The southern press., 1850-09-04

for the Oregon bill OF last session, containing
the proviso, also voted for the admission Of Cali
fornia. & 8 #
1t is true that some Southern senators were
absent on this important occasion, and did not
choose to record their votes upon measure
which has occupied seven months Of the session.
OF their opinions it would not be proper to
speak. The great fact exists, that constitu-
ton was framed by convention called by an
army-chief-a military governor, whose delib-
erations were superintendent by him-who had
the benefit of the advice Of Il. Butler King, who
went on mission from, and was fully ac-
quainted with the views Of the President; that
emigrants, native and foreign, squatters and ne
groes, pilgrims and passers-by, united in this fla
grant act, and that the Senate has ratified the
seizure of the whole Pacific coast, and its appro
priation to abolition purposes territory whose
inexhaustible mines have in one year yielded
about thrty-fve millions of dollars from the
crude and imperfect operations of unskilful mi
ners-a domain which, if accessible to slave III
Dor, would add one hundred per cent. to the
value of all disposable labor of that description
"a loss under which the whole South is to suf-
fer. that foreigners may become rich. All this
is done in open Senate, md but eighteen South
ern senators are found to vote against It,
But, sir it was gratifying to find amongst
that small number those who had uniformly and
steadily opposed the whole adjustment arrange
ment They had another good and sufficient
reason None Of the elements OF the bill OF the
Thirteen met with their appreciation They
knew of no process by which an accumulation
of bad measures rendered any one OF them
more acceptable. They had learned no rule by
whch three insults combined were equivalent to
compliment-no discovery in chemistry which
| offa n1o iut n
fume. They were not disposed to take insults
by the Wholesale which ought to be- resented
each in its place.
They We're unwilling to load the South with
chains, merely because those who proposed to
enslave her attempted to fulfil the design by one
enactment To Southern statesmen who framed
that measure, and were willing to infiict it on
the country, say that they a.e not accountable
to ME, but to their constituents. TO those who
feel called upon to denounce as disunionists,
those who were opposed to their scheme, say
distinctly, there are offences which are never
forgiven The system of christianity requires
forgiveness of personal in njures and this is not
only duty to our fellow-men, but justice to our
selves Malignity is its own executioner, and
inhcts most awful tortures on those who cherish
it, But political unfaithfuluess is not and ought
not to be forgiven. The day of settlement will
come, and charges Of disunion and clamors about
treason, threats to coerce States andpunlsh trail
tors, will be all nailed to the counter as base
counterft coin. There will be another sort of
|treachery passed in review, and other actors who
will be seen after the clamor about others shall
have ceased They will learn that the wrorgcd
and injured South will regard him alone as Il
disunionist who, following the lead of Free
Soilers and emancipators was willing to disn-
L.. oe. f,;r lnp NH nb harS nrS
had won, the blood of her sons had watered, and
her treasure purchased. Woe to them when
they shall feel that they are surrounded by II
ring fire which continually approaches the heat
becoming more intense, the anguish more in
supportable until they are consumed and an
initiated in the burning focus fpublic indigna-
ton.
But sir, must speak for short time as to
the title of Texas to the boundary which she
claims, and our duty to defend her in that claim.
The resolutions of annexation, the supreme law
of the land, acknowledge her claim to latitude
above $500, for they provide for the States to
be made above and below that line, and abso-
utely forbid slavery above. The war declared
and prosecuted by the Democratic party was II
bloody and cruel outrage founded on falsehood
and crime or else the title in Texas to the lower
Rio Grande was valid The latitude of $500 is
nearly that of Santa Fe, now claimed as Il part
of New Mexico. Then the resolutions of an
nexaton, and the action Of our Government
acknowledging the Rio Grande, is conclusive Of
the understanding between the parties them
selves. But this is not all. BY those resolu-
tons, Texas deprived herself of the right to
negotiate her boundary, and the United states
assumed the Office and the responsibility. By
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the whole
country north of Ell Paso on the Rio Grande
west was absorbed by the United States. The
Texas boundary, the avowed cause of the war,
came, by that treaty, into the possession of this
Government as trustee. With whom, then,
was the United States to treat or to settle it by
negotiation? The question is too plain for argll-
ment. All principles of law and equity decide
that the cestui qui trust is entitled to the benefit
of property acquired in his name and his right.
So thought President Polk, and so thought the
last House of Representatives. He directed the
military commandant to surrender the territory
east of the Rio Grande to Texas, and the House
of Representatives concurred in that determine
ton Besides, sir, the gist of the contest between
the parties as to the Mexican war was, that
Texas did not extend beyond the Nueces. Why,
then, has not the President claimed the country
on the lower Rio Grande, as we'll as that on the
upper portion Of that river? 1t is no reply that
the title of Tamaulipas has been extinguished
to all the country east of the lower Rio Grande.
SO has all the political existence of New Mexi-
co been destroyed and absorbed by the treaty
of cession. From Ell Paso westwardly to the
Pacific, the treaty line includes all of that former
province of the Mexican Republic not claimed
by the authorities of Texas. So clear was the
case, that even the late President of the United
States directed his military commandant, in his
first instructions, not to obstruct the extension
of the civil jurisdiction of Texas over the coun-
try east of the Rio Grande.
The obligations on the United States to as
sert and maintain the boundary of Texas, may
be made manifest in another view Of the sub
ject. Suppose that after the adoption of the
resolutions of annexation, and before the accept
ance of Texas, a sudden eruption of Mexicans
had driven the Texans to the Sabine-Texas
accepting the resolutions us she did, can any one
question that the United States would have
been bound to recover the possession of the
Territory Of Texas And having done so, it
would Immediately inure to the sovereignty
which had become one of rs The oblioation