Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-05-02

fourteen amendments were rejected: and the re-
solution for the committee adopted, yeas 30, nays
%.
On the 18th, the Republic contained the follow
ing editorial article; and we have to inform the
Editors ofthat paper that is one of "the several
articles" to which we took exception, on Saturday
last. 1t is perhaps proper to say, that we never
saw this article in the columns of the Republic it.
self until Yesterday, and met with it for the first
time in the Washington Union, some days after its
original publication.
From the Republic of April 10.
The instructions offered by Mr.. Benton, for the pro-
posed committee of thirteen, suggest certain pregnant
topics ol reflection 1t difficult, indeed to i'm
agine good for connecting the admission of Ca
Iitorna with any legislation which may require the as
sent of any State TO its completion--or with a
question OF boundary, any other controversy with
any other State. 1t is equally difficult to assign good
reasons Tor connecting the admission of California
with any other Of less dignity than the creation
OF Stae-or making the new State party to any
other than the compacts OF the constitutions imposing
any compacts relating to her domain than those
which have been heretofore required States named
IN Mr.. Benton's Instructions Whether not Calitor-
mia should be admitted State, is question that
ought to be decided in our judgment, purely upon its
merits
One reason that we have heard assigned for mixing
up extrnslc matters with the admission of California is
that there will otherwise be rebelous demonstration
IN the House OF Representatives and that the Union will
De dissolved by calling the yeas and nays, to the preven
ton OF all business If the Union can be thus broken
up, 1t probably not worth saving 1t is to be UNDER
stood that minority arrest legislation and prevent
the passage OF perfectly constitutional and unobec
tionabe measure, unless it taken in connection with
some other measure-f this newly invented phrase of
obgarchy is TO prevai-thee end Of govern
ment, there might we'll be end of it, for it would
sink into deserved contempt tor its teebeness and nsg
nifcance
We believe that the American people, from Maine to
Texas, would hail with reclamation the immediate un-
ncumbered, and unconditional admission Of California.
Ii II is to be postponed till Mr. Benons instructions are
all discussed and acted upon, California may be disposed
to set up for herself, and may be called upon to
conquer her.
1t was unquestionably the design of this article
to espouse the side of Mr.. Benton in contending
for the admission of California independently of
any other subject. And, what renders it the
more remarkable is the fact, that it appeared two
days after majority in the Senate had voted
down Mr.. Benton's motion to except California
from the subjects to be referred to the committee,
and the day after he announced his factious pur-
pose of renewing the very same proposition in a
more vexatious form. The article was, in short
distinct taking of the side of the ant-compromise
minority against the side of the compromise ma
jority We now desire to know whether the
Editors of the Republic spoke, in that article for
the President, or for the Cabinet or for themselves
alone
This appeal to the Senate to reverse it's patrio-
tic decision, and to adopt the counsels of Benton,
backed by Hale and Seward, and all the more vio-
lent Free Soil Senators, was happily without eff
feet; for, as we have stated, on the 18th of April,
the fourteen amendments of Mr.. Benton were re-
ected, and the resolution to appoint the committee
of thirteen was carried. But the Republic was
not content to let the members of the committee
use their best exertions TO produce practical plan
of settlement On the I'D of April the editors
thought it necessary to renew their exhortations
to Congress, in behalf of the scheme of admitting
California alone, and leaving the Territories to
take care of themselves The consideration urged
on this occasion was, that the scheme was "of
Southern origin" having first been developed in
the speech delivered by the Hon. VIM. B. Preston
February, l849. We make such extracts from
this article as are pertinent to our present object
From the Republic Of April 22d
Now it is in that speech-the speech of Southern
man, now member of the Cabinet--hat the whole
policy OF the Administration is developed. There is
no finger OF Northern man in the work The South
ern members, 1t IS to be presumed acquiesced in Mr..
Prestons views 1t was to forward them, far as was
consistent with proprety, that Mr. King went to Cali
tornia, and we know that Mr.. Preston was looking
anxously to the successful termination of his mission
as an event that would remove all difficulty from the
solution OF this complicated question He considered
that this mode once pointed OF settling these matters
practically by the creation Of State government in
California, Congress and the American people would
thereafter be ready to remit them in all other instances
to the people OF the Territories to settle for themselves.
Mr. Preston's plan consisted merely in authorizing
California to form State Govsrnment-whichis pref
ty much the thing leaving her to form State
Government. We can difference worth talking
about. Ii California were now admitted as a State,
and New Mexico authorized to form State Govern
ment or left to form State Government, it would
ny out Mr.. Prestons plan in all its particulars and this
is the plan Of the Presidents message How much differ
ence there may be between forming aStae government
tor New Mexico or authorizing her to form State 60
vernment, or forming territorial governmentand pre-
serving silence the slavery question alike in all-s
the subject matter OF the controversy now going on in
Congress.
We have given own views on this subject so fire.
quenty that we do not consider necessary repeat
them Mr. Preston advocates the policy of dischalgng
the territorial trust and leaving the people OF the Terrific
res to make their government or, in other words
the policy of action the ground that il is no
compromse" on either side, and that it gives fnalty
and repose" to the subject.
This revival of Mr.. Prestons proposition is spe-
cially worthy of notice, because it is accompanied
by an attempt to use the favor which that propo-
sition received to defeat the plan of compromise
contemplated in the appointment of the Senates
committee. Mr.. Preston's bill Though liable to
grave objections) had one great merit, in giving
fnality to the slavery question with regard to all
the territory acquired from Mexico. 1t proposed to
organize that whole immense region into one
State, which of course could regulate the subject
of slavery as it pleased, and would be competent
to settle the boundary dispute with Texas through
the Supreme Court. Gen. Taylor's policy, on the
other hand, organizes the State of California with
the boundaries proposed in the Monterey Const-
tuition, and leaves Utah and New Mexico without