Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-05-28
.n,;,SbN OF CALIFORNIA.
SPEECH o. Mr.. 7. II. AyERETr,
- DF VIRGINIA.

X NIX larsg dREpREsESTATivEs, MARCH =, looo.
The House being iComnit"e Of the Whole on the state
81 tn Union on g Presidents Message communicating
the Constitution California,
ut ArERETrM:
Nr CH.lRMAS: :ngage i'll this discussion, painfully ch-
tirlsed BY dists oi myself and with but falnt hopes
a, Erecting gooH thing that can say nave seen
ne hibiiual restlesass and lnatention vi arst po
,e House during kielyery much more Impressive up
psii, than any viii can maAe-much more aoic asu
ren,s than any with feel able to adduee' FROM aie ~
,ns e.onS haihitherto imposed silence upon my SELL
i,.rmiunr merely ioe in conformity constitutions
Il ami rsnreSenta ,ibgalons and 10 cast my vote as
. ,rrrr nd rienfhe Constitution Is written, and
,h irh,. and nrers of the people whom serve. But
o, aS are my his of influencing any portion OF this
House bv lhs that can utter yet leei lmpeed 10
~ nar, IN TN. diission under conviction that all has
nal been sl: that obi 10 be said ami that there weigh
q considerations ected with the questions under debate,
,bch nave been bki under the aabsorblng question OF
yery and the md sectional preudices and collisions
which II l.> engend4i.
ThI uu,on wh+r slavery shall or shall be admit
nj into Ca.:onia, brides all other questions Amid the
un, aGA collision which have resulted from its discus
san W. have los; SIT of the plain line of duty. The
rights an! interests ,ihe United States, in newly
0i-. ;.r,;Jy our III, OF praperv therein and the true
functions o tsngre{n regard 10 H. are neglected and re-
rn,aed desire ,arec the attention of this House and
H. ,ouny II iruaading OF that clause OF the Constitu
80, y,h ares at '.the Congress shall have power
>rosa Of and makell needul rules and regulations
s.,a- The ieiri,orbr other property of the L. S,aes-
S,w nv ,i.ni anioleague Mr.. MlLLsoS and others,
have exposed the converting the word territory and,
r-,rergl mt tie pAl "Itrr:orits beginning with
u, T. not be found that part the Constitution, convey
iny ,r .l oi orsaled communities OF persons with pro-
,ertv further ebsition OF that Executive mistake,
ie, MEX nscdary but is necessary, that when
s,clv perceive lowers which that clause coners upon
u, aa. w. Begin think of the duties and obligations
which Il imposes up(us Are dschargng those duties!
AZ, conforming those obligations! No, Mr.. Chair
man. no >ir. ascarcey turned thoughts 10 them.
Ipe P-!,n has bed and urged the adven,urers mixed
bred. al! alien abners in California, 10 form for them
selves S.,o soye ient and jurisdiction the
county an. nov r. us sanction that assumption
Vow IL m4iua tlat cannot do this without cul-
pr nealec. o and imminent hazard Ia, ii total
,4e!i. M .at r 5and interests OF the United States To
,tc!t .- .t o. H. this government, trustee for all.
~ tle hi and functions of property holder in
California .Ht " 3Iexico Those rights cannot be secure,
use .c'a .trt State government out oi the materials
n,a ;a-sc ta a the attributes of State Sovereignty.
" mls, s,,y ha 1ns of Government in own hands
N coal rn.iy NE general provisions of the Con-
stu'on and - Inform usages in regard TO the new
l,--'s: tri'Or' I'VE know nothing Of the land titles
n IA, ,ouGtr AE!ate government; organized there In
liz lfessni ciGt n OF things, will unquestionaby as
syn. il>icina 1 all disputed cases, and brute force,
ei-an.l,i doat awessy, will sway the desines
q oar modem or Look 10 the debates in the Cali
t..lia & a;tnj.unl land you see the ncipicn symp
il, d Is d, oDS this Government alreadylook 10 the
s'.1s4> aIas {na'ion- about the gold mines, and YOU
i,gge.s up.i necessity for the controlling power
ols Glyeu.,a1 ard that too exer,ed in simple,
c'.c torn %t while shall give peace and security
'onf eG@tpaha adventurcs snail make ALL whether
~ ,etllts or nerants whatever kind
fs H. feet an towledgc that this Government are
'o jS Tor eJyinnenta authority and protection and
'Ai ms Gorcnmht holds in the territory as the
i?etg o.! the Uni Il States simple efficient territorial
samen; Lacaed Necessary BY military force, seems
Indispensable; and r. much as dstrust ''the powers that
tv ami deeply Hcprccare the tissue OF usurpations and
n.gs ancynj ~ the signature of General Taylor by
At!,i L i at"mpi 10 smugge California into the Union
STATE wouidte willing-as, indeed, the most OF my
F!i "ege willing Il; winer-to him with the power
carving into IrdtcI operation in those countries the
constitution tni ilS ~ this Un!on and venture the con-
'rh opn!on that FIVE do this the great majority Of our
"lens "iio have ieed about the gold mines, and COM
hsl ulS Of ;alPlyitic coast will only acqucscc
IA. measure. 5ul will tender their services minute
h !" ocS the Executive with force and arms, if necessa-
w. y enforcing I'M laws Sir, the immense mining and
Ahit!i! n,eresiin California demand the guardianship
VU' government Gncm5arrassei BY the conflicting claims
"seie'Aniy "i ay rarerpe State government, such as
"'' 81 ia % iiiornia it acknowledged and ad-
'"'Ie' as State this Union Unemba.raSsed BY any
.'aii;i o auaoyy, and diyescd of the exraneous
s''' ts'i7a ~ should still iui need for the best cx-
l 10. "- Gu!id councils, under the r"rest impulses o
'ra 'ali Eards The rights ad inteists OF the who!e
N'7 pil fy 0 discharge the dues incumbent upon MS
- oeS taour constituents and tell them that taeir
"iP'i asFe.ts lave been neglected, our constitutional
Ls''h' d:sregdGed and that the slavery question has
| 'i'''s al q. our attention!
