The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-25


was busy at work. SIS ~
President Taylor transmitted his annual mes
sage to Congress, and Gen. Cass treated US TO
another reading of the "Nicholson letter" The
Presidents message did not lift the curtain high
enough to exhibit all that had been done in
California He gave us birds eye view, and
told us to go it blind for the balance. tie init
mated that he had very little to do with the pro-
ceedings in California yet he presented pa
per which he denominated the constitution OF
California; and in two several communications,
he pressed the consideration of that paper upon
Congress, and he earnestly recommended the
admission of the State Of California into the
Union at an early day. '.'.
These proceedings, and these earnest recon-
mendations, could not fail to elicit searching
investigation on the part of Southern members.
1t became matter Of interesting inquiry as to
who made the pretended constitution; how the
people came to be assembled for that purpose
who appointed the time for holding the cleo
tons who decided on the qualification OF Vo-
tiers who decide that California had the requl-
site population to entitle her to one or more
representatives in Congress, without which she
could not be State. Ii was known that Con-
gress had never so much as taken legal possess
sion of the country, and it became subject OF
anxious inquiry to know who it was that had
kindly performed all the functions usually de-
volved on Congress- who it was, that in aid OF
the Legislative power OF the country, had taken
the census to ascertain the population; had
passed upon the qualification Of voters; had APP
pointed the time, place, and manner of holding
elections who it was, in short, that had done
all that had usually been required preparatory
to the admission of new State into the Union
1t was seen ut once, that no census had been
taken, and although the Constitution required
that the representatives should be apportoned
| among the States according to population, no
steps had been taken to ascertain whether Cali
fornia had the requisite population to entitle her
to one member, whereas, she was claiming two.
It was seen that the time, place. and manner OF
holding the elections, had all been arranged by
military commander, Notwithstanding the Con-
stituton required that this should be done by
law 1t was seen, and admitted on all hands,
that California was asking admission on terms
wholly and entirely different from those on
which other States had made similar applica-
tons. Gentlemen favoring her admission, were
wont to answer our objections with shrug of
the shoulders, and lamb-like declaration that
'there had been some irregularity." Irregular.
ties, fellow citizens. Shall conduct like this,
pass with that simple and mild expression that
/ it was "irregulnr Was it nothing more than
irregular to dispense entirely with taking CEN
sus! Was it only little irregular to permit
everybody to vote-white, black, and red cti-
zens, strangers, and foreigners? Was it simply
irregular for Gen. Riley, by military procla-
nation, to decide the time, place, and manner of
holding the elections Was it, ask you fel-
low citizens, nothing more than al irregular
proceeding, for military commander to dispense
entirely with the authority of Congress, the law
making power, and of his own will to set up a
| L 4 ,s,.l,t,
of the Southern States Of this Union? If the
rights and interests of all the States had been
respected, and all had concurred in the opinion
that the proceeding had only been little irreg-
ular, it might ha e been passed over with a
mental protest against recurrence of its like
in future.
But when it is seen that these "irrfgularHies'
amount to a positive outrage upon fourteen
States Of the Union, an outrage against which
these States earnestly protested, it becomes us
to inquire more seriously into the causes which
led to their preparation, and to take such deci,
sive measures as shall protect us against like
irregularities" in future. Does any man doubt
that slavery prohibition lay at the bottom of al
the "irregular les" in California!
f. Does not every one know, that but for the
> question ofsavery, these unprecedented outrages
would never have been perpetrated Is there
gentleman OutSlue vi Wlo uoe
not know that if California had framed q pro
. slavery, instead of an anti-savery constitution
her application for admission into the Unior
. would have been simultaneously rejected Ano
:, vet i'm view of all these and thousand other
: pregnant facts, VIC are expected to content our
selves with simple declaration that "the pro
ceeding was little Irregular but it was the best
that could be done" What, fellow-ctizens
does this whole matter amount to, as it now pre-
sents itself! The Southern people joined hear
: and hand in the acquisition of territory-shec
their blood-laid down their lives-expendet
their treasure in making the acquisition, ant
e forthwith the federal authority was employed t.
= exclude them from all participation in the com
q mon gain. The threat was uttered, and KEEP
d constantly hanging over them, that if they darec
: enter those territories with their slave property
= it would be taken from them. Thus were they
inundated and kept out of the country; nc
slave owner would start to California with his
. slave property, when Congress was day by da,
threatening to emancpate his negroes, if he dareC
to introduce them into that country. Not con
tent with thus ntimidiating Southern property
, the federal power was employed in instigatng
an unauthorized people to do that which the
Congress Of the United States had not the
power to do, to wit, to pass the /" Wilmot Pro.
viso."
1t is well known that the California cOnstitu-
ton contains the "Wilmot Proviso" in terms
1t is equally we'll known that this proviso has
been sanctioned by Congress, and that the sane.
ton of Congress imparts to it its only vitality.
Without that sanction it is nullity, dead
letter, an absolute nought. Who, then, is re-
sponsble for it but Congress-the Congress
which gave to it its sanction, and thereby i'm
parted to it vitality, and moved it into action /?
Here another Congress, we are told, could not,
and dared not pass the proviso; but the people
of California could propose it, and Congress
could sanction it, and thereby give it existence.
The people of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York,
and other States, might ask Congress to pass
the "Wlmot Proviso" but Congress dare not
do it, because there was no power under the
Constitution to authorize it; but if the people
of California asked it, then it was very different
question-then Congress had all the constitu-
tional power which the case required. Let the
truth be told. The Wilmot Proviso was an old