The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-21

manifestation oil PAIN to select the occasion OF
the passage of that very measure with no Other
but the Utah bill, to rejoice and thank Cod
" with our Northern brethrcn"-and this toe
when majority of the Virginia delegation were
filled with gloom such as almost never was
witnessed before on n public event.
If anything were wanting to convict the cdi
tor of the Union Of gross hypocrisy, it would be
the following: g..
"The action Of the last Wing House of Rep. e.
sentutves, in adjourning without providing gov
eminent for California, had, in truth settled the
question of slavery by putting it of the power
Of the South to affect the character of the CulOr
MIA people or give shape to their institutions"
Now, if this were true, or if he believed it,
where was "the painful sacrifice" in admitting her
eighteen months afterwards! There was no
sacrifice at all; and hence, if the editor supposed
that by advocating her admission, he would gain
votes for his extra allowance on printing, it
would account for the eagerness with which he
supported it, and the joy he manifested when it
was done.
The editor of the Union says he don't recol-
lect that he hid the assistance Of the junior cdi-
tor Of this paper, then Of the Columbia Iele-
graph, in opposing General RLEY's proceedings.
This is not strange. 1t is only another Of the
many instances in which the Union has not re-
collected facts.
1t is with reluctance that we ever allude to the
statements OF the " Southern Press" so called.
Its character is so well known, and its influence
if it have any--is OF such description, that we
noticing any of It's positions. From It's first es-
adjustment to the present moment it has been
very Industrious, as we understand, III launching
It's Lllllputan arrows at ourselves; but we are IN
different to the malice which is too feeble to in
hict wound. Emboldened by cur silence, this
journal does not hesitate at times to misrepresent
our course, and to misstute our position with re-
gard to the most important measures. On such
occasions we deem 1t proper, and at the same
consistent with our opinions Of its character, to
set ourselves right before the country, although
shall scarcely stoop to defend ourselves against
any of its assaults which do not contain such mis-
statements.
A case in point has just occurred. On Thurs
day we published an ur,i:le WHICH proved most
concluslvely that the Wing party Of the South
had, by It's too great subservicncy to the Wings OF
the North, encouraged and sustained the anti
slavery agitation, which has brought imminent
peril upon the country. We took the liberty at
the same time, TO warn the Southern democracy
against their own divisions and strife, us such dl-
visions and strife would have the inevitable ten
dency to place the South in the hands of the very
men who were mnddencd with Joy when the Abo-
nst Johnston defeated Lonstreth in Pennsylya-
MIA, aud Ford, the advocate of negro equality, de-
feated Weller in Ohio. The Southern Press was
unable to deny fact which we stated, and it did
not attempt to refute aa argument which we adj
vanced; but on Friday poured forth its ind igna-
ton because the Union 'had The auducty to SIT in
.
less Of its 0icn short c0mtn@S.' Not content with
the article which contains this indignant outburst,
which we never should have noticed If standing
alone, another editorial eiiuslon appears in the
same number Of the Southern Press, devoted to the
same subject, which says of the bill admitting
California, 'th@ measure .cas supported eagerly,
ca,nFiy and necessarily by The editor Of ihe Chion
Every man who has read the Union knows this
assertion to be utterly and entirely untrue. The
S,uths1n Press is reduced to this dilemma: either
! tSat 1t IS so ignorant not to know what Is
| known to hundreds, or so Indifferent to the truth
rs to assert what it must know to be false. W.
leave it to take which horn of the dilemma it pre-
| fers. We have not supported the admission o
| California eagerly, earnestly, and necessarily, no
in any other manner. From the very momen
that General Riey's proclamations reached us
we denounced the proceedings in California Il
invalid; and We have eagerly, earnestly, and in
ceSsAntly opposed the admission of Culi(orni,
under the Monterey constitution, unless it wa!
| made part of a series of measures which wa.
calculated to give pence to an endangered country
We always represented the admission of Califor
mia as Il painful sacrifice, but one which we were
willing TO make if other measures We're passed n
the same time which would promote the Interest,"
| and secure the honor Of the Southern States. w
| acquesced in it part Of system of compro
mise, and in no other light. Such the posi-
| ton uniformly assumed in this paper, in GU
letter to Tammany Hall, Of New York and in al
| M frepSt five sOcinl = role 'I'h
Southern Press, desptells msstatement in this be
half, must know that what we say is strictly true
| There are some other truths in this connection
which had well be stated now as at another
time. From the beg ginning have commended
| that General RIey's proclamation was Illegal, and
| that the interference of the Executive with the
people or that ter tory unauthorized and I'M
constitutional. We cannot call to mind Il single,
solitary press, among all those which are SO in
Gignant at the admission of California now, that
came to our support. We do not remember that
we received any assistance even from the Column
bia Is. c. Telegraph, then edited by one Of the
present conductors OF the Southern Press. Time
rolled on. The wrong, commenced by Messrs.
Seward, Ewing, and Winthrop, and their friends
in the last Congress, was fully consummaed and
completed. A convention had assembled in Cali
fornla, and framed Il constitution fnrbddug sla-
very, and the late Administration gave the last
finishing touch to the work, by authorizing Gen
eral Riley to turn over the government to the new
State organization without awaiting the action of
Congress. From that day the Southern slave
holder, as such, never had the most remote inter
est in the question Of the ad nission Of California.
The Southern STAKEHOLDER and the Northern non
stakeholder, and every citizen of the United States
had a deep interest in the question but the guar
antee of the Constitution with regard to slavery
was in no manner involved. The officers and
agents of the Executive had improperly and e-
gally nterfered with the people OF California, and
the Executive had exercised powers and preroga-
tives there, in defiance of the Constitution itself
All that Congress could do was to remand Cali
forna to her territorial condition, and thereby re-
buke the usurratlons Of the Executive thus vim
| dlcating, as far as possible, the violation which
had been committed upon the Constitution. Sup
pose this course had been taken would it have
benefited the stakeholder such Certainly not
provided Congress discharged its whole duty
Every one admitted the necessity Of government
for California. There was but little difference o.
Of opinion to her right to frame State consti
tuition, provided she proceeded IN the right way
| Under the circumstances, 1t cannot be doubted
that, had California been remanded to her terrific