Ro DISCUSSIONS here il has been clearly proved and
u''! @9ft clearly than by General Cass that Congress
'.;Ion.i p"wer 10 interfere with that question, in
y''l3 itglri u the territory OF the United States
'F MIDAS all know-that this House has iaterfer
~ :14 r7a IN egisIatng upon this territorial question
~ - ~ "a'" that the Northern Wings Aboltioniss, and
t 'gfl9 he last night of the last session of Con-
- lo'r determination stop the wheels OF THIS
H""h rather than allow any law to pass giving pro-
~ ""ar citizens in California, and assuming our right
'-c.on over it, unless coupled with provso eScln-
'. "'tIy. Under these circumstances, as matter oil
N' ~" country has been appropriated exclusively 10
ders and anslavery men. Under these circunl-
% "es!ent Taylor, by his cmissares, without sfad-
zeal Of constitutional authority, has urged the people
e+oA!a 10 form State government, and come into the
f@.aa State. He must have known-if ne knew any,
the people of California knew, from the action oi
~ >e that they could come into the Union except
"a aSah ltlion State. Its admission SUCH will be the
! If congressional intervention and Executive usur-
a"H l. is already claimed Abolition and Free-sol
n's Sir, shall we 90 home and tell the Taylor
ofM e's and Southern Wings that General Taylor
y s-rs!ered, and lent his aid the Free Soers and
n Wings in their effort to bring California into the
% abolition State, and to divest their own South,
IN m ten Of their equal rights! Shall we go home and
s)lhefn Democrats, who voted for General CAss as
ntEtnonis and strict consructionist, that he has
V'net General Tayor's unauthorized intervention and
a "e majority in Congress in doing indirectly that which,
m m an.nan, ability he has demonstrated they have no
'ns ic people will begin 10 reallZe the solemn
' 'ls We ae the midst OF revolution Very' SIR
n,s [ as been in progress Tor some years pas..
.5 "'g Joed this Government from Its CONSTITUTIONS
We see after another of our public men, VINO
. EeaTs struggled against the strides OF aooonisIn
~ Vi awed into lis schemes until now we hardly oaIG
HsIH man as thorough aufocdtC Va .He ei1"
rights of the South True, sir there are
G N members both this floor and in the Senate VINO
M @ a'e opposed the aboifionsts and / -ee- Solers
sr; ""' un"iitine!v and perhaps unconsclousy, are
Mn, 'iohg IN The current which has swept every
- . "e'o'e II, in the non-saveholding States. They
t,&, - that ;hey harbor not single feeling con-
- TA "lth those Of the Aboonisis and denounce the
So.ie's proper as loudly do But let them
lNe their positions let there be misundcr-
""E about mere names, and party associations. How
& ci' W. number, who seeking to parry the
- Z" Flee Soilers and Aboitionsts, by adopting and
s hr dangerous heresy that shareholders are already
s TEN Mexican territory by Mexican laws and
.or' That the Wilmot provso is abstracton-a
n ei'u5' How many there who dare 10 oppose the
IN their sereotyped catch h-words, that 'tero-
~" Zee, shall remain freel' See Note A.. Now sir
OF the South will be constrained TO analyze these
n-s and blind not TO perceive that their
ie results and the same with Free Soilism-
results are the confinement of slavery within the Ii
ie present slaveholding States, and denial to the
sss Of the South of any right to participate In the
oi the territory of the United States, except up
try TIA, they submit confscation OF their pro-
& this Is the result OF fair analysis OF the preva
lhes OF the North, and furnishes proof conclusive
a'e indeed in the midst of revolution. ! repeat
oe no misunderstanding of the state of facts
n,nson OF California al this time under present cir
ssnb'''es, IN full view Of the in which we have
10 the present crisis will be the triumph OF the
''s-the triumph of series of revolutionary