The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-23

boundary OF State once admitted into the Union cannt
be changed without the consent OF that State But be
eve il principle well established that the boundary
State may be changed before she comes into the Union
even after she has formed constitution believe
was done n the case oil Florida, and, unless am misa
KEN done In the Of Iowa. There 10 no lega
objection, il seems 10 me, whether California consents Q
no il Congress considers proper and necessary that IN
boundary OF this State should be changed Fmust sui
express my regret that proposition has been made TO
a modification Of the boundaries by that State
But nov. Mr. President, we are told that the people
the South ought not To object TO the admission OF TIM
State into the Union, though she has prohibited slavery
that that being her ac and theac OF Congress, has
no right 10 complain that il is in accordance with opin
ions advanced by many the South heretofore that thes
things should be left with the people
Well, Mr. President, there would be great deal in al
argument like that il this question had been left fairly
To the people, without any exlraneous Influences, whou
operations from abroad II this question had been le L
the people of California, there might have been some
weight the argument; but as II IS, consider there l
none at all So far from the constitution with which
they present themselves TO be admitted into the Union
with prohibition Of slavery, being The result Of spon
taneos movement Of the people OF California. believe
concocted elsewhere and carried out there BY in
uences from other places and not left to the people o
California alone And though we cannot have the drec
and positive evidence OF the fact have circumstances
sufficient 10 lead necessarily and irreslstby to that con-
clusion
Now, sir, apart from all public considerations, LEI
look III the question itself tits SAID on all hands, and
believe il isprcy correct thai IN large portion OF Ca
fornia at least, slavery would not GO II is conended
also by those who contend that slavery should not 30
there that slavery is already prohibited there BY law do
not believe that correct believe the arguments OF the
honorable senator from Georgia Mr. BERRIESl and the
honorable senator from mississippi MR. DAyIsl con,
elusive that subject But STILL those who hold ground
adverse 10 US have their opnon and they think thesewo
propositions that slavery Is not allowed there by
law and il il was allowed, il would never go there, for
there are no negroes there.
would ask, MIR President, how came California TO de-
eide unanimously and decidedly that slavery should
not 70 there, How came it that there was no op-
position II known that one-half OF this
Union was opposed TO the adoption Of such prohi-
bton, which had also interest in those Terriioes
and yet without any object TO be misunderstanding to
The argument OF gentlemen on the other side-what
could have induced them TO adopt and to adopt unan
Housy, prohibition which already existed! Why, SIR,
sometimes evidence is strong that proves loo much
The fact which gentlemen rely upon that this constitution
adopted unanimously, proves that there are crcum
stancs connected with the case which we do not know
Do you think that southern men-aad there are many
there from the South; some know from my own Stale,
and from Virginia, and other southern Staesstood
by during the formation oil that atconstutlon and, without
any object reason demand, abandoned allthe prnc
pies which they before entertained and Tor no object
or purpose, came forward, and established principle
there which they have been fighting against all their
lives in the United Statesi think il is very improbable
The very fact therefore, of the unanmiiy far from
satisfying me that this the spontaneous act of the
people, proves clearly that this constitution
adopted 10 order, and not spontaneously.
But, Mr.. President we are not left TO mere inference
this subject There are facts and public documents
which bear out the assumption that this movement was
the spontaneous OF the people OF California
There have been some strange some most
country knows the difficulties have bad on this ques
ton, We all recolect the efforts which have been re-
peaedy made BY both the North and South to
question: necessary to go them all but
wish for moment 10 call attention to the action OF
Congress- at the last session on this subject mean
s the amendment offered e the appropriation o sy Inc
amendment After everything else had faled-after II
well asceraned that neither the bill reported by the
honorable senator from ILLINOIS lr DoueL.sl nor any
other proposition likely 10 pass, near the close OF
the session, when there every probability that this
matter would lie over, that provision would be made
for the government OF the Territory, that California
would sci up for herself and be lost 10 the United states
and that perfect state OF anarchy would prevail there
to avoid this evil the majority OF this body agreed to take
steps for the purpose oil adopting compromise and ar
rangemen that would satisfy both parties After good
deal OF discussion the principle was adopted That amend
ment-the Walker amendmentIs fresh IN the recollec
ton OF gentlemen shall not take time TO revert TO T. or
to read The amendment but instead OF making provisions
by aci which the North or The South might Object TO-
it proposed, compromise to vestin the President
full power organize Territories and carry on the gov
Of California not BY special provision made BY
Congress but BY giving full and plenay powers to the
President OF the United States TO do So As new Pres,
dent had Just come n il natural thai the people
should conide in him They did conide in him. Il
thought that the strength Of his name and fame, and
popularity, would enable him to settle this question: u
any body could settle it-that he night coming IN with
the power Of new President (and tneir power always
greater when they come IN than al any o'ner ume see
this question
Now, although he might not have settled II TO the per-
feet satisfaction OF every yet Il was thought he might
settle IL, and unnecessary agitation Ihe Senate on
that occasion did what has rarely ever been done be
FORE and perhaps would have been done, except
under the most extraordinary circumstances. Tney
passeI that amendment give TO the President oil the
United States peaary 30 ses-l had almost said dictao
rial powefs-io settle this question; and yet what was
donei do not intend 10 embark in any party discussion
on this subject On this question have nothing 10 do
with parry II is above al. party considerations IL has
almost lost It's connexion with all party believe that
al the South. pary is not thought OF al all IN connex
ion with this matter And, sir, would least OF all do
anythng that might tend 10 lessen the influence which
the administration might exercise upon IT, But u IS
grave question: and il Is necessary that we should go 10
the foundation OF il; that should know the facts OF
had been passedii it had been adopted and carried
through the other Housetbis whole controversy might
have been settled for. whatever the new President might
have DONE the would have been acquiesced IN.
and the people, upon the whole, would have been salts
fed Bot, unfortunately this was moi the case This
re solution the House OF Representatives, and
was defeated there. And what sir, IL the history OF that
other country. On this great question. which bad then
been agiiang this county to its very foundation, and
whish likely TO continue TO agaie IT, unless settled,
the democratic party ia this body hushed all party cianor
waived all objection which they had had before; they 81
fenced all the dictates Of party, and united with the
wings in giving full and complete powers to the Pres
dent on this subject II taken TO the other House,
and you know its history II was defeated there. Had
il been there defeated BY the democrats, they would
have given reason for It's defeat They might have
thought giving loo much power, too much ecak
They might have imagined il would buiid up the whig
party so impregnably that il never could be re-
moved iron power. could even have imagined the
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