The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-04-24

| | hase undertaken 10 lay down As 10 the
proper qualification upon lhe exercise OF
disputed powers. or even admitted powsU.
is q mode exceedingly disissiefnl 70 .
large portion oflhe country. il would seem
la follow clearly that This Wiimol Proviso
ought not 10 be passed. why. sir, must
II nol be undersiood-and cannot gentle.
men see that il cannot be Otherwise Than
underslood-by The southern people ofihe
United States. as an exercise Of power for
the mere purpose ofmanifesling superior
Iily--as walon doing oflhal which is Of.
fensiye and al The same time useless-as
involving in ilseIfan insult and indigniiy 10
those whose wishes upon This subject are
outraged and outraged csuselesslyi For
one. I think il would be less offensive %
southern people il il were an admitted
fact. Iha. according 10 the law Of Mexico,
African slavery existed in these Terrific
ries, and the WiImot Proviso should be
adopted. That would be doing us what
we should deem a wrong; but. for il some
reason might be assigned, and there would
be an object accomplished by il. You
might say, /. We deem il Of high impor-
tance that slavery should not exist in these
Territories; bat il exists there now, and,
without prohibition. win continue To exist;
and however disposed we may be 10 graft
fy yonr feelings in this matter, We cannot
sacrifice what we deem an important and
overruling consideration to accomplish that
purpose" But now the adoption Of the
Proviso stands without reason and without
excuse. II is mere assertion OF snperi-
ority II seems 10 involve in il something
of launi, Of insult. II conveys to southern
people an impression Of unwillingness TO
crafty their wishes, or save their feelings
even. when. by SO doing, nothing is lost to
the majority and no advantage is gained
By us. is idle for gentlemen 10 10 say we
mean il moi as an insult" The provisois us-
necessary, If there is no reasonable ground
for supposing that anything will be accom-.
plished by il that will not be accomplish.
ed without il; and, since you know how
we must regard il, patriotism. statesman
ship, the recognised obligations Of goot
neighborhood, require you 10 forbesr.
Now, Mr.. President, supposing thi'
Pfeyise 10 be adopted, the question na.u
rally presents itself, how would Il be re-
ceived by The people Of ihe- southern
Slalesl or the southern States generally
: | undertake not to speak. OF their sen,i
ments and opinions know nothing excep
as | gather them from what is said by re
presenlaiiyes here, and see them shadowet
forth in The resolves OF their primary meet
, ings. But this much is certain il we mas
, Judge from these indications, the applica
, lion OF The Proviso TO these Territories
/, will be considered as wanton violation
, of the feelings Of the South, an insulting
, exercise Of power; and. however il ma,
, or may not be resisted by outwart
action, il will be deeply resented in III,
+ imnost feelings Of a large portion Of III,
people of the South, whose Representatives
have spoken upon the subject here.
Nor, Mr.. President, must | forget that
in considering the effect whichihe Provisc
is likely 10 have upon the condition Of The
southern mind. we must look 10 what ha.
been said BY northern gentlemen in con.
nexion with this subject. Permit me to
! call the attention Of the Senate 10 a very
briefextract from speech delivered in the
other end Of the Capitol:
ain conclusion, have only to add, that such
is my solemn and abiding conviction Of the char
acter of slavery, that, under full sense of ny re-
4 sponsbiity to my country and my God, delib-
erately say, better disunien-better a civil or a
servile war--better anything that God in his pro-
vidence shall send, than an extension Of the
bounds of slavery"
Several SENATORS. Whose speech is
thail
A SENATOR. Mr.. Mann's.
Mr.. BADGER. We have heard much, Mr..
! President, Of The violence Of southern dc.
clamalion. | have most carefully avoided
reading the speeches of southern gentle.
men who were supposed 10 be liable
10 that charge. | happened, however,
in the early part This session, and be-
fore the other House was organized, TO
be in that body when there were some
bursts Of feeling and Remuneration from
southern gentlemen, which heard with
pain, modification, almost with anguish
Of mind. But, sir, these were bursts ol
feeling; these were passionate and excited
declarations; these had everything to plead
! for them as being spontaneous and fiery
ebulltions of men burning at the moment
under a sense Of wrong. And where
among these, will you find anything
equal to the cool. calm, deliberate an
nouncement Of the philosophic mind tha
delivered in the other House the passage
which have read: g Better disunion--
better a civil or servile war--hetter any
thing that God in his providence shal
send, than an extension Of the bounds o
slavery"
In other words, il is . deliberate, settled,
\ fixed opinion. Of the honorable gentleman
who made that speech. that rather than the
1 ext.ns;on of t,p hounds of slavery one foot