Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-08-01

propose briefly some Of the causes which
have brought this difficulty upon Us, and which now op-
crate to prevent It's adjustment.
Mr.. Chairman, / have been somewhat amused at the
efforts of Wings upon this floor throw the entire
sponsbty Of this difficulty upon the Democratic party.
To effect this, they refer its origin the annexation of
Texas the with Mexico, and the consequent acqui
been improperly used by designing demagogues of the
Wing party means to produce it, / will not deny
but Edo deny that is the necessary and legitimate
suit of them They need not go far to fix this respon-
sbility They will find it nearer home 1t upon
themselves. 1t grew out Of the last presidential
vass and is the natural fruit of their wanton violation Of
that great fundamental principle of self government
the right Of the people decide for themselves upon the
principles and policy be carried in the adminstra-
ton of their government The only practical way in
which they can exercise that right through the ballot
box, by selecting those to administer the Government
whose principles and opinions upon political subjects
agree with their own, and who will administer in
cordance Herewith In the election Of General Taylor
they prevented from exercising this right. His
opinions were withheld from the country His friends
unblushngy pracced the grossest deception upon the
people in reference them. They represented them in
one way at the North and in another way the South
At the North where they sought draw support to him
from the Free Soil ranks he represented unfavor
able to the exention of slayeryas being favorable
the Provso least not being opposed to it, They
asserted that elected he would unhesitatngy approve
it, should be passed by Congress- The celebrated Al
son letter referred to ncontrovertble proof Of
this They avowed themselves in favor of its passage
appealed in the strongest manner the antislavery
preudices of the North denounced, in the bitterest
terms the arrogant tyrannical and encroachng spirit
of what they chose denominae the slaveocracy of
the South and triumphant evidence of the hostility
of the Wing party to slavery they pointed to their can
ddate for the Vice Presidency avoved Aboitionst
On the other hand the South they pointed his three
hundred slaves as sure guarantee OF his devotion 20
southern principles and nstitutons-as guarantee
that he would unhesitatngly the proviso. They
bitterly denounced the tanatcs the aggressons,
and encroachments of the North and insisted that the
election of General Taylor southern with south
ern sympathes and interests, their only shield
against them Some southern gentlemen, not content
conne their efforts in this great scheme of deception
to their portion of the Union, and being fearful that
their northern brethren would not be able fully to carry
out their part of it, noby to their aid In my
State sir, whilst was upon the stump Cas- cleo
tor indicating the doctrine of non-ntervenon, Wings
from Kentucky-slavehoding Kentuckywere also there
endeavorng to counterfeit the influence of those who ad
vocated that doctrine They told the people that the
Wings of the South did desire the extension of slave
ny into the territories that the Wings of the South al
though they believed the proviso be and
would prefer that it should be passed. had no parc-
ular objections to it that those who desired its passage
should by all means the Wing ticket; that General
Taylor pedgep not to veto it, that General Cass
would unquestonaby do so that if their should be tie
vote upon in the Senate, Willard Fillmore would give
the casting for it, General Butler against it,
Such, sir, were the arguments used at the North by
southern Shareholders some of whom talk most
hippantly about dssoving the Union because of that
feeling at the North which they helped create One
OF those very gentlemen after heard OF the
President of the Convention of southern members Of Con-
gress called to devise to repe northern aggres-
sion. BY such practices Gen. TAYLOR elected. His
election urged by the party, different
tons Of the Union upon entirely opposite principles and
from entirely different motives Thus different por-
tons of the party in seeking the election of the
same man, became to the fullest extent exasperated and
pledged against each other and To- these the fruits
And now, sir that much Landed plan, known as the
/ Presidents nan for settling this difficulty
ward to shield him from responsibility and prevent
the exposure of the deception that practccd upon
the people OF the the other section of the Union
to conceal the hypocrisy oil the one or the other class of
his advocates Sir, who the deceivers-who were
the hypocrites! Evidently those who now most
anxious to prevent the expOsure-thOse who now so
purpose. Upon this floor, with but excepton-the
gentleman from Virginia Mr. Raymond Its support
ers are northern wings; men who during that canvass,
upon stump proclaimed the beauties of the proviso
and Gen. Taylor's sympathy with it-men who tell
us they VIII have to vote for 1t II compelled to vote for
territorial government of kind Is it not evident
that they have become convinced it, indeed, they
doubted that the President will approve of the pro-
vso they have over and again declared to the
people of the North he would but that he will veto it
And by this plan they seek prevent its passage
in order TO avoid the certain exposure of the deception
and fraud which they thus perpetrated.
Sir, can conceive of nothing hollow deceptive,
and demagogical than this plan. 1t proposes admit
California, and to leave the people of Utah and New
Il
ton Of solemn treaty spulaons, until they shall be
ready into the Union States-and when that
Will be God only knows 1t proposes to leave the boun-
dary between New Mexico and Texas unsettled until it
shall produce civil war between them, and until Texas
SHALL by the strong of force seize all the disputed
territory, and subject it to slavety whether the people
thereof desire 1t or not.
Mr. Chairman, defy any one of the advocates of this
plan, most OF whom protested free soil men, show
wherein the principles of free soil WILL in the slightest
degree be carried out by it, any than they would
be by giving territorial governments, without the pro-
vsO to these territories. One OF two things is true
either that the laws of Mexico prohibiting slavery in
these territories and in force when them
are still IN force, believe they are, else they
overridden and destroyed by the Constitution, as
tended by gentlemen from the South If in force the
mere establishment OF territorial government (ithout
the proyiso by Congress- will not repeal them Hence
If slavery cannot exist, account of those laws
under the present odous and arbitrary military rule
cannot exist after Congress shall have established such
governments without the proviso III the Constitution
and laws of the United States do take slavery
there, they cannot then do it. Nay, more, sir the
present state of things there renders these laws nopera
tive, if legally in force, should the military rbu-
nails not choose to Them for there and
be recognized courts in those territories, which can
adudIcate upon them and from whose decision appeal
can be taken TO the Supreme Court of the United States
for final decision. This Presidents plan is mockery
it has substance unless it be the substance of evil
1t settles nothing Who does see that if adopt
ed and carried out all the of bitterness of this
strife will still be left that this dangerous agitation will
be continued; that this excitement will also only be
continued but increased iourod both the North and
the Southl The next Congress that meets in these halls
viii be composed of the bitter ultraists of both
tons. Moderate men will he driven from counsels
and all hopes of settling this question by Cancellation
and mutual forbearance, will have fed and fed forever
Such is the character, such the fruits and such the
objects to be attained by the plan of that whose
Tmness, craftsmanship and patriotism have been the
continual theme of his adulating followers 1t shows
lack OIL will not say honesty-but will say of moral
courage, to meet great and trying emergency, not