognised and
ratified by the resolutions ofannexation..
To vindicate this boundary for Texas, as
amen berof the Union, the Mexican war
took place; and in the treaty of Cuada-
loupe Hidalgo it was finally vindicatcd
and settled, by clause in the treaty des-
ignating the Rio Grande as the boundary
between Mexico and the United State
Thus, by the laws of ofTexas, by the legis-
lation of Congress, and by a solemn trea-
| w Oh inc OnlIeu SlalcS, tnc MO 0IttIluc IS
the western boundary of Texas. Yet,
the pretension is set up that her territory
does not 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 divided between the slavehold-
ing and non-slaveholding States. Tcxas
is the only State in the Union which has
thc.solemn guarantee fthe Government
OF the United States in every possbly.
form of her boundafiies. Yet this is I'll
Government which disputes them; ard,
under the pretext that they are very
doubtful, proposes to take from her nearly
ne-hal of her territory. 1t is by virtue
of such pretensions, that by the bill two
States are to be taken from the SoutRe:n
and given to the Northern States; ard
this wrong is aggravated by compelling
us to pay for it through the Treasury OF
the United States.
is undoubtedly proper that Texas
should be quoted as to her boundaries:
LII II. Il. L.. I,xyo Inv .xt