The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-05
From the Mobile Tribune
The Accounts between the North and
the South statad

Ine accounts between the North and
| the South stated.
| AT the time that Great Britain acknowledged
the independence of the United States, there was
within the States, lying north Of Mason and
Dixon's line an area of 64,08l in the States
| south an area of CAT ,202 square miles.
Ihe Northern States, at all early day, set up
the pretension that the vacant lands within the
United States, having been won by the blood and
treasure OF all the States, was their common pro-
perty, and did not belong to the States, within
which they were found sThe question, !" SAYS
Chief Justice Marshall, 'swas momentous
question, which at time threatened To shake
the American confederacy to the foundation. -
Georgia assumed the same bold, vehement, aud
Incorporating tone which has characterized
her, when her rights were involved. She declared
she would make no surrender Of her lands. North
Carolina, for time, concurred with Georgia, but
| ultimately yielded. Virginia, in the spirit of UNI
calculating magnanimity which has marked her
intercourse with the Union, and gives her title
to the difference and generation of the remaining
States, voluntarily surrendered the country north
west OF the Ohio, which forms FIVE States Of this
Union The ordinance Of 1857 prohibits slavery
In all that region. The cesson embraced 26I ,O8l
square miles. Treating the country north of
Mason and Dixon's line us Free the account then
STOOD
Free States 1895, 76l So miles
Slave States 49,, 52l 90 0
We shall not contrast the conduct of Virginia.
IN thus surrendering an empire to which her title
was clear, for the sake of the Union, and upon
the equitable considerations that the liberties of
the States had been won by common blood and
treasure, with the conduct of those States which,
without the expenditure of blood, and while rail-
ing at the war with Mexico, claim now to appro-
pirate the conquest of others to themselves. We
have seen that from having not fourth of the
! territory, by the act Of Virginia and the South
the free States increased so as to exceed the
| slave States AZ, 24l square miles.
| This is the first account to be stated between
the free and the slave States.
The first acquisition of territory after the revo-
luton was IN the purchase of Louisiana In this
territory there are ,l60, ll2square miles At the
time of this purchase the whole of it was slave
territory. The purchase was made against the
bitter opposition of the largest portion of the
Norther States. On the bill for the admission Of
Louisiana to the Union, the representative Of the
city Of Boston, Josiah Quincy declared ''it
his deliberate opinion, that if this bill passes, the
bonds of this Union are virtually dissolved; that
the States which compose it, are free from their
moral obligation, and that, as it will be the duty
of some, to prepare definitely for a separation,
amcably If they can, forcibly if they must"
Louisiana was admitted, Notwithstanding this
threat. No question involving the subject of sla-
very came up until the application for the admis-
SION or Missouri into the Union. The right Of
the people of State to arrange their domestic in
stutions for themselves is one of the cearest that
our system recognizes. The right of the territory
of Louisiana to admission into the Union was Sc
cured by treaty. Thus, upon the adoption Of the
constitution Of Missouri, her right to admission
should have been undisputed. A dispute was
contrived, and the attempt was made to coerce her
into prohibition of slavery proir to her admis-
sion to the Union.
This pretension of the Northern States, nine
men out of ten would now pronounce to be intol-
nrptppSnn WAS m Mt
which the Southern States declared they would
not yield. Then the Northern States presented a
"coMpRoMsE." They consented to the adms-
sion of Missouri without restriction, but insert
ed restriction upon the introduction of slavery
in the territory not included in the limits of that
State, acquired from France, north of $50 80
north latitude. The account by that decision is as
| follows:
Land acquired Of France north of $50 30' exclu-
sive of Missouri, in square miles .a. 904 ,697
South Of that line and Missouri . 2S4, 445
1t will be thus that, by setting up an I'M
constitutional pretenton and disturbing the peace
and quiet and harmony Of the Union, the North
| ern States were enabled to secure law excluding
| the Southern savehodsr from above three-fourths
of the lands purchased from France This is
the second account settled with the Northern
States.
Since the acquisition of Louisiana, Florida was
| acquired. in the acquisition of Florida, contain
ing 59,268 square miles, the boundaries of Louis
lana were reduced so to exclude Texas and the
Spanish title to Oregon secured. Oregon,
containing 341 ,463 square miles, has been taken
entire possession Of under the Winthrop proviso
| Thus in that settlement the account stands:
Square miles.
For the Southern States, " ~ 59,26S
For the Northern States, .. BAL ,463
The account thus far stands:
Northern States dr. w. # .
The Virginia cession, :. -. :. PSI ,6S1
thaS ia, II
Excess of Oregon over Florida, SS2, 1873
Square miles, ... ,. .. 1924, 09S
This is an access of acquisition made by the free
States, for which the South has had no equivalent
Suppose we had 526,078 square miles, acquired
from Mexico and the excess will be increased to
], 750, JIG square miles.
Let us now state the account between the slave
States and the free upon the basis of the plan in
which the Nashville Convention expressed its
willingness to acquiesce, and that proposed by Mr..
Clay in his report. B.
Square miles.
The slave States contain . 6l9,098
Texas South Of $50 80 N 2SI 1898
Indian territory South .. .. 5S,436
California and New Mexico, S 204,683
l,l55,90O
The free States contain q. l54, $40
Oregon -. . 341, 1863
Northwest territory . 723,24S
California and New Mexico, N. 3a1's s5
Texas, North of ego 30 43,537
2,O97, I24
According to this division, the North would
have larger territory than is found east Of the
Mississippi above that yielded to the South. Ac-
cording to Mr. Gays report, the status quo as to
slavery is preserved, and no dispassionate and
candid man will deny such to be the practical OPP
Grafton of his bill Under that report then, the
South will stand:
Square miles.
Area of the present State 6l0,79S
Indian territory South of $50 30', N 5s,436
Texas g.. -. 200,569
Total ... -. .. i. 1891
The Northern States have of area $40
Oregon +. -. 24l, 1853
Northwest territory . 723 24S