Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-03-23

wEBSTER'S SPEECH.
EXTRACTS.
&CUey Excluded BY Mature from California
and gNeto .Mertco.

and sanctions Il in Texus. ! mem the law
of nature-of physical geography-the law
of tho formation of the earth. The law set
ties forever, with strength beyond all
terms of human enactment, that slavery
cannot exist in California or New Mexl-
co. Understand me, sir; | meau slavery as
we regard IL; slaves in the gross, of the col
orcd race, transferable by sale aud delivery
like other property. | shall not discuss tint
point. | leave it to the learned gentlemen
who have undertaken TO discuss Il; but /
suppose there is no slave of that description
IN California now. | understand that peon-
ism, sort of penal serviltitle, exists there, or
Fathcr sort OF voluntary safe Of a man and
his offspring for debit us il is arranged and
exists in sonre parts Of California and New
Mexico, But what | mean TO say is, that
African slavery, as we see ii among us, is as
utterly impossible TO find ITSELF or TO be
found in Mexico, as any other natural iu-
possibility. California and New Mexico are
Asiatic in their formation and scenery. They
are composed OF vast ridges of mountains
Of. enormous hight with sometimes broken
ridges of deep valleys. The sides of these
mountains are barren, entirely barren, their
tops capped hy perennial snow. There may
he IN California, now made free by its con-
stitution, and 10 doubt there are, some tracts
of valuable land. But il is not so in New
Mexico. Pray, what is the evidence which
any gentleman has obtained OH this subject,
from information sought by himself or com
municated by others | have inquired and
read all ] could in order to obtain hlfornla-
ton in this subject. What is there in New
Mexico that could by any possibility induce
any body to 20 there with slaves? There
are some narrow strips of tillabe land on
the borders of the rivers; but the rivers
themselves dry up before midsummer is
gone. All that the people can do is to raise
some little articles, some little wheat fol
their tortillas, and all that by irrigaton.-
And who expects to see hundred black
men cultivating tobacco, corn, cotton, rice,
or any thing else, on lands in New Mexico
made fertile only by irrigationf | look up
on it, therefore, as a fixed iact, TO use an ex-
preston current to the day, that both Cali
iornia aud New Mexico are destined TO he
free, so Gar as they are settled at all, which
l believe, especially in regard to New Mexi-
90, will be very little for great length OF
time; free by the arrangement of things by
the Power above us. | have therefore TO
say, In this respect also, that this country is
fixed for freedom, TO as many persons as
shall ever live there, 10y as irrepealablc and
more improbable law than the law that
attaches TO the right of holding slaves in
Texas; and will say further, that if reso-
luton or law were 10 before us TO pro-
vide Territorial Government for New Mex
leo, would not vote TO put any prohibition
into il whatever. The use of such a prohi-
btion would he idle, us it respects any effect
1t would have upon the Territory; and
would not take pains to reform an ordinance
of Nature, nor to re-enact the will of God.-
And would put in 10 Wilmot proviso for
the purpose OF a taunt or reoroach.
would put into il no evidence of the votes OF
superior power, TO wound the pride, even
whether just pride, a rational pride, or all
Irrational pride, TO wound the pride of the
gentlemen who people the Southern States
'>.... For myself, l will say that we hear
much of the annexation of Canada and il
there be any man, any of the Northern De.
mocracy, or any one,of the Free Soil party
who supposes il necessary TO insert a VIII
mot provso in Territorial Government
for New Mexico, that man will of course be
of opinion that It is necessary to protect the
everlasting SHOWS of Canada from the foo
of slavery by the same overpowering wing
of an act Of Congress. Sir, wherever there
is foot of land 10 be staid back from be
coming slave territory, am read, to asser
the principle OF the exclusion OF slavery.
am pledged TO it again and again, and will
perform those pledges; but will not do a
thing unnecessary, that wounds the feelings
of others, or that does disgrace to my own
understanding.
Reformation Of SLAVES.
! will state these complaints, especial.
ly one complaint of the South, which
has, in my opinion, just foundation; and
that is, that there has been found at the
North, among individuals and among
the Legislators of the North, disinclinatioI
10 perform fully their constitutional dutie
IN regard to the return of persons bound Il
service who have escaped into the fre,
States. In that respect, il is my judgmen
that tho South is right and the North !
wrong. Every member of every Northern
Legislature is bound by oath to support tn
constitution of the United States; aud thi
article of the constitution, which says I
these Stntes they shall deliver up fugitive
from service, is as binding in honor aud cor
science as any other article. No man iiIlf
bis duty In any Legislature who sets hin
self TO find excuses, evasions, escapes ffoi
this constitutional duty. ! have alwa,
thought that the constitution addressed
self TO the Legislatures Of the States then
selves, or TO tho States themselves. II sa,
that these persons escaping TO other Stat,
shall be delivered up, and confess ha,
always been of the opinion that il was a
injunction upon the States themselves
When IL is said that person escaping in
another State, and becoming, therefor
within the jurisdiction Of that Suite, shall |
delivered up, il seems to me the import
the passage is, that the State ITSELF in obed
ence 10 the constitution, shall cause him
he delivered up. That is my judgment.
have always entertained it, and entertain
DOW But when the subject some yea
ago, was before the Supreme Court Of ii
United States, the majority of the iudg,
held that the power to cause fugitives ffol
service to be delivered up was n power to |
exercised under the authority of the Cover
men1 do not know, ON the whole, that
may NOT nave been fortunate decison.-
bly, habit is 10 respect the result of iudici
deliberations. and the solen,,,;tv 80 ,,,,I;;