The southern press., 1850-09-09

fixed minds. But, beyond them, there is yet a
power, we may invoke with hope. To the SOW.
reignty Of the people there may sill be appeal,
and there we may find power to resist wrongs
and maintain rights. In my humble judgment
} the honor and the safety of the Southern people
are involved in the issues of these measures, and
to them, with the confidence which their history
and their character justify, let refer becomes
their Representatives, the determination of the
extent of the wrong done and the mode and
measure of redress"
The question was taken by tellers and lost.
Aves 55-nays IS.
The question recurring on the amendment OF
the gentleman from Indiana,
Mr.. TOOMBS sad he would avail himself OF
the right TO speak in opposition to the gentleman
amendment, in order to answer the inquiry which
he had propounded He would say to the gentle
man, without acknowledging that he had incurred
the slightest responsibility obligation to respond
to any such nterrogatory, that he had voted in
conformity with the general sense of the whole
South. The gentleman's objection seemed to be,
that there were other measures forced upon the
South which were object enable He denied that
any such measures were forced upon him. Nearly
two-thirds Of the whole Southern delegation had
voted for all the measures which referred particu-
arly to Southern interests, whilst majority of the
Nothern votes had been cust against them. AS to
the bill for the admission of Californa-for the
gentleman had particularly referred to that-he be-
lieved It was no outrage upon the South he never
South. He was ready to meet the issue before the
country. His position was well known. So far
as the Texas boundary bill was concerned, he be-
lieved it to be wise and just messure. He had
never had any objection to it he believed that it
, was advantageous to Texas and advantageous to
: this Republic.
; In regard to California he would say, that he
believed the best policy of the North would have
been to divide her territory he believed that be
; fore five years elapsed it would be divided, The
} instead Of one. These were his deliberate opin-
ions, and he had proclaimed them everywhere,
and when he had yielded to gentlemen Of the
South 1t was for peace and harmony. The gen
item ~ might take ch concessions for whatever
he could make out of them.
The question was then taken on the amendment
Of the gentleman from Indiana, and it was mega
uved by ayes 52-noes S5.
Mr.. SEDDON proposed a pro Jtorma amend
ment.
Mr.. SEDDON sad | should be indeed happy,
Mr.. Chairman, if could accord in the strange
declaration just mad. by the gentleman from
Georgia, Mr.. TooMBs, that the South in this
series of measures has sustained no aggression
and no wrong. But, sir, the ability Of the gentle
man, great as it is freely conceded to be, must fall
f,r short Of the impossible task Of convincing
either myself numbers in the South Of the JUS
tce Of such assertion. cannot indeed forbear
expressing amnZement at the source whence such
declaration proceeds. Sir, to 60 no further back
than few brief days, were there not published in
This city the resolutions adopted by meeting Of
Southern representatives on a report made by that
gentleman as the chairman Of the committee to
whom had been confded the duty of recommend
ing Il to be pursued by us here' Did not
these resolutions expressly contemplate that an
amendment. introduced and urged by that gentle
man, should he offered bv him to the territorial
bills, by which substantially the Mexican law
was to be abrograted and another law, under
which right OF entry with our slaves into
The new territories was secured, substituted,
and made the exclusive law on the subject of
slavery? That in the event Of It's rejection, we
were to plant ourselves immovably, in the Mis-
souri, Compromise line and demand recognition
south of it , certainly had not doubt that all
who concurred in those resolutions, and especially
the mover, believed that il the principle Of his
amendment not accorded, and that then all
partition with recognition of our right TO hold
slaves in the part allotted us should be refused
great wrong and injury would he done the South,
and that should be justified in resisting, by all
legitimate means, this whole series of Infamous
measures. Yet, sir, we have seen the amendment
of the gentleman offered, and the whole vital part
Of it rejected by decisive vote; only so much
was substantially in the Constitution Of the United
States and incorporated in the bill before, was
adopted, az If in mere mockery. We have like
wise all propositions Of partition, Of the Mis-
souri, lne and of recognition Of our right of entry
with slaves, in any form, secuted and voted down
by overwhelming ma critics. IL there was sense
or meaning in our resolutions, surely these things
constitute to the gentleman himself gross wrong and
, aggression. might go much further, Mr.. Chair
man. in these personal references, for materials
not wanting, but have no heart for examinations
and recrminations with Southern men. prefer to
appeal to the convictions and cador Of the gentle
man himself in relation to the measures which have
passed. ask HIM, in all sincerity, If he does not
consider the sanction which has been this day given
by Congress to the Unauthorized usurpation by
,I,a hnr ,bo oil roEf oc OF
domains embraced by their Constitution, and to
the exclusion by Il Proviso in the form of organic
law, Of all citizens of the savehoding States with
their property, from, all participation in the enjoy
ment Of this modern FL Dorado, an aggression and
n wrong' ls it it not in substance and operation the
Wilmot Proviso, deriving its legal sanction and va
dty only from the recognition of Congress- Is that
no aggression' Is it no wrong, that the only la
boring class in the world excluded for months past
and forever henceforth from participation in the
fartic resources and exhaustless mineral treasures
Of that vast region, is the aboring class Of one
half the owners'-that we OF the South alone with
our property are to have no share or lot in the
treasures which to be had for the digging, and
which are probably to enrich the marts and inhu-
ence the destinies Of the whole continent? hold
this an outrage Of the most direct and momentous
character. appeal again to the gentleman. He
has declared by speech and vote that the title Of
Texas to the whole Of the territory east OF the Rio
Grande, from It's mouth to it's source, was clear and
incontrovertibIe. Was it no outrage and aggres
sion that fifty thousand square miles Of this terri
tory should be purchased, to be transferred from
the jurisdiction Of slaveholding State, certain to
maintain institutions, to the tender merces Of
this Government, controlled, as it confessedly is,
by an anti-savely majority, or of the seml-civ-
, zed Indians and Mexican half-breeds who have
Just manifested their determination to exclude !:
Even this is not ALL for we and our constituents
are compelled to pay millions for the transfer
which thus privileges and lnsures our exclusion
The gentleman has just seen the plain denial, even
in regard the barren salt plains of Utah, of our
unobsruced RIG ght to enter with our slaves during
the short period which is to intervene before
States are to in,erpose agans, us the insuperable
barriers Of organic law. Surely, he must admit
tn t to he wrong.
Indeed, Mr.. Chairman, appeal with confidence
to the gentleman to say whether, by the series Of
measures here adopted, he is not convinced the
South is eiltctually precuded from all participa-
tion in the vast territories acquired from Mexico.
Five years hence does he believe there will be n
: ,I, ith bis els yher in hiatt