Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-09-17
THE CALIFORNIA QUESTION.
SPEECH OF l!R. T, M'MULLEN,


MIR MeMULLEN said Mr. chnrman appears sir hn nat
,,nrninp Tor long time, have al last awarded 10 u
;nh, M address this committee But, sir, before s
e an my seat very much fear that at least s'al'
nv self regret that have even now ooaeu hi om,Iee
ely whlly and entilely unprepared to address this
have made no from which 10 SPEAK, nc,i US ~,
ne is The custom here with many gentlemen, pir
90 ~, ,, sn.ech read, for the press before lis deiVey
nl;La iii almost every gentleman on oolh SUES VI @
/ Honse do intend 10 speak especially ioi lily o0'S
ens It,, ,os, i,r,or,on, nuesiions that is
m ~ ~, has been for the last twenty years a9iialhs
his treat nation. have listened, SIR WIN patience ~ -
- m ,,, sides uf thu House, who nave taken pait ~
Wv If mis- treat question. II was not my purpose
rin,Iy Ia nave participated al all IN ths dscusslo
~ er home had marked ont for myself cou's st idl
Az ran, from the one pursuing was lheh q" uI,
am nav that Young member should Introduce m"'se" ~
rho H,u-n OF Representatives, Tor the tsi session " H.
n silent member. Sir, some oil my seniors III 'l' -
i, r.r,rei il as an intrusion for young Inerioef
=, come here tor the first time, ana presume !" "uo'I Nv;
~ pa,r,.,utaliycs But Mr. Chairman unGer ti,is
oi ous not only the young leioe'Si o". ~
rmns, member Oh this floor has rights IN common WIN
YOU IL and the senior members And shall on h,s occa-
.;n Slam The right exercise my privilege oi undressing
van in common with those vi greater experience W.T.
I'm, sir regret that the people OF that portion Q, In
MIA which have the honor 10 represent WIN W abr
occnson so iccbly. regret that they nave NOT IN a
nnuIi,. niece through whom 10 declare thtir sen'hc"
Ana sbouId not trespass upon The time VI Hg eo'
m,tIce had been for the speech OF my ho'"lau W.
l,ou. from the Wheeling districts and shouiu ian -" ,
nc,son 10 d, Justice 10 the SUBJECT, or 10 myself shi
transfer The blame the shoulders OF my "or'V c"'as
III do propose 10 dGuIcss tbc pm -
with the view al defining my position. me peol vi,
have th. honor represent understand iuiy ana
~ INV views upon this great question. II Is we e
,bo, nor,ion f the Old Dominion from which come iol
candidates for public not only 10 present ther views
Ia file ncopc the form of circulars hui To canvass '
;ss We have 10 ride and stump all through the dts
,ri., And if there Congress one man VINO fode
and made stump speeches through his district more a
another am that And sir discussed he question
fully and fairly 50 far ne my capacity enabled me " ~ ~
My attention confined To this subject almost exclusive
desire YOU then sir desire this committee TO Under
stand that am speaking Tor Buncomb; nor shaii wic
ou, what shall to-day, in reference Ia this SUBJECT ou
sir hone The reporters will take down all that do say
sire your attention, sir and the attention OF te COM
uitt,. and desire attention more particularly vi gen
tlcmen on The other side Of the House, while 90 ih'"
Comparison with them desire 10 meet mem up,
on Ills question titecy face 10 face, maj We may uoe
stand nrh other Let compare views ana SEE Il we
cannot do something relieve this country this great ana
glorious country wncis aboring, present under me IN
Fiction of dseasea cancer or uii"r OH 'ie DOC! p"i''
Sir nv ambition would be stand here to-day indeed we
do stand in the attitude ri great niional ply srans
The loIy polite i iseasci-is sick weiI-nsh unto dea'
Som, az mus. be DONE shall lose this great patient
But is ' the great ply sithn Is IN me "et emu o
h Can't, 4 lu3c 10 the Of l3l that ii Is Id
that quartz. thai We are 70 i'oA !o' ic''ci ~ 'a 800
lore attempting IL discuss the merits Of this question
must b. permitted 10 pay iusin- notice 10 ur eehe
man rom Missouri. who LIT addressed the committee
feared a, YOU would have given me the p"f bht ai
ay. ma; YOUR pose alternate t' speeches between
The iw, , and tie sections ~ the Mon, ani the
gentleman tom Missouri not IN oaan!-oGi tIee-S"e'
is neyyftnei, it Southern tl.n Il, iri~' S"n'tern MAJ"
Wiz Npr.eIn princiiI ana conSG Gt''i! ". - oe r.
