The freeman. (Fremont [Ohio]) 1849-1850, 1850-04-06
NUMBER 4
The President,s Plan.

the opinion that thereis an increasing dispos-
ton among the people and their representa-
tives to fall back upon the plan proposed by
sage, for disposing of the slavery extension
question. 1t has less of detail, SO to speak,
than other which have been proposed, but it
seems to talk hold of the broad principle on
which any arrangement can be justly, AMIGA
| bly, and permanently settled; and, taken in con
nection with Mr.. Webster's exegesis of con-
stitutional requirements, meets the whole diff
Guilty The plan is set forth with 50 much
directness and lucid brevity, and is Of itself SO
entirely practicable, as to commend itself to
all reasonable men who have not resolutely
eschewed compromise. As the able Senators
who have taken the most prominent part in
the discussion have recently had the most
leberal circulation given TO their views, per-
haps it may not be amiss to republish Presi-
dent Taylors views also; readers will then
have before them ample means for forming
their own opinion upon the relative feasibly Of
of the various propositions. 1t is as follows
4 Under the constitution, every state has the
4 right of establishing and from time to time al
tering it municipal laws and domestic institu-
tons, indepently Of every other state and of
the general government subject only to the
propositions and guarantees expressly set forth
in the constitution of the United States The
subjects thus left exclusively to the represen-
tatives states were not designed or expected
to become topics of national agitation; still, as
under the constitution, Congress has power
to make all needful rules and regulations res
pecting the territories has led to discussions of
the question wether the system Of inYolunta-
ry servitude, which prevails in many of the
states, should or should not be prohibited in
that territory.
1t is understood that the people of the wes-
tern part of California have formed a plan of
a state constitution, and will submit the same
to the judgement of Congress
| ted to Congress, be found to be in compliance
with the acquisitions of the constitution of the
United States, | earnestly recommend that it
may receive the sanction of Congress The
| part of California not included in the proposed
state of that name is believed to be uninhabit-
/ ed except in settlement of our countrymen
in the vicinity of Salt Lake A claim has
been advanced by the state of Texas to q very
large portion of the most populous district
of the territory commonly designated by tho
name of New Mexico. If the people of New
Mexico had formed plan of state government
for that territory as ceded by the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo and had been admitted
| by Congress as state, our constitution would
have afforded the means of obtaining an adj
Iiustment of the question of the boundary with
Texas to judicial decision. At present. how
ever, no judicial tribunal has the power of de-
Gliding that question and it remains for Con-
gress to devise some mode for its adjustment
Meanwhile, | submit to Congress the question,
whether ii would be expedient here such ad-
ljustment, to establish territorial government.
which by including the district so claimed.
practically decide the question adversely. to
the state Of Texas; excluding it would decide
it in her favor, in my opinion. Such course
would not be expedient especially as the peo-
pie of this territory still enjoy the benefit and
protection form their municipal laws, originally
derived from Mexico and have military force
stationed there TO protect them against the
Indians. 1t is undoubtedly time that the
property, lives. liberty and religion of the peo-
pie of New Mexico were better protected
than they ever were before treaty of ces-
sion. Should Congress, when California shall
present herself for an incorporation into the
| Union, annex condition toh her admission as a
state, affecting her domestic institution, con-
trary to the wishes of her people; and even
compel her temporarily TO comply with it, YET
the state could change her constitution at any
! time after her admission, when to her it should
seem expedient.
1t is expected that any attempt to deny the
people of the state the rights of self-govern-
ment is matter which peculiarly affects
themselves will infallibly be regarded by them
as an invasion of their rights. and upon the
principle laid down in our Declaration of In
/ dependence, they win certainly be sustained
in their resistance against it by the great mass
! of the American people To assert that they
are conquered people, and must submit to
the will of their conqueror in this regard,
will meet with no cordial response among
American freemen. Great number of them
are own countrymen, not inferior to the rest
in intelligence and patriotism and no language
of menance to restrain them in the exercise of
an undoubted right, substantially guaranteed
to them by treaty of cessien itself shall ever
be uttered by me or encouraged and sustained
by persons acting under my authority. 1t is
to be expected that in the residue of the terri
tory ceded to us by Mexico, the people resi-
ding there will, at the time of their lncorpora-
ton into the Union as a state, settle all ques-
tions of domestic policy to suit themselves.
No material inconvenience will result from
the want for a short period of government
established by Congress over that part of the
territory which lies eastward of the new state
Iof California; and the reasons for my opinion
that New Mexico will at no distant period ask
for admission into the Union, are founded on
unofficial information, which suppose is COM
mon to all who have cared to make inquiries
on that subject. Seeing then that the ques-
ton which now excites such painful sensations
in the country will in the end certainly be set
tied by the silent operation Of causes indepen-
dent of the action Of Congress again submit to
your wisdom the policy recommended in my
, annual message, of await G the salutary opera
ton of those causes, in believing that we shall