The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-06-11

not be so.
President Polk and his Cabinet could not
have sent advice to California of this failure
on the part of Congress for it is historically
true that the failure occurred in the very last
hour OF Mr.. Folks administration.
Through some channel. Gen. Riley was
advised that Congress had failed to provide
a government for California, and this after
President Taylor came INTO power. do
not say that Mr.. King was this channel, but
l do say that from the same medium through
which he derived the information that Con-
gress had failed to provide government,
he may and probably did, receive also the
views Of the President and his Cabinet, and
hence he was enabled to speak as he did
with positive certainty of the one and the
other.
"You are fully possessed" says the Sec
retary of State, Dir. Clayton, to Mr.. King
in a letter bearing date of April 8, lS49,
"Iou are fully possessed of the President S
views, and can with py0priety SuggeSt to
the people of California the ADOPTION Of
measures best calculated to give them effect
These measures must, of course originate
with themselves" Mr.. King then, was
informed that Ire could with propriety sug.
gest the adoption of measures 10 carry out
the Presidents views, he having been fully
| possessed OF those views. But these meas
ares must originate with the people! Beau
tlful! Mr.. King is sent to California, to
suggest to the people the adoption of meas
ureS to carry out the Presidents views but
these measures must originate with 'hepeo-
| pie! And more beautiful std, Mr. King
comes home, after disburdening himself of
| the views whereof he was 'fully possessed, )"
! and gravely tells the country that he did not
so to California on political mission, and
had rothing to do with the local affairs of
that coantry; and this, too. after he was de-
nounced in the Convention as the Presi-
dents emissary. suspect Mr.. King could
tell how it came TO be ''everywhere under
stood i'll California that the President want
ed the people to settle the slavery question
for themselves" /" d.
have thought proper to present these
facts and deductions, for the purpose of
showing you that mine are no idle esuspicions
When | say that, in my opinion, great
fraud has been perpetrated, want you to
understand that there is some foundation for
my opinion. .
The action of Congress, AM free to ad-
| nit, may have had much to do in fixing the
sentiment i'll the mind of the President and
Of the Californians that no territorial gov
ernment would lie allowed which did not
contain the Wilmot proviso and judging
from the temper constantly displayed in ur-
ging this odious measure at all times and in
all seasons, it was, grant, rational con-
clusion that no government asked for.or es-
tablished by the people would be tolerated
unless slavery was prohibited; but was this
sufficient reason why the President or his
agents, or even the people Of California
should trampe under foot the rights Of the
South We had our rights in that coiin-
try, and they ought to have been respected J;
risk nothing in saying that they would
have been, had we been the stronger party.
Our fault consisted in our weakness, and for
this.we were sacrificed
tits said, know, that California is not
suited to slave labor-that the soil, climate,
the very elements themselves, are opposed
to it. Slave labor is never more proftably
employed than in mining; and you may
Judge whether slaves could be advantage
oIisy introduced into that country, when
inform you, on the authority of the debates
of their convention, that an abe-bodied me-
gro is worth in California from two to six
thousand dollars per annum.
pass over the studied and systematic re.
sistance which the California admissionists
have constantly and steadily interposed
against all investigation, with this single re.
mark--"that the wicked fee when no man
pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a
lion
Immediately after the assembling of the
present Congress, it became apparent that
the admission of California into the Union
as State was to become the great question
of the session; and it was palpable from the
beginning, that there was large majority
in favor of it. The President was not slow
in taking his position. He brought the sub.
iect to the fap0ra6te notice Of Congress In
hia annual message, and very soon after. in
special communication, he earnestly re-
commended it to our taUorabIe consdera.
ton. The fearful ODDS of the President
the Cabinet, and congressional majority
was arrayed against us; but, nothing daunt.
ed, few of us, relying on the justice ofoul
cause, and placing our trust in the intelli
gence, virtue, patriotism, and indomitable
J frmness and courage of our constituents, re
solved to resistt.
To-Day before you the grounds of that re
, sistance, and to lay bare the sophistry anc
double-dealing Of the friends of this measure
are among the chief aims of this letter.
A large class of those who advocate the
immediate introduction Of California into
: the Union, place their advocacy on th'
ground that the people have right in al
: cases % govern themselves, and TO regulat
Their domestic concerns in their own way
7 Il becomes important to understand tn
c meaning OF declarations like these, and TO as