The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-05

we indebted for the discord that has reigued in
this Hail. and the systematic neglect and aban-
donmeut Of the public business, that has marked
and signAlized the present session Of Congress
IL only remains for us to perform the sad and
mournful duty of inscribing appropriate epltaphs
on their tombstones
Threats Of notification, it will be remembered,
and open resistance to the laws of Congress, pro
ceedipg from South Carolina, secured the pas
sage OF the compromise act of March, 1888, by
which the interests of free labor were offered up
a sacrifice to those Of slave labor. And now, sir,
emboldened by former success TO become more
rapacious in her demands the South threatens
separation and dissolution if the freedom Of the
Territories and the restriction of slavery are in
sisted upon. She wants more extended market
for her rapidly -iDcreasing slave population; and
would be much pleased with a few more hundred
thousand square miles of the newly-acquired
territory. The diffusion of slavery in the opin-
ion Of General Gags land suppose his political
friends generally agree with him. does not in
Jure but rather improves it. That is the argu-
ment in its favor.
The North then yielded to the demands Of
slavery, gave up her protective tariff, and con-
sented, for the sake Of composing the clamors of
her adversaries, to yacrifce her pecuniary inter
ests. And IL remains 10 be seen whe her she will
now with the same facility and for q similar pur-
pose, surrender up her principles, and run the
dreadful risk Of sll the future mischiefs Of sla-
efy-extenson. 6s inAmeJy submitting otis pres
em requirements. FOR one, sir, viii not 40 II.
sentation; II WAS originally unjust, and has al
ways marred the symmetry of our political sys-
TEN. 1t was always ut war with every Just prin-
ciple of free government. We are not obliged to
do 10 And il was part OF our agreement With
the slave States that We should do il, when the
compact Of Union was formed. There is no such
covenant in the bond It is surely enough for US,
sir, in this particular, to perform our constitu-
tonal obligations. ] am not willing TO do more
An eminent Senator from Massac usetts has spo-
ken well and truthfully on this subject. could
wish, sir, that he had never spoken otherwise.
In ls4s, in his speech % the loan bill. Mr.
Webster warned Congress and the people that
the Senate was slipping away from the great
body of the States, into the hands of men who
would make it an oligarchy, Said he.
If State proposes to Dme into the Union,
and come in a slave State, then there is an aug
mentaton of the inequality in the representa-
tiOn of the people which already exists-an inc
quality 0lreddy eristiag, Will which do not quar-
rel, and which will neverattempt to alter, bat
shall preserve as long as have vote to give, or
any voice in this Government, because ). hsea
part of the original compAd. Let it stand. But
then there is another consideration of vastly more
stHsEal iGi1,avtsHoe even til nthss; moFe1Seaera,
because it affects all the States, free and slave
holding; and it is that, il States formed out of
territories thus thinly populated, come into the
Union, they necessarily, inevitably break up the
relation existing between the two branches Of the
Government, and destroy its balance They
break up the intended relation between the SEN
ate and House Of Repres natives. IL you bring
in new States, any new State that comes in must
have two Senator's. She may come in with fifty
or sixty thousand people. You may have from
particular State more Senator's than you have
Representatives. Can anything occur to ds6g-
ure and derange the form oil Government under
which We live, more signally than that Here
would be Senate bearing no proportion to the
people, out Of all relation to them, by the addi-
ton of new States from some Of them only one
Representative, perhaps, aAd two Senators
whereas the larger States mat have ten, fifteen,
or even thirty Representative and but two Sen.
ators. The Senate added to- augmented by these
new Senator'S coming from States where there
are few people, becomes An odpus olgarchy. 1t
holds power without any adequate constituency
Sir, 1t is but 'borough-mongeripg upon large
scale"
Southern men have no just right to complain Of
our opposition to the extension Of slavery. The
institution has always been at war with the rights
Of free labor, and the industrial and financial in
terests Of the non -slaveholding States have more
than once been stricken down by its remorseless
jealousy, and changing and itful policy. can
not make up the record of its offences in my brief
limits. Those who wish to become familiar with
them, may commence with the embargo Of 1907,
by which the commerce Of the free States was
driven from the ocean, and end with the anuexa-
ton of Texas, the Mexican war, and the Nash
vile Convention. Revenue laws have been
adopted and repealed with a wanton disregard Of
the commercial and manufacturing interests Of
the free States, that admits of no palliation or
excuse whatever
And the financial and monetary concerns of the
country have been subjected, under the influence
of Southern counsels to the series of oppressive
and embarrassing operations and experiments
that seemed to be artfully contrived and executed
to work the greatest amount of injury to the in
dustry of the free States. And under the dis
guise Of being Observation-Disclosures, Southern
statesmen, in the administration of the Govern
ment, have usurped and exercised powers not
granted in the Constitution, and acquired i'm
mense tracts of country, and in the case of Texas
an independent nation, for the purpose of en-
larging the area Of slavery, and increasing the
profits Of the infamous traffic in slaves When
these were the objects to be accomplished no the
cries Of strict construction, no constitutional
difficulties, formed the slightest impediment
| in the way of their attainment. IL some Of these
measures have been brought forward and con-
summated by the high.priests of self-styled De-
mocracy, il must be remembered that they were
also the ministers Of slavery and IL they offered
incense upon the affairs consecrated TO liberty,
it was only as a device to enable them more
successfully to seduce and betray its worshippers
And, sir, when the genius of history shall come
to make up the impartial record of the past, and
to pencil the result upon her enduring tablets,
wish she could truthfuly say, that one Of the
principal objects Of the war of 1912 with Great
Britain was not to strengthen the slave power
rather than to redress national wrongs and secure
its permanent ascendency in the administration
Of the Government
The angry disputes and sectional jealousies that
now disturb the peace and harmony of the coun-
try and interrupt the friendly relations that ought
always to exist among US, all spring from the
source and have the same common origin. They
are the legacy which the authors Of the Mexican
war bequeathed to us in their efforts to subdue
new regions to the dominion of slavery. A large
majority of the American people are opposed to
the further extension of the institution, and have
made up their minds to con6ne it within its pres
ent boundaries. The motto inscribed upon the
glorious banner Of this majority, under whose
ample folds we are now struggling and are re-
solved to triumph is No more slare terraoyy-no
more Stare States | am enlisted In this service,
and pledged, so far as my humble efforts 90, to
secure this result And whatever the event may
be, or whatever others may do, am resolved
faithfully and fearlessly TO perform my duty
But, Mr. Chairman, have be-ntempted into this
depression, which has detained me too long, and
from which hasten to return, by the example of
others. IL the wholesome rules Of proceeding
which we have adopted were strictly enforced,
| and the arguments confnei 10 the nuest;on pron.
erly before us this debate, now continued for
more than four months, would have been, long
since, brought to close, and California have now
been member Of this Union. But the course
pursued here is different, and it Is not, must
| confess without its adyantanes For if the stock