The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-01

under the judicial sanction Of he Supreme Court OF the
United States which the place oil adjustment Of this
question most earnestly desired by the South and which
had been actually dges.ed by the accomplished
statesman.
he would call attention 10 the emergency ia which
Congress was called 20 legsIate. The President thus
elected by the North and by the South who had by his
own action excited the hopes both oil the Noiih and the
South, was understood and known to be committed to
~ was now now y 10 70 en Nn ~ ws
committed to policy 10 which distinguished statesmen
indeed thegreat mass OF the Of the Northwere
willing 10 subscribe. And without any great Distinction
OF party only few excepons--guerras they
were caled-wilh few exceptions OF noe--northern
statesmen were willing to accept the policy of the admin
stration. But southern wings, who discovered that the
issue had gone almost beyond their reach found them
selves allied with southern democrats And now, pass
ing from the ISSUE OF non-lneryention which the snc-
cess OF General TAYLOR seemed to have sweep from the
political issues OF the day, wings and democrats alike
claimed the positive action Of Congress. He would
pass over the argument whether u was to protect an
existing right, or to provide for the transfer Of a
right existing in the States 10 that Territory. They
all knew that southern men, feeling that crisis had
upon the country, made demand for absolute guar
antics on the part Of Congress- that within certain limits
Of that Territory, their rights OF property under the laws
OF the States should be respected Without regard
speculative OPINIONS whether slavery existed in that Ter
ritory or nowthou regard 70 the judicial decisions Of
the courts whether slaves could go into that Territory
not Qor all these questions aonned) crisis had
arrived and southern had felt at liberty to make the
issue and 70 call upon Congress to decide It. Here. then,
the country; the demanding congressional action
extend slavery TO, to protect it in the Ternorles the
other insisting hat whenever the federal power De
exercised at all in the way OF legislation, il shall be
cised destroy slavery This was the issue made up BY
the extreme party at tne North Call il guerrilla party
i you will II is party that you Of the North cannot
keep in subection, And this Congress is 10 decide
whether either shall prevail, whether the moderaie
conservative, and constitutional policy OF noninerven
ton shall be revived and established
He stood ready to extrcate himself from any views
with any men from the North who willing to exti
cate themselves from similar thraldom
The honorable gentleman from Ohio in his eye MIR
MLERl had served in this House since the Wlmot Pro-
yso was first introduced he had sat here when the in
trigue-the plot, for SO he lMr Mel must call it
which gave birth to the Wimot Proviso was first con-
cocted. He had sat here during the Mexican war, when
this anti slavery prohibition tnow called the ireeso
principle introduced 10 prevent the acquisition OF
territory by treaty He sat here when the bill TO enable
the Executive to negotiate treaty OF peace came in He
was here when the plot TO defeat that measure
cocted The parties to this plot knew that we must ne
amy aS heh no eanS ssas Without
Legislation Gentlemen knew they could prevent positive
legislation yet they nstgated concocted and cheered
the intrigue which enabled nine or ten men 70 tie our
hands and with the assistance OF distinguished senator
from the East to prolong the war. He Mr.. Mel felt
satisfaction in referring to his friend from Ohio lMr
MLERl as one OF the original and consistent advocates
OF the policy OF intervention BY Congress from this
point forward in view alone OF the constitutional oblga
ton TO confne Congress TO It's express and limited pow
ers
The tenth amended article OF the constitution declared
that he powers not delegated to the United States by
the constitution nor prohibited by II to the States, are re-
served TO the States respectively or to the people, Cen
temen would look IN VAIN Tor any express power OF mu
nicipal and political government the territories OF
the United States No southern statesman had admitted
that any such express power was conferred. he was
that distinguished authority from the South had
suggested vIndcated the abstract right and power OF
Congress His friend from Ohio, and other distinguished
northern democrats, accepted this constitutional view
Congress concurred with their political brethren, North
and South and pledged 10 each other their faith TO alb
stain from its He gave them the right hand OF
fellowship. He adopted them and their choice as his
choice In his Judgment they constituted the great heart
OF the democratic party in the last To these
men he now turned He had never separated from them
He never would do so, And long there
northern democracy that willing adjourn individ
ual opinions and 10 reject all interference the part OF
Congress with the institution OF slavery, or with the mu-
nicpa affairs OF the Territories, he would stand with
them He believed in his heart that the responsibility
rested upon these He believed in his heart, that
with them the real adjustment OF the difficulty lay.
And here he would especially ask The attention Of
promise II they meant that the line oil 80 deg 30 min
was to be run to the Pacific ocean by the authority OF
Congress, and that that authority should declare that
north OF that line slavery should be tolerated, but
that south o that line the question should be left open TO
be determined BY the people, then he would say he
wanted no such compromise. That was the pnnciple OF
on-inervention south OF 80 deg 80 mln and the Will
mot Proviso north of 80 deg 80 mip He would say 10
the southern men, embrace the tender OF the northern
democracytake Intervention over all The territory,
unless, good iaith the Missouri compromise line, with
slavery north OF expressly prohibited, AMI with slavery
south OF il expressly allowed, rs rendered in lieu thereof
And here, the spirit Of the Argument Of the gentle
man from Georgia Mr. TooMBs] as be Mr.. Mel un-
derstood II, he would remark that no man IN the North
could reasonably take exception to this doctrine II was
admission that Congress had power to govern the
country Some might say Il was adm ssion that there
no constitutional power TO govern the country, but
that The country having been acquired outside oil the
constitution, TO be governed outside OF the consilu
ton upon abstract principles Of equity and equality
But he stated the question thus because he did not
want TO be tnHed with he did want to affect enthu-
siasm a southern man upon question which was not
practical. He wanted point OF honor settled. There
was no point OF honor at issue IL great mistake
when the people OF California told that this ques
ton was sentiment at the North and point OF honor al
the South. That skulkIng and dodgng policy.
II was policy which was repudiated now by the most
patriotic statesmen who treated this practical ques
ton. and who treated the rights OF the South practical
rights, whether they rights within or without the
constitution Such representations had exerted nhu-
in the formation OF the State constitution OF Cali
forna, and he had in his eye distinguished gentleman
from New York, mt DUER,l who would take advan.
tage OF this stale OF things and accomplish indirectly all
that the most enthusiastic advocate OF the free-so doc
trne could desire Admitting the free Stale Of Caior
MIA now, indulging the sentiment OF the North, evadng
the point Of honor OF the South, he would bije future
time TO perform the evolution in regard to the re-
mainder othe territory. Such a consummatIon he Mr..
Mel would deeply depore.
He asserted, then, that to say that this a sentiment
al the North and point Of honor at the South was not
true. Ii was question OF constitutional right at the
South and they had always advocated that doctrine He
southern man, he would be content let the question
resto let tue people Of California have government