The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-10

even, except TO carry out the Judgment of court
under previously enacted law of Congress
The principle for which Mr.. s. commended, was
older than our Constitution. 1t was that of the
Magma Ch0sa--thst no freeman should be mo-
Tested except by or for Judgment OF his peers.
4 This principle was also Incorporated in our
Constitution ITO prove which Mr.. STEPHENS quoted
that instrument No man could be seized and
tied under the Constitution, except for violation
Of law. Therefore, it was preposterous to hold
that man could be rightfully shot down by the
military power Of this Government, for doing that
for which he could be punished, when arraigned
before some legal tribunal ofthis country.
| He Che Presidency could not say that the iuris-
diction of Texas could not extend up TO Santa
Fe, as he had said, without virtually deciding the
boundary dispute. 10 f.l.
Mr.. MOORE inquired whether the annexation
resolutions did not say that the General Govern
mensshould determine the boundaries Of Texas
MIR. s. replied in the negative. Had Mexico
not put up claim for territory East Of the Rio
Grande, no power on earth would have disputed
the claim of Texas to this strip of territory
The only outstanding claim being extinguisl,ed,
the claim Of any other party against Texas was
preposterous. gr
| Mr.. STEVENS, Of Pennsylvania, held that
the United States was the assignee Of Mexico.
/ MIR. STEPHENS, Of Georgia, denied the fact.
Texas only permitted the United States to become
the umpire between herself and Mexico, not the
assignee Of the latter. si8
! The House, by large majority, in voting that
Mav;co ha2 onillad ~, hJaod On ~
soil, had acknowledged the right Of Texas to the
territory in dispute He [Mr. 81 had originally
denounced this declaration as untrue; but the
nation had affirmed it. Would Congress pre-
sent the shameless front of now declaring that
declaration to have been made in bad faithi That
would be saying to the world, that we had gone
to war at the cost Of one hundred and fifty mill
lions, and thousands Of lives, to steal land from
Mexico; such would be the declaration in
volved in this proposed change of front on the
part Of Congress.
There was another grave question involved in
this controversy. This was whether Congress
had the power to pass law to coerce State of
this Union He would not discuss that question
now, however. Jackson had not dared to say
that he would use force against South Carolina
until Congress had expressly authorized him to
do so. He could not say whether Texas would
maintain her Jurisdiction the disputed terri
tory or not. Were he a citizen Of Texas, he
should advocate the enactment of laws extending
the jurisdiction Of that State there, to hang those
forcbly combating that jurisdiction, and to repel,
by force, any forcible effort of the General Gov
eminent to dispute its validity. Whenever the
President Of the United States, or his officers at
tempted to shoot down American citizens without
authority of law, he, for one, would go to the
rescue. t as@g nl Els NJ ,sas a'.g
Mr.. s. here drew an analogy between such adj
vice as he was here giving Texas, and the course
Of our fathers in the War of Independence. He
approved highly Of the conciiatory tone of the
message, but if the Government ever attempted
to carry out the course for it laid down in that
paper his voice would be for war, and for the
destruction of the changed and vitiated General
Government. He was for peace, and for the pre-
servation of the Union, which could only preserved
by rightful, constitutional and just legislation
He denied the allegation of Mr.. STEVENS, Of
Pennsylvania, that the South asked special legis-
lation. She had only asked co-equality and pro-
lection from demands Of this character coming
constantly from the North, as Mr.. S. proceeded
quire the territory in dispute as the North,
and under the laws of nations, Gas Mr.. S. quoted
from Vattell to show she was entitled to enjoy
it with many privileges in the territory as the
North. He would never acknowledge allegiance
for a day to Government which arrayed itself
against the property and social organization Of
his section Of the Union. Seven millions of peo-
pie were not easily conquered, and it would be as
well for the North to estimate the cost to-day as
tomorrow. 1t might be that the North would
conquer the South--that she might extermnate
the present race of grown up Southern citizens.
But their sons would never come TO this hall again
to associate in fraternity with the North.
He held that the anti-slavWy sentiment of the
North was an unfounded and sickly philanthropy.
1t was Notwithstanding with God Almighty
and finding fault with Nature. The Negroes skin
was as easy TO be changed as his nature. The
Bible said that the Ethiopian could not change his
skin nor the leopard his spots. The next step in
the anti-slavery work would be to follow the
French Revolutionists of '9S. They would at
tempt to dethrone the Deity himself. Mr.. MANN,
VI lhdSSoCuuSclS, WIZ Iioo hCiC .uCSiuI GA tlot
he would rather see war, pestilence, and famine
upon us than slavery extended one inch, had also
held doctrines, in effect, saying that if the Scrip
lures justified slavery, then Christianity was a
mockery. ~ stsi"i n.as
There followed short conversation between
MIR. S. and Mr.. MANN, Of Massachusetts, in
which the latter admitted that he had said, and
now held, that he would rather have civil war,
than that slavery should go into the territories.]
Mr.. STEPHENS, Of Georgia, continuing, went
on to show that not one man more would be made
a slave by the extension Of the institution thus,
and that its diffusion would have the effect of
ameliorating the condition Of the slave. And
then he laid before the North the alternatives; de-
claring that the North was at liberty to make war
on this account il she would, the latter having
made up her mind to remain wholly on the de-
fensive. %'f5ta rs at7@Ea
Mr.. SAVAGE, who obtained the floor, yielded