The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-18
the WILMOT PROVISO AND ITS NORTHERN
SUPPORTERS.

the WILMOT PR0VISO AND ITS NORTHERN
SUPPORTERS.
The Mem York 7Li5,me observing Telegraph
ic Despatch in the Ne1r York Express, announc-
ing the prospect of an adjustment of the Slavery
Question on principles of compromise, through
the efforts of Cass, Webster, and Others has the
following comments upon the intelligence:
"Presuming, from all we hear, that there is some
foundation for this bulletin, We have few words
to say about it.
We are yetSe Se eezvinceto eheYxSr p, ynf
connec ing the admission Of California with any
other question whatever. California is State,
which Congress can admit reject, but cannot re-
mand into Territorial condition. IL she is not
wanted in the Union, she will not cry about it
she is perfectly able and willing to take care Of
herself But she is in no danger of being rejected.
All her friends ask is The uOte, and whenever that
can be reached she will 60 through each House by
a vote Of nearly two to one, without compromise.
She can be put through by daylight, and ask no
odds any how. Why, then, include her in any
compromise!
"New Mexico has her hand in the tigers mouth,
unhappily, and we have long been convinced Of
the necessity of some compromise to release it, IL
the Northern Democracy as they call them
selves, would vote to organize her with her ancient
and rightful boundaries, las they riH vote to ad-
NIT Texas,) we would prefer no Compromise at
ALL But since they WON'T do it, and she is in peril
of subsection to Texas, will consent to any rea-
sonable compromise to save her. We would agree
no other way Of escape for her being open-to or
ganze her and Utah without the Proviso if we
might thereby effectively and conclusvely shield
her from the grasp Of Texas. That we consider a
fair compromise since we cannot secure what we
deem most important without one. But any bill
organizing New Mexico without the Proviso
which does not give her clear Quttance and
ample protection from the pretensons of Texas
should be opposed to the last gasp.
GO Perhaps the boundary Of Texas says An
Eye The People will admire to see a list Of
the members from free States who will vote to or
ganize the Territories without the Provso and
not shut out the claim of Texas to dominica over
the better part of New Mexico. For what reason
should Representative of Free Labor do anything
of the sort2 Better, far BETTER leave her morgan
ICED than that.
"But again: We are prepared to sacrifice
much 10 rescue New Mexico from the peril or the
fear of Texan subjugation, but not TOO much. II
we waive the Provso to this end, that should suf-
fee. To call on us to buy off Texas beside, by
giving her several millions of dollars for her pre-
ought not to he asked to waive the Proviso If
we waive the Proviso, we should not be asked to
buy off Texas The odds must not be all
against us.
"Friends of Freedom and Justice be not OBJ
stinate but be wary Secure all the good you
can, but if nothing good is practical atlirmatvely,
there will be virtue in saying No That's pretty
safe word to say when no good is clearly attain
able-no evil can be surely prevented But we will
hope that an adjustment that will do is not imprac-
ticablen
The Mem York Tribune is one of the prominent
champions of the North, equal to any Of its class
in ability and zeal The editorial copied above is
q fair specimen Of the tact, sagacity, and spirit
with which it has advocated the cause of Free
dom
How it may strike others, we know not bat
the temper and policy indicated by it, and
the kindred policy of a majority of the Wing and
Democratic Journals Of the free States, are d.
rectly calculated to paralyze the friends of Free
dom, to encourage its foes, and to strengthen
them in their aggressive demands.
Last year. after the reception of the intelli-
gence Of the formation Of State Constitution in
California, excluding slavery, the Tribune con-
graduated its readers upon the settlement Of the
Question of Slavery, and charged upon those who
continued the work of agitation, O design to
achieve some selfish purpose, or to embarass the
Administration.
We warned the Public against deception and
false security-insisted that the Question was
as far from being settled as ever-that its posi-
ton ao oh n,aJ md ow am ha ra m enta m rowo
about it-that the new State would only compre-
bend oue-half of the Territory of California
that its admission would be resisted by the Pro-
Slavery men, not absolutely and directly, but as
a separate measure-that the question of Terri
torial Governments for Deseret and New Mexi.
CO. and the question of boundary between the lat
ter and Texas, would be connected with bill for
the admission of California, in the form of COM
promise adjustment, the Shareholders demanding
the abandonment of the Proviso in the Territorial
Governments on the condition Of their consent to
the admission of the new State Repeatedly did
we urge this view, for the purpose of stimulating
the vigilance of the friends of Free SOIL and pre-
venting them from relaxing their efforts. The
Tribune and other party papers cried Peace
Peacel and the People generally relapsed into
the Indifference which ever attends state Of
false security.
Well, events have turned out precisely as we
expected. The Shareholders from the first day of
Congress have demanded that the questions con-
corning the admission of California, the settle
ment of the Texas boundary, and the organiza-
ton of Territorial Governments, be adjusted in
one bill, a bill in which the Wilmot Proviso shall
be repudiated; the tendency of things in Con-
gress for the last four months has favored this
policy, and for some weeks past it has been known
that Messrs. Clay, Cas-, and Webster, would
probably sustain it. And now, what do We hear
A faint note Of protest from the Tf6nW! "Pre-
suming" it says, from all we hear, that there is
some foundation for this buletnr sc "Some
foundation ~ why this fraudulent plan Of settling
the question has been the purpose Of the slave
holders from the time California excluded sla-
very, and all their tactics in Congress have been
shaped with view to its accomplishments. But,
let us be thankful that the Tribune is at last
awake--probably, other Northern sentinels on the
watchtowers Of Freedom will begin to rub their
eyes, by the time slavery shall have won the
game.
Before the meeting Of Congress, we made
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