The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-02-22
MIR. Ciing.alan's Speech.

we present, To day, portion Of this speech
which will command very general attention,
as defining clearly The extreme Southern
ground. The view which Mr.. C. presents
OF the merits OF the controversy, is. to our
minds, entirely irrefutabe. as our Northern
friends would very soon discover were il pro.
posed by a Southern majpriiy to prohibit any
man from entering The new Territories for
The purpose OF residing, who did not carry
slaves with him. IL Congress under the Con.
sti'uilon, have the absolute power over The
subjects, We see not why it may not pass such
law, as well as il may enact the Wilmot
Proviso. Doctrines are tested by examin.
ing their results when pushed TO extremity.
We presume that there is hardly n man north
OF the Potomac, who would not demur to such
consequence from such a principle; We, it
is as fairly deducible as is the other extreme
contended for by them. As long as slaves
are recognised by The Federal Constitution
as property, they stand on the same footing
with any other property; and The nature of il
is not altered by the enaclments Of the State
Legislatures. The Constitution OF Virginia
might declare that sheep were mere ANIMALS
ferg nature, in which man could hold no kind
OF property. Yet as they are recognised by
the Federal Constitution as such, il would
certainly be usurpaion Of authority on the
part Of Congress, to euac, ,ha, sheep should
not be carried TO California. The cons,itu.
lion makes no difference between one species
ot property and another. II yields an equal
protection TO oil.
The extreme measures 10 which Mr.. Cling.
man declares himself ready to resort, will
not. We hope be necessary. Yet their very
Indication should be sufficien, to warn that
portion OF Congress which is most bent upon
pushing matters, of the danger upon which
hey are forcing the Government. That
they will be rcsorled to, unless some method
can be devised of avertiug what the undivided
South regards as extreme Injustice, we re.
gard as certain. The South, il must be recoI.
Iec'ed, Is passive in this matter. She suffers
all the injustice which may arise from the
prosecution Of the proposed measures. The
North suffers nothing whatever. She is TO
all iutents and purposes, The infclng party,
aud che ihf1Icts as far as we are able TO see.
Tor no better reason than that she has the
power. Her presses and her politicians talk
IN the most offensive terms, about 'walling
up slavery hesilating not 10 declare that
their object is to destroy the value of slave
property. As that property is valued at at
least one hundred million of dollars, some
estimate may be formed Of the enorm,,y Of
the intended aggression. Suppose the South
had majority in Congress, aud were to pro.
pose course of policy the avowed object Of
which was to aunihila,e Northern property
to The same amount! Wha, would the North
the whole Nor,h-ssy TO it?
Yet we hope most ardenlly, and believe,
that the South may not be pushed to the ex.
lremity indicated BY Mr.. Cingman. The
plan of compromise offered BY Mr.. Clay,
will, we are inclined to think, not NEE, with
the appreciation of either party. Yet it is Of
grea, value as a starting pont-as containing
The germ of wha, may, in the process of time
Tpen into an agreement acceptable to ALL
II Is above all things valuable, in producing
pause, and allowing men to recover from
the heat in which they have been hurried
by angry discussions, both IN Congress aud
out Of it.-Richmond Whig.