The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-26

In the House Of Representatives, the bill
supplying deficiencies in the appropria-
tons for the present fiscal year was passed:
after which the House resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole, and considered
the message in relation to California.
differentiation.
The debates in Congress show that the
| Opposition have reduced their strategy to
| system. "No matter what face the flu
ture may wear" they are resolved to OPP
pose the Administration of President TAY-
LoR to the "bitter end" Not only does
this determination form the basis of their
strategy, but events evince consultation
and agreement in the modes, objects, and
measure of attack. In the matter of the
Territorial question, they followed given
and agreed path. They denounce the Ex-
ecutive as having usurped power in Cali
fornia, and coerced the people of that Ter
ritory into adopting a constitution distaste-
full 10 moiety of the States of this Union.
They christen the action of the peo-
pie, in solemn convention, as the Cali
fornia proviso; and, in direct opposition
to proofs the most irrefragable and over
whelming, they accuse the President
with having interfered with the deibe-
rate convictions of the inhabitants to
procure the incorporation of the Wilmot
proviso into their State constitution. No
thing is farther from the fact than the
charge that the Administration, in any
way, sought to control the people of Cali
fo.nia in the exercise of their inherent
right to frame form of government to
suit themselves. There is no shadow of
proof for such an allegation. The testi-
mony OF every individual in the employ
ment of the Government, and the unani-
nous asseveration of the entire delegation
to Congress, elected by the legislature and
people of California, give the averment
direct, emphatic, and indignant denial.
Yet it is repeated from day TO day with
such pertinacity and violence, as to con-
vince every candid mind that the struggle
is conducted in the spirit which has de-
voted the Administration of President
TAYLOR to a ruthless, unsparing, and UNI
scrupulous opposition to the s'bitter end,"
emo matter what face the future may
wear" We have seen that they stick to
party arrangement of facts, no matter
what face the evidence may wear.
1t is not possible that there could be
such coincidence in the points of assault
made by succeeding speakers, unless there
had been previous concert and arrange
ment. II cannot be credited that the Pres
IDENT would have been assailed by the
whole phalanx of Southern "Bitter-End-
ers," for adopting, as the Union has told
US, General CAss's platform in regard to
the Territorial question, unless we inter-
pref the conduct of the former followers
of that gentleman in connexion with pur-
pose of opposition, "no matter what face
the future may wear" Some persons
"here and there" would otherwise be
found upholding now what they con-
tended for a year ago, and sustaining a
principle when avowed by political OPP
ponent, which they urged upon the people
as the wisest policy when promulgated by
candidate for the Presidency of their
own.
The same agreement and concert Of ac-
ton has been evinced in the debate upon
the deficiency bill. The Secretary of the
Interior has been denounced as usurper
for employing a force equal to the duties
he was commanded by the law TO have
executed. Deficiency bills have from
time to time been passed to pay for extra
force required for the emergencies of long
established departments. These neces-
sary appropriations are usually made with
out invoking serious or rancorous opposi-
ton. The circumstances under which
Mr.. EWING employed extra force were
more exacting than those which justified
similar exercises Of discretion by cabinet
ministers. The law creating the Home
Department was confessedly imperfect
1t was passed at the close of short SEES
sion of Congress, and neither Congress
nor the last administration could know
precisely what amount of force was ne
cessary to discharge the duties consigned
to the new Department. We do not at
tach any blame to the last Congress or TO
the last administration for the inadequacy
of the means supplied by the bill, for
experience could alone indicate the pre-
else amount There is no question, how
ever, that the means were insufficient.
Upon ascertaining this fact, the Secre-
tary of the Interior had one of two courses
to take. He must either employ force