The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-05-09
TmE CALIFoRNfA QUESTION.

with slavery. They seem DESTROYS OF keeping
back hsradmission until the whole g~uestsOn Is
settled By one general compromise. Mr.. Ben
ton, the new allyand champion Of free soil i,
the only man Of much ability who is clamor-
OusIy urging her ~hastyEand immediate admis-
sion. His motives are easily understood.
A member Of his own family, his ~son.in-law,
Colonel Fremont, is one Of the newly elected
Senators of the inchoate State. Actuated
partly by a laudabTe family pride, and partly
by personal and political considerations, he is
anxious to welcome upon the floor Of the Sem
ate the youthful Senator, in whom he Is certain
to find a powerful ally, who will come to biz
relief, and exert all his talent and influence to
retrieve the waning political fortunes Of the
Senator from Missouri.
These constitute strong motives why Mr..
Benton shoul ID be in hot haste for the admission
Of California. There is another scarcely less
powerful, with a man Of his temperament and
prejudices, his hatred towards the late Mr. Cal
hOun. MI. Calhoun having taken strong
grounds against it in the last speech made by
him in the Senate, Mr.. BentOn's ancient hate,
il nothing else, would have determined his
course. Dr.. Johnson used to say that ne slow
ed a good hater." If the doctor had lived in
our day, and hating (and, we may add, hate
|JaD qualities were a passport to his favor, he
certainly would have fallen very much in love
with Benton; for certainly no man ever cher
ished a more bitter sentiment Of implacable
hate towards another than be did towards Mr..
Calhoun. II was but natural that a man o.
his passions and temperament should entertain
such a sentiment towards one whose intellec-
tual superiority he could not but acknOwledge e,
and whose moral elevation, stood out in bold
contrast with the rancorous hate Of bis own
malignant heart.
As. an admirer Of Mr.. Calhoun, we do not
regret that Mr.. Benton and'others, in a subor-
dinate sphere, Of the like ilk and kidney, dill
entertain such sentiments towards limit at.
fords the highest evidence Of his personal and
moral worth.
But not to digress. These strong motives for
Mr.. Ben toms course must be 90 transparent to
every one, as to break down his influence on
this question. He now stands upon this ques-
ton side by side with Seward and other
soil abolitionists Of the North, Clamor-
ously demanding the immediate admission Of
California, disconnected with all other qnes-
If California had gone through a regular ter
existence, and after remaining FOR a
time in this state Of territorial pupilage, and
9 ongress had acted upon the subject and es-
ablished certain election tests and qualifca-
ions for voters, and had taken the necessary
Iteps to ascertain the amount Of her p~opuIa-
and 70 zee that she did. possess the Veqni-
lite numbers-in a word, had allfhe usual pre-
for the formation Of new States been
complied, and California, in this regular legiti-
mate way, had asked to be admitted asa State,
we would then think that Congress ought to
herself bound to take up the question OF
application, isolated and detached from aII
,ther questions.
Presenting hsrself however, as she now does,
n an anomalous position, and without having
through that territorial purga ton
through which other States nave passed, there
! no obligation resting on Congress to admit
Al all events, Congress has a right to
connect It with other iSsuesJ and to admit her,
all other questions connected with slavery
an be settled otherwise, to remand her back
nd establish for her a territorial government.
There is'One matter connected with her admis-
ion not sufficiently dwelt on in the discussions
this subject and recently alluded to by Mr..
Jay. Many Of our eminent statesmen have
Quilted whether the federal government can
old a title to the public lands lying within the
orders Of a sovereign State, without the con-
mt Of the State, or some stipulation to that
ReCt, in her organic law, recognizing that
ight in the general government. The power
as been regarded as, SO doubtful a ono, that
are has always been taken not to declare it
n open question on the. admission Of new
and recognition ofthat right has here
been exacted. The present constitu-
Of California contains no such stipulation
md hence il is a matter Of great, consequence
bat the new constitution, with such a stipula-
ion, should be submitted again to the people
their sanction. The great value Of the
lands there strongly demand that the
Of the United States government TO hold
them, and free from State taxation, too, should
be distinctly recognized before she Submitted.
her people are claiming the absolute
fightto The soil, and declare, in strong terms.
that the federal government shall not hold
lands unless they are allowed the abso.
Int right to search for gold upon. the public
Or any where they please.
Hence the great Importance Of settling al
the'e questions previous to her admission.
- |
Or Rev. 5. /. Caldwell will preach next
Sabbath At the old Westinghouse in this place