Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-05-18

any principle the sacrifice Of any point of honor Such
my jude men the ground upon which the President
planted himself; and cannoth 10 express my belief
that party feelings had entered into this question
these perncous and poisonous elements could have been
eliminated from the controversy in which engaged the
great Of the American people, from the South and from
the North, from the West and from the East would have
been found rayng round the Executive upon this precise
ground and settling all their differences in harmony and
concord.
Tell me not that New Mexico and Deseret may be left
little while longer wi hout government by such
Better that they should go without government forever than
that Government should be broken up Better that
they should be sundered from eternaly than that they
should be instrumental in sundeng from each other But
such alternative is involved in this policy The people
who occupy those Territories capable of segovernment,
and shall have finally snnounced TO them this
policy than they will follow the example Of California, and
relieve US OF all further responsibility.
1t has been suggested in quarters that the President
has changed his position and deserted his original platform
This not the first time, sir such charge been brought
against Gen. Taylor The Mexcans proclaimed that he had
changed his pan and deserted his post and fled from the
defence of his friends when he made that mastery and match
less movement from Fort Brown to Point Isabel But they
discovered their before many days over and found
to their cost that they had mistaken their have mol
the slightest authority to speak for the President, would
be parliamentary for to do so, if Ihad but strong
y inclined the belief that those who imagine that he either
has changed change his views this subject will
be equally disappointed
For myself sir can truly say that adopt this plan in
spirit OF Cancellation and concession, regarding compro
mise worthy Of Southern President offer aud worthy Of
both the Southern and Northern people to accept.
know that there have been many eproaches and crim
nations dealt out agans of by the uaists Of the
free saies for being willing make this compromise
Because not quite rampant and royserous regard
to the islavery proviso Of its peculiar friends
charged with inconsistency deseon, and reachey
Now, sir am of those who think that Northern men
afd to be little forbearing upon this subject without
incurrng any just liability to such imputalons of
opinion that there ample be found in the changed
condition Of public affairs, in the altered circumstances of the
the subject of this ptovo and for the manifest Willingness of
the Northern mind acquesce in what has been called the
non action policy Of the President.
Why, sir at the time that povso originally proposed
at the time it made the subject of such ardent proesfa-
tons Of uncompromising devoonwha the Of the
country and of the question We then at with
Mexico, and with the strongest to appehend that
this to be pressed to the extinction and
absorption Of the whole Mexican republic. vast unde-
fined extension of territory thus in prospect upon which
slavery be planted and established That
war; thank Heaven, has been brought close. We
now at peace and what is more, sir the treaty of peace
has teen arranged, and the boundary line run, that,
though we hesitate to admit that Nature has
settled the question against slavery must all perceive
and acknowledge that the territory which has been acquired
holds out but little comparative temptation nducemen
its introduction. H+~"
What else has occurred Why, sir, at the time we all
committed ourselves holly the support provso
government had yet been established in Oregon and pur
pose had been exhibited insist upon the right of slavery
go there. Since then the principles Of the ordinance of 1887
Territory ,#
What further have we witnessed Why, sir, California,
California thousandfod the most important and valuable
part of the territories acquired from Mexico has settled the
question for herself and spontaneously dedicated the trea
Of her virgin SOIL and the riches Of her magnificent Mines
, to the labor of freemen forever
Sir do not say that there is to be found in all this the
slightest justification for abandonment OF Northern pn-
cpe But is there not is there not ample for
of the Northern tone for forbearance Of Northern
urgency upon this subject without the mpuaon Of ergver
I sation and reachery
think, sir that do undervaue the importance of the
principles of the ordinance of 1897 and of that provso
which prefer hencefoh associate with the great
Thomas jefferson and Nathan Dane and Rufus King, rather
than with that of any public OF the present day, how
ever distinguished notorious he may have become But
put the question Of extending slave soil the
footing with of directly increasing slavery and multiplying
slaves. If positive issue could again be made 70
decision whether human beings few many, Of what
race complexion, condition, should be freshly subject
ed system Of hereditary bondage and be changed on
feemen into slaves, conceive that bonds Of
ties of interest chords of sympathy consideration
Of past glory, present welfare, future grandeur should
+ sured to interfere for instant with resoute and
ceasing resistance nquous and abomnabe
There would be clear, unquestionabe, moral element il
such issue which would admit of compromise,
cesson obearance whatever We could sanction
such policy could submit to it, A million o
swords would leap from their scabbards it. and the
Union itself would be shvered, like Prince Rupes drop,
: in the shock.
But sir the question whether the institution of slavery
it already exists shall be permitted to extend itself hun
dred or hundred thousand square miles than it
occupies is different question The influences of such
policy upon the ultimate extinction OF slavery, and upon the
condition Of its unfortunate victims long lasts may
well be subject for careful consideration. There may be
two sides to Of the moral aspects of the question
At any rate sir it not in my judgment such issue that
conscientious and religious may not be free acquiesce
in whatever decision may be arrived at by the constituted
thories Of the country
For myse, Mr.. Chairman, truly say that it is
with view Of cooping up slavery, has been termed,
within limits too for its natural growth that il is not
for the purpose Of gding round with lines Of fire till its
sting like that Of the Scorpion shall lie turned upon itself
that is not for the sake of subecng a of erperi-
aentum crusiS that for one, have advocated the
principles Of the ordinance of 1857 Nor have the slightest
imagination that such would be the result of enforcing those
| principles within any estimable period Of time. .
Why, sir, you aware-do Southern gentlemen
ber-hat what called the slave States Of this Union,
Texas to the Rio Grande being included contain about nine
hundred and forty thousand square miles of territory, with
white population, by the ls40 Of considerably less
than five millions of people Allow if you please, that this
population has increased during the last ten years. sufficient
to bring up the whole existing population slaves included,
to nine millions of peoEe You have then less than per-
white and black, bond and Free square mile of ter
rtoy there enough here for every degree of
expansion which be predicted upon the largest calcua
tions for a century to come ;
Meantime sir do forget, that the free States with
population by the of s40 of more than nine millions
and half, and which must have up less than
thirteen fourteen miens, have only about four hundred
and fifty thousand square miles In other WORDS the free
States at this moment have thirty persons to square mile,
while the slave States have only ten !
exclude oil the territories in this calculation. But ii is