Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-09-05


Hence all OF the public lands are held by the
government hy purchase, by cession, by deed
oil conveyance, upon an adequate considera-
iion, the same as any individual holds his es
tate, and not by virtue of the sovereignty OF
the nation"
Having thus acquired the title to these
lands the next question Senator Douglass
discusses is, whether the United States can
hold and dispose of them. This question is
settled by the constitution which gives the
power TO congress. Now the point of Mr..
Soue was, that as there was nothing in the
California bill relative TO the public lands.
an admission of this state, without a COM
pact, operated as a forfeiture TO it of the
public lands within its limits. But the ac-
ton OF the government has been decidedly
against this, and the legislation relative to
the admission of new states shows this
mus MIR. Douglass, after reading The act
admitting Tennessee, spoke as follows
There, SIR. you have the entire act
L here was no compact, 10 ordinance bv
which the state OF Tennessee agreed not 10
sou none that the state would not tax the
lands of the United States: no stimulation
no condition, no compact or contract toucb.
ing 'he SUBJECT matter. IL was a simple act
OF admission into the union on an equal foot
ing Win the original states in all respects
whatsoever. Now put the question to the
senator from Louisiana: Did that act forfeit
the title of the United States TO the lands
. -
saIlaii Stale never yet was wise enough TO
know her rights and claim the lands No
lawyer was ever astute enough to compre-
bend the point by which he could defeat his
adversary, 10 an action of ejectment where
the plaintiff must rely upon The strength OF
his own title; the courts have been so blind
that they entirely overlooked it, and for near
y sixty years all The department; of her gov-
ernmeni have gone ON sanctoning and re-
cognIZing those titles, executed by the gov
ernmeM OF The United States, as being coz
elusive TO the lands within The state of Ten
nessee.'
lie then(Mr. DougIass) goes through the
admissions Of new states, and sums M the
result as follows:-
81 have now reviewed in detail all the acts
lOi duiIIiSSlOn VI new Sld(eS containing
public lands within their limits, during that
period when the L. States sold their lands up
on a credit. We have seen that in every case.
except Tennessee, there has been Il slipuIa.
ton assented to by The states asking ndnis-
sion, that the lands sold ly congress should
not be taxed for five years after The dav Of
the sale, in order 10 prevent any one from
acquiring taX-tlles 10 the lands before the
United States should receive the purchase
money. We have also seen that with the
exception OF Louisiana ard Miss ssippi no
state has been required to enter into a com
pact, as q condition 10 its admission into the
URiOR hat it would not Interfere with the prl-
mary disposal Of the soil, or tax the properly
of the United States; and that these Two ex-
cepiions were under peculiar circumstances.
and Tor reasons not connected with the pub
lie lands. which have been fully explained :"
But we need not follow Mr. Douglas thro'
his argument II is really too late in the
day 10 base an argument on the decree of a
Spanish king-on the assumed fact that this
decree is irrevocabIe. Such was one of the
arguments of Senator Soule But the main
cause of all this ruth about California is
thus temperately, but not the less strongly
stated by Mr.. Douglass in the conclusion of
his speech. 1t is truth simply and eloquent
ly expressed:-
In conclusion, sir, will only say, that
regret to see such extraordinary efforts made
TO raise up objections in the way of the adj
mission OF California into the union and am
unable to comprehend why it is, that you are
disposed 10 deal with so much more ricor in
the case Of California than you have shown
to any other stale applying for admission
Why is it that she should be so harshiy dealt
by? Has she no claims upon your sympa-
thies and your justice? Is not your faith
and your honor pledged 10 California 10 give
her government and protection ? How, sir,
have you redeemed thar pledge? How have
you fulfilled your treaty stipulalions? The
only law you have extended 10 her is the tax
ing power; the only administrators Of JUS
lice you have sent her are tax eaiherers.-
You leave her citizens without protection as
10 life, as 10 property, as TO person; YOU re-
fuse to furnish her money to bear her expen-
ses; you refuse 10 give her that protection
which all other people in the United States
have received al your hands, a; the same
lime that you extract hundreds of thousands
of dollars from her through your custom
houses; and when she, after waiting patient
ly for territorial government, has lost all
hope of that, and has been driven to form
government of her own, you apply a rule 10
her with technical objections, and enforce
them with rigoT never known or attempted
10 be exerled against any other state asking
admission into this union.
Sir, if the people of California have no
claims upon your sympathes, you must re-
collect that they have righ! 10 demand JUS
tice at your hands. What objection has
been urged to the admission Of California
the states which have already been admitted
into the union? know Of none. | have
listened attentively TO The whole debate. /
have noted the objections one by one, as they
have been advanced, and have heard no obs
lection which might not have been urged
with equal force. but was not considered in
superable, in refrence to other states. You
must, therefore, depart from established
usage, abandon the precedents, and overturn
the authorities, before YOU can exclude Cali
forna from the Union. What has she
done TO Justify this treatment? Sir, | fear
the world will come to the conclusion that
her sin-her only crime-was that she chose,
in the plentitude Of her wisdom and power,
to exclude the institution Of slavery from her
borders.
A Senator. That is it.
MIR Douglas. The world will he likely to
come to this conclusion, because they will be
unable to perceive any other objection which
YOU have moi overcome in other cases. Cal
ifornia had right to exclude or admit sla-
very as she pleased; and |, as the represen-
,.f Ill >, h.av,