ulr /, liz. Southern mac; hence yUnr sense ~ justice
.:ar 81 T. mc The floor. Eu am almost inclined IL regret
,l, .v- assumed the nsk or ha in4 Ied IT, that 10
moi feel CIV. taai honorable gentleman suci' reply
A. hi n, - singular It. d.ini We have Aeii
much sir dor discussion vi Ills C"1rn' question,
a!3u the int rpusili THE President. We have heard II
u, ,rcd tlt The object lie President not To settle
this question II Tie admission ~ t&l.o'na now hut 10 lei
il pass b. and bc offered. We have been tod mat III the
presidential canvass, which resulted much 10 his satisfaction
in placing m III; presidential! chair ;Gft h. vas run IN 'lic
North rs man. and III tie Sou'i"Sa Southern man;
that c -comiai IN all the great 'tsons ~ ny Gay
tlar he was represented The North as has Ing Northern
PRINCIPLES lhutiIh Southern and n tile South that ne
must be tue To her interests he the owner Of three
or four hundred slaves Il important then 10 Cen Taylor
that hiS bitter cup -! tie Nilm"t proris" should pass away
from him. Bat very >rrwdy suspect that there were others
" hn il 'is pie beside General Taylor Ana "
il nj unp"r'ancntnry speculate upon ihe motives ~
men, shoUl he. allowed refer 10 and dis
n.uisct gentleman III The other wing oi The Capitol VINO
has occupied there Tor years, WHO desires 10
bring tana s,iuc tbs session oi CONGRESS closes III
Union aInde 10 The course OF the honorable lhos
III. Benton. suspect that that - nemen was Instrument
al bringing about The state Of things that now eA>'s-
And il | were allowed Judge of individual motives,
tins could satisfy This House that lie had nothing 10 de-
with Directly VT he had something 10 do Win inolrec
The gentleman from Missouri Mr. Phelps enieavored to-
day 10 prove by quoting the columns ui the ~ nlon,
Democratic par ~ i'll the list o. ngr'ss were not only
in favor admitting California but in favor Of the Preston
bill The gentleman read 10 the committee various extracts
from Mr.. Rchts paper What was his object IN dong sol
Vas build up and increase the strength OF The Demo
party! No, Inc gCnltlinS UUIsct e'CeHty
nlure the d, mocra'c pasty and not only the Demo-
cratic party, but Mr. Richie. And sir the gentleman, when
he came closely pressed declared that large portion
of the southern Democracy voted Tor TINS oil u MI Pfes
ton Aud the gentleman from Illinois Mr. W emit
wurhl suggested Tia, the Nn" proviso attached 10
H. oil! then liz said that the why they did not
for il. Did not the gentleman from Missouri tell you
that southern Democratic members ot Congress were IN ID
Of The s introduced hy Mr. Preston and voted Tor ny
bat OIL t-.id he) il in Committee of the Whole. ana
ner votes recorded and cannot now therefore,
prove the tact Then, sir when The geni'eran from Illinois
ward and stated that The Nilmpt ro,iso was at
taced 10 that bill, tiie gentleman then immediately lacked
ABOUT and cnteayore eAcn pate himself from MS eiaIih!
Inconsistency What was the "'jcci OF he Gtni'l'am'
will say That he designedy did this gross Injustice to the
South; but at Tie facts 10 the cnunti and want Tie
gentleman in writing his Speech 10 put this fact H.
he said large portion ." the South voted for the
bill OF Mr. Preston ana then admitted 10 the gentleman
from Illinois that because the Wllmot proyiso was attached
to it, they did not vote tor H."
The gentleman from Missouri Is "crliny putting i"rih
strange doctrine when ne stated that Mr. kche was act
ng inconsistency in advocating the adjustment ot TINS
question; or the question very different now 10 WHAT
cn. tell that gentleman and Tel! Tie committee
thai Mr. Richie stands pre-, mineny hiaI-iar too high 10
chcd ~ the en"ious shafts =" the e nt.nan nom MS,
s)a And the attacks ol the gentleman from hi>so'll wiz
a 10 Affect in the least degree standing reputation
OF the venerable and distinguished editor at the lhion
Mr. Rilchc has been the organ the Democratic party for
May years That he may sometimes have erred ms trends
Will not pretend to dtny but take his course I" CONQUER IN
main, throughout long life, spent in the public s'T'ic
aud undertake say. to-day, that he has done rs much
good and we'll deserves the gratitude OF his county as
any editor, that las red or probably ever WIZ hSe
That opinion, Sir.Ru the gentleman rom Missouri
has speech here to-day which, when il reaches his
ought nail him To the counter, ms counter
felt for residue of his natura! life. What Is ~ What did
he tell you On sir he made eloquent appeal 10 the VIII
mot povo portion 1T the House not 10 insist on the provI-
sv insist that which is unconstitutional or not
unconstitutional which will do great injury 10 the coun-
try.
! Mr. PHELPS. conceive that the gentleman misapprc-
hens the Of the thai made declared II 10 be
my opinion that the imu provs0 was not warranted by
the Constitution. cannot yield my opinion 10 gentlemen
OF The North who declare that they believe that the Next
can still in in the territories which We have
acquired from Mexico. But said that if they were sincere
in that belief they would abstain from urging the adoption
of the Wlmot provso that they would abstain from pres
sing upon the Congress If United States the passage OF
a law which believe ard which the South believed Ia be
unconstitutional aud which all believed 10 be inezpeden-
| That what said.
Mr. McMULLEN Ii the gentleman had waited until had
concluded the which Ind but commencsd he
would have had occasion 10 interrupt me- Sir, Intend
To show endrGsor to show that while the gentle
man rom Missouri aud others with whom he acts on this
floor look upon the Hmt p"vso unconsiitntonal dan
aeros and inexpedeti YET sir that he and they are in ia
| vor OF Presidents plan.
MrPHELPS The gentleman is mistaken.
Mr. McMULLEN WELL then, what is the gentleman in IA
DS So tho