The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-27


The difficulty Of deyising measures Of legislation
suited to the condition OF the Territories which
have acquired, and acceptable 10 the people OF the
different sections OF the Union, results in my opin
ion, chiefly from the extreme zeal, violence, and
passion, with which erroneous opinions have been
inculcated by political partisans in the non, slave
holding and slavehoding States OF the Union:
There 10 a struggle between these two classes Of
States for political power. Al present the Union
consists OF thirty States, in half of which slavery
exists; and each State being entitled by the Con-
stituon 10 two Senator's there Is, therefore, in the
Senate an exact balance OF power between the
slaveholding and the men -sayeholdlng States. The
territory which we have acquired from Mexico is
sufficient in extent to form, when II shall be peo-
Piled, several new States; and as these shall be
slave States or free States so will the preponder-
ancc of political power be determined in this gov
erninent And this apprehend is the true source
of the sectional controversy that atiiicts the
country. In the North the opinion has been
stantly propagated that prohibitory legislation was
necessary TO prevent the extension OF slavery and
the formation of additional slave States; while in
the South it has been urged with equal zeal that
such indeed would be the result but for the obsta
Giles interposcd by northern agitation and the threat
OF hostile Legislation.
In my opinion, which exist--and which
Legislation cannot change-make il impossible for
slavery to obtain permanent loothold in the Ter
ritories acquired from Mexico The character and
sentiments of the people who now inhabit them,
aud who are likely to eInigrac thither-tho char
acter OF the country, its soil and climate, all
spire to make such result impossible. recog
milton and candid admission Of this truth by the
North and the South would, it seems to me- mode
rate the irrational excitement which exists on this
subject III both sectons, and remove one Of the
principal causes that now cinbarrnss this Govern
ment and disturb the public tranquility.
When say that slavery will be forever excluded
from the Territories which VIC have acquired from
Mexico, by causes that exist independent of Con-
grcssonal legislation am only repeating an opin-
which has heretofore been expressed by the late
Secretary ofthe Treasury, Mr. RI. Walker; by Mr..
Cass in his Nicholson letter; by the late Secretary of
State, Mr.. Buchanan; and by Mr.. Webster, in his
recent great speech in the Senate; and think
am safe III saying, that am only uttering truth
which every intelligent man in this republic be-
lieves, who has examined the subject with the pur-
pose OF arriving at correct conclusions. am sup
ported in this opinion. also, by the Committee, of
Thirteen which reported tie Compromise BILL
the following extract from the report accompa-
nying that bill will show:
The bill for establishing the two Territories, il
VIII be observed, onlits the Wilinot proviso the
one hand, and, the other, makes no provision
for the introduction OF slavery into any part of the
new Territories. That proviso has been the fruit
ful source of distraction and agitation. If il We're
adopted and applied TO any Territory, it would
cease to have any obligatory force soon such
Territory were admitted as State in the Union.
There was never any occasion for it, TO accomplish
the protested object with which il originally
offered. This has been clearly demonstrated by
tue current of events Cal fornia, of all the
territorial acquisitions from Mexico, that in
which, II anywhere within them, the Introduction
constitution Of California, by the unanimous vote
OF her convention, has expressly interdicted IL.
There is the highest degree Of probability that
| Utah and New Mexico will when thew come To be
admitted as States, follow the example"
Mr.. Chairman, if have succeeded in establish
ing the positions | have assumed, in any degree
proportlonate to my own deep conviction Of their
truth, the conclusion will follow that in deciding
the comparative merits Of the several measures
now under consideration in this and the other end
OF the Capitol, we ought to be governed, not ex-
clusively by individual opinions OF the specific
provisions OF those measures, but that estimate
of their adaptation as remedies for existing evils
ought to be in great degree influenced by the ia
vor d-support extended to them by the Repre-
scntatives of conflicting sentiments and opinions.
When the various matters in controversy be-
| tween the northern and southern sections of the
Union referred by the Senate to a committee
composed OF Senators eminent for talents and pa.
triotism, and selected, in equal numbers from the
two great political parties and from the slavehold-
ing and non slaveholdng States the hope naturally
arose in the public mind, that the high character of
that committee would impart an influence to its re-
commentators that would take these questions out
OF the vortex of party politics, and commend its
recommendations To the general acceptance and
approval of the whole country. This expectation
has not been realized. Since the report the com
mittee the Senate itself has been converted into a
scene Of discord-an arena of sectional strife.
Southern Senators oppose the report of the commit
tee because It yields every thing in controversy 10
the North, and, on the other hand, northern Scna-
tors oppose IL because il yields every thing in
troversy TO the South. Its supporters in the South
obviously intend To assume that il secures the ad
mission Of slavery into the Territories acquired
from Mexico, whilst il is equally obvious that it's
| northern supporters will assume that il excludes
slavery from those Territories Can a measure
susceptible OF such contradictory construction tran
quilize the public mind, and restore harmony 10 the
Unionl II il be passed into a law by Congress, is
Il not 10 be feared that the same conflict Of opinion
which has marked the debate in the Senate will be
transferred TO the popular forum, in the North and
II nd hat GN.A a0.aexs.
and more dangerous sectional excitements will be
the consequence? In the midst OF this conflict of
opinion, II now hangs suspended in the Scnate-no
man claiming 10 be able 10 foretell it's fate Should
II receive such notifications TO make il pass the
Senate, is II not 10 be apprehended that, when II
comes into this Hall, IL will encounter the same
late which every attempt heretofore made 10 estab
lish territorial governments for Mexican terri
tories has encountered Will not some ardent
Frcc-soier' rise in his place, and move 10
amend, by attaching the Wilmot proviso, pro-
hibiing slavery in those Territoriesi And will
not that proposition, AS heretofore, command
majority Of votes in this House, and will not
incrcaSed sectional evaporation and excitement
follow as a consequence II undoubtedly we'll
founded approximations Of this kind, that induced
the President 10 recommend Congress 20 confne
IL action, for the present, 20 the admission Of Cali
iornia into the Union State and leave the resi.
due OF territory TO the government Of existing laws
and The temporary governments which have been
established
This recommendation Of the President contem.
plates the carly admission Of New Mexico, as
State into the Union, and refers the question Of the
existence non-esistence Of slavery therein 10 the
decision Of the people, when they form State con.
stitution, preparatory 10 their application for ad.
mission. lie recommends the North 10 waive the
proviso, 90 offensive 10 the South, and he recon-
mends tho South and the North mutually 10 con-
sent 10 reference Of the question in dispute be-
tween them TO the decision Of that tribunal which
in the last resort must have Jurisdiction whatever
plan Of temporary adjustment may be adopted by
Congress. He recommends "compromisc' which
gives triumph neither 10 the one section nor the
other, and which requires neither section 10 sacr-
hce lie principles, It's pride, its rights The fact
having been developed by repeated unsuccessful
attempts, that Congress cannot, by any OF legis
lation, adjust the question in dispute to the satis
faction Of the parties 10 that dispute the President
recommends them 10 refer its decision 10 that great
American principle which recognises the right Of
every political community TO choose and decide for
itself what shall be the character Of its institutions
and laws.
But IL is urged that there irregularities, in
formalides, departures from established usages in
the proceedings in California, which resulted ia the
formation Of State constitution aud an applica-
ton for admission into the Union, that constitute
sufficient grounds for rejecting her application.
These objections trivial that will not waste
time in refuting them. No one enterisins the eS-