The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-18
SPEECH OF Mr.. BINGHAM, OF MICHIGAN,
ADMISSION CALIFORNIA,


In the House Of Representatives June 4, 1880
CoNCLUDEDl
Similar resolutions were soon after passed by
the States Of Virginia, Alabama, and Florida
one of which declared "that under no political
necessity rhateuerD would they support any man
opposed 10 the extension of slavery. MIR. Bu-
chanaD, in his celebrated Berks county letter, had
already yielded TO the demands Of the South.
General Cass was known to have favored the two
million bill, which passed the House with the
WilmOt Proviso, and to have expressed his regret
ut its defeat by protracted debate in the Senate
At the next session he contented himself with
voting against the Provso, on the ground of its
being inappropriately applied to a war bill hut
he wrote private letter TO one of his constitu-
ents, which afterwards found its way into the
public prints, in which he declared that It's pas
sage would be "death 10 the mar, and death 10 the
Democratic party" On the 3lst of December
lS47, there appeared in the Union newspaper in
this city, the celebrated " Nicholson Letter. in
which he took ground against both the constitution
ality and expediency ofapplying the provisions of
the Ordinance to the bills for the government Of the
Territories ] mention this remarkable conci-
dence of dates, without the least intention of
calling in question the sincerity of the dis
tinguished Senator from Michigan, but for
the purpose of corroborating his own statement,
THAT a great change had been going on in
the public mind, his own as well as othersn The
Baltimore Convention met The delegates from
the free States submitted, without o murmur
to the degrading conditions imposed upon them
by the South and General Cass was nominated
The people of Michigan were dumb-founded with
horror at the reception of the I" Nicholson letter.
General Cas- had been sixteen years Governor
of the Territory of Michigan. Yet notwthstand-
ing the prosperity of the State was greatly ndebt-
cd IN rkc Of tha Npiot
and foresight Of his Administration, notwith-
standing his great and well-deserved personal
popularity, and the efforts of his friends he was
left by the people at the election in minority of
3642 of the popular vote; and with the single
exception OF the State of New Hampshire he
failed to obtain majority of the votes of either
Of the free States and ut time when every
measure of the Democratic party was in full and
successful operation, with an overlooking Treasu-
ry and our country in a state Of unexampled pros
perity, we were beaten. Mr.. Chairman, others
may speculate as to the causes of that defeat
have no hesitation in ascribing TO that fatal
Nicholson Letter the doctrines of which were
received by the people with such perfect loathing
the loss of the North, while the Shareholders of
the South preferred TO vote for the owner of
sugar plantation, with three hundred negroes
This was Notifying defeat; but IL may we'll
be borne, If IL ncucates this useful lesson that in
this noon Of the nineteenth century, when the
down-trodden nations of Europe are bursting the
fetters Of tyranny, which have bound them to the
earth for ages-when every breeze from across
the Atlantic WATTS with it the cry Of liberty and
the inslienable rights Of man from the uprising
masses--the Northern statesman, to be successful,
must prove true to the interests Of the free labor
which he represents instead of becoming an &C
cessory to the cupidity of the Southern slave
holder who would doom his fellow man to per-
petual bondage.
At the same election in Michigan, three men,
bers of Congress wse chosen, pledged TO oppose
the extension Of slavery, and also large MAORI
ty Of the members of the Legislature, who, upon
assembling In January, reaffrmed the oft-express-
ed opinion Of the people, that Congress had the
constitutional power and that il was their duty
to execute il in the exclusion Of slavery from the
territories. Indeed, sir, do not know Of public
meeting or of a convention, or a newspaper in
the State, which has sustained the doctrines of
that letter" But, Mr.. Chairman, IL has been
heralded by the Union newspaper, that the last
Michigan Legislature has "repudiated the M
mot PrOUisoo Sir they have done no such thing.
They have indeed, by vote Of "a members out
Of 600 being aecidentaHv absent--passed a
series OF resolutions but did they resemd the Oft
expressed deliberate judgment Of the people of
Michigan that the Constitution conferred the
power upon Congress 10 prohibit slavery in the
territories7 No, sir. On the contrary, the pop
ular branch had, the impudence to reassert the
doctrine. Did they rescind the resolution that il
was the solemn duty of Congress so to prohibit by
express enectment9 No. sir, Did they yescind
the resolution that it was the duty of Congress to
break up the infamous traffic in human beings in
the city Of Washington, and in sight of the Tag
that floats over the Capitoll No, sir, they did
no such thing They dared to do no such thing
But they did pass set of resolutions of the follow
ing import; " Whereas the people Of Michigan are
opposed TO the extension of slaveryD-yes sir these
are their very words, Supposed to the extension of
therefore Resolved, That II our Senators
are very anxious 10 relieve their Nashville Con-
yention friends from the ridiculous dilemma In
which they find themselves placed, or IL they
really believe that the Union will be broken into
fragments unless slavery Is allowed to cross the
Rio Grande they are permitted, "by voice and
gots,n TO do as they please They may vote for
he omnibus bill they may vote for clause
allowing the people themselves to settle the ques-
Ion Of slavery, or they may vote for the clause
rohibiting their action; they may vote for the !