Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-03-26
MN. wEBsTER,s SPEECH.
fCopcIuded.1

oil annexation oil Texas particularly referring
10 new slave States 10 be marked out of her
territory with her consent. and making this Q
part Of the compact.
lie said that by these resolutions Il was
solempH secured that out of the territory OF
Texas new States to the number of four may
he formed, those south Of 269 3G To be
slave States. those north 20 be free. No act
Of Congress can add strangth TO this guxrsn-
tee. Texas accepts the term and comes in
upon them. He saw no way ia which the
Government can release itself from this obi
CATION. Slavery was fixed there by positive
guarantee.
The resolutions proyide that free States
can be formed north Of 36o 30; but the con-
sent of Texas is required. How could such
a compact be ffmed il the North had the o.
yershadowng power which the Senator from
| South Carolina says IL has hadl
| Ia the House Of Representatives these res
olu,ions were adopted by eighty southern
and fifty nonhern votes. la The Senate. by
vote Of rwenty-seveu TO rven,y-fse. or
this twenty seven. thirteen were from The free
S,ales-four were from New England. Near
| ~ ne.half Of the votes was Free Soil votes.
l1e knew nothing so remarkable IN history ~
this affair. Thlslerrtoiy of Texas-overwhich
n bird could mol fy in "A week annexed, acd
positively guarantied TO be slave territory. aud
tllree-fouuhs ofthe liberty loving members Of
| the House from Connecticut. and one half in
the Senate, yoted FOR IL. One vote was Civ
en- for il from Maine. one from Massschu-
sets. These men called themselves the
northern Democracy. They went for the
acquisition oflerriory, they went for the iu-
PRODUCTION Of new world. and after its intro
duclion they propose TO apply to il the saving
grace Of the Wilmot Piovisp.
fKn, q
one from New York-vo,ed for the resoIu-
ton OF annexation, with their eyes wide open
In the fact that the then Secretary of State
had openly and win manliness adv0 caied It's
annexation because Of its being slave territo-
ry.
Mr.. Calhoun said that Gfes, Britain. with
the aid OF Abolitionisis here, was endeavoring
to abolish slavery 10 Texas. II was on this
ground he advocated its annexation.
Mr.. Webster said il was nearly the same
thing. Those two Senators who had voted
to annex Texss--who had voted for acqui.
ting new terrilory-haye gone home To lead
the great Free Soil party. They had left to
the Senate the odium nt voting TO carry into
effect The gurransee to admit new slave States,
or The greater odium 10 vote 10 violate that
guarantee, while they have gone home and
are now engaged in making RAINING free soil
speeches.
Mr.. w. then gave history OF his course
on the subject of The annexation Of Texas.
and on the principles Of the Wilmot Proviso.
showing that, from the year 1896, he had uu-
tormly opposed the former aud sustained
the latter; reading from speeches delivered on
the subject. He had voted against the bill TO
consum mate the aonexation of Texas. He
had been always opposed to the annexation.
accession or acquisition north or south; he
always adopted The Spartan maxim. "Im-
prove, adorn what you have, seek no furth-
en-"
But in the present srste of affairs, he could
see no other mode of proceeding, than TO car
~ out the guarantees ofthe Texas annexa-
ton resolutions, whenever The proper time
comes. He may not be there. but he wished
il To be understood rhs, this Government is
bound TO admit new States out OF Texas ter
ritory south OF $50 80 admit them as slave
States. That was the meaning OF The COM
pact made by the northern Democracy: He
would cary il out.
L. his opinion slavery could not exist 10
California and New Mexico. at least as il ex-
lists 10 the county. IL was as impossible To
carry slavery there il was to do any other
impossibility. Mr.. w. described the soil
aud character Of the country, aud held that
no STAKEHOLDER would carry his slaves TO such
a country. twas a fixed fact that Califor-
MIA and New Mexico were destined 10 be
Tree, and that too by 'he arrangement of
things by the power above. IL a Law was now
before The Senate providing a territorial gov.
ernment Tor New Mexico. he would vote for
the prohibition Of slavery lie would make
no effort 10 carry out by law an ordinance OF
nature, or 10 re-enact the will of God. He
would not vote for il in such n case. because
il was woBndng TO the feelings of south
ern gentlemen, who hold opinions that they
are theoretically at least allowed to carry
their slaves ;here.
He would treat the Wimot proviso, az far
as New Mexico is concerned, as Mf. Polk
did il with regard TO Oregon, that is, as
uugatoiy act, AMI in that case senseiess
act. Any man who would vote for the Will
mot prOvsO for New Mexico. should feel
himself bound 10 protect the eternal SHOWS
of Canada hOm Slavery, by the same over
shsdowing OF an act Of Congress. When
anything practical was 10 be effected. he
might vote for it. but would give 20 vote to
disgrace his own understanding.
Ia these times Of excitement IL is but nat
Epral that mutual examinations should take
place, aud that each side should have list
Of grievances He would begin Tie examina-
lion OF these grievances with those of the
South. One OF these was founded upon true
grounds. Ii is that the Mouth have showna
dissemination TO carry out the obligations Of
the Constitution IN that particular requiring
that fugilves from labor shall be rendered up.
In this particular the South was right and
the North was wrong. He considered that,
by the terms Of the Constitution, il vas made
the dGiy of the States aud their legislatures
IN give up these slaves. Every member OF .
State legislature are bound by his oath To
support the Constitution, and had no right
TO consider any excuse for not carrying all
that Constitution into effect. There was
bill now before The Senate 10 carry into ef
feet this provision ofthe Constitution. and he
would vote 60, IL. The South was right 10
its complaint Of injury on this point, and the
North was wrong in being unmindfuI OF what
the Constitution peremptoriiy required of
Al.