The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-02

SELF with executive patronage. My objection found
ed the nature Of thai bill But, sir BY this bill, We
have provded tor legislature be elected by the peo
pie What control over this subject is vested in the
hands OF the occupant Of the executive chair The |
question is committed 10 the people themselves This
puts the question upon precisely the oong that
upon which il stands in every slave State IN this Union
We all recognise il as exclusively matter Of domestic
rex ulaton The southern States ought not to complain
OF Thai That doctrine is tue very plank upon which the
institution rests Take that from under IT, and the inst'
tuition would not exist in my humble Judgment. for a
Now, sir in taking this ground. am taking ground
Tor which the South has all along uniformly commended
/ am occupying ground upon which am Wiling % s'ahu
before the North well as the South in relation TO TINS
whole matter. Arch,
And now, having said much, permit me 10 add what
intended 10 say when was up before The gfea ques
lion u.s. How shall this be settled and finally dis-
posed of How shall we rid ourselves OF me empaI,
rassnen and pc peual az iation which has arrested al
ordinary Legislation and brought at this late period OF
the session. condition in which The great question is
still unsettled and open intermnabe dscussons Sir
my remedy is this: Get nd OF this power as soon as
you Rid yourselves OF the power over the SUD-
ject Let the people OF these Territories erect State gov
cnments, and take tks matter into Their own hands
That s the only remedy As long as this subject ag
taed here. and the action of Congress looked TO as the
local legislation OF these Territories, so long you VIII have
agitation II in the power Of man, III my opnioh
prevent it, Ii is for this reason, Mr.. President, am
in favor OF admitting these States as soon AS possible
There are, ] am aware, very serious objections WIN
repeat them now. have had occasion heretofore to
my protest against the extension OF our Territories
and the introduction of States based upon helero
geneous population ignorant OF institutions and in
capable OF harmonizng with us IN our political acon
will not repeat what then said. But, SIT, We are
now in different position Unfortunately tor the
country, have made these acquisitions; ana the
best mode is. so far as can see, under these cl'cum
stances, to let their people egslate Tor themselves,
and arrange their own matters IN then own way NO ar
bllary decision of this question will put end TO the
agitation My policy is to get rid OF the power over the
whole ubect as possible. Let California come
Stale, and et her regulate the subject to suit her
sell. Let New Mexico come IN with all the objections
I1,tr
bat let her in. notwithstanding those objections, in
preference to continuing the agitation OF this subject Tor
an indefinite period OF Tune It's infinitely better 70 DO
in, and take this subject out OF my hands say to New
Mexico, Come into the Union and take this subject out
of our hands If you to have slavery. have ii
ii you choose to exclude ii, exclude It, | will then 20
home to my constuency-among those dgitaforS' and
'Jaaacs If gentlemen choose TO term them such-and
will tell them that The subject has gone beyond my
troll that can exert no influence over 1t; that It has
gone into the hands OF the State legislatures, where 1t
belongs; that, member of Congress. can give no
vote Tor against IT, THIS s, IN my Judgment, the only
way to stop agitation. The sooner we can all answer
that have nothing do with the subject, way or
another the will the agitation cease and IN my
opinion human ingenuity cannot devise plan To stop
until that is done Gentlemen Tell us it we undertake TO
impose any prohibition upon the extension OF slavery
these Territories, that it is most dangerous
ure, which will be resisted to the hazard OF our
Union; while the people OF the North insist that so
long have the constitutional control over the sub
ecl and the responsibility for the exercise Of that
troll, we shall give counenance 10 the extension OF
slavery. Let us devolve the responsibility aud The
control upon those 10 whom appropriately belongs and
where eventually rest, and then, il any one asi
ales afterwards, we shall know what to reply Such. sir
is my judgment.
Sir as to Of these questions, there is in my iudg
men, little difficulty suppose take up the question
OF the admission OF California by itself, what shall we
do with iii We shall do what we must do. We shall
admit that State We cannot disrobe her of her State
organization We canuo remand her to territorial con-
dion Any attempt to do would be far more likely TO
result the final Independence OF that country, rather than
in restoring her her territorial condition Well then
there is this Texas question What shall we do with
that Why, sir, far as am concerned, you may do
what you please feel the utmost indifference upon that
subject Of what intrinsic lnporance is II TO me, aside
OF the question of slavery whether that territory upon
any part of the Rio Gande belongs the State OF Tex
as or 10 the State of New Mexico! Why, sir if there is
anything that shoud regard with utter indifference,
that. How does II become matter OF interest! Solely
because mixed up with this subject OF slavery How
does that matter stand
By the resolution of annexation by which Texas
into the Union the line OF sc deg 80 min, was adopted
and all north OF that line must be free territory Texas
we all know, south OF that line is and will remain
slave State Now, sir it, in the adjustment Of the hne.
you make SO deg. 80 min. the north line OF Texas the
question about slavery Is at end II you adopt the line
of the Committee OF Thirteen, commencing AT near 80
deg aud terminating at "a deg, you leave snip OF
about deg Of latitude "a debatable ground But II
was the design OF the committee to include IN Texas The
settlements the neighborhood of Ell Paso Ii this is
done the country between the line OF Texas thus settled
and latitude SO deg 80 min, desert, lnhospitable
and nninhabitable and whether you allow slavery there
is question not worth controversy 1t is true
that il Texas holds the Santa Fe country long The
whole territory remains Stale, there may be Qaes
ton whether the law of Texas will not authorize slavery
even north OF SO deg. 80 MN. But ! speak with
reference TO the proposition to divide the territory, and
there doubt in my judgment that the line OF division
will pass through the desert to which have alluded
| Such division must inevitably take place.
II, then, you choose TO buy only this territory from
Texas, and it 10 New Mexico have objection
Thus, then, California and Texas disposed Of
The territorial question remains How shall that be
settled You can pass no bill One house will Insis,
upon thing, another upon another, and IN all human
probability such bill can be passed What, then.
you TO do You 10 leave New Mexico 10 fall IN the
wake of her elder sister, Of can call her elder to form
State constitution, aud TO regulate her own affairs and
then this troublesome power, which now annoys us, Will
go into the hands of the local legislature and leave
free from all embarrassment
Senate many mnules but do wish explain the pon,
of view from which look upon the doctrine OF non-n-
ention that has been much talked upon by the
afor from Kentucky and others Ii has been said that
40 far regards the South, they shall be held strictly
To the doctrine OF -intervenon and that Congress
shall not, by any legislation that may emanate from it,
interfere in anywlse with the laws existing in New Mex
co Utah, and California. Recoeci, Congress shall be
restrained from interfering but the very amendment
takes it for granted that the creature do than
the other words, that the territorial leg sature
independent OF Congress interfere and
change the laws upon this subject II has been said
that although you will not yourselves pass any restraint
by legislative act to abolish establish slavery
the Territories, yet in the breath said to the
territorial legislature of New Mexico that they
Csc that power which Congress has denied itself the
right OF exercising What does IT amount tor That the