The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-21

sending Us five DAILY subscbs with ESQ enclosed a.
subscbs with 9io enclosed, win be enued cory Of ms
same edition they furnish subscribers ior, gratis.
why il assumed that name We have been asked whether
would vote for the Wmot Proviso in territorial bills
for Utah or Deseret and New Mexico and the inquiry
sion OF California into the Union with the Wilmot Pro-
viso in her constitution The Wilmot Proviso in a
territorial bill State constitution What confusion
OF ideas-a perversion OF terms What is the Wimot
Provisoi And why is the name OF Mr. Wlmot attached
70 the measurel One would naturally suppose that It
was an original idea, conceived. natured. and brought
forward ior the first TIM by Mr. Wilmot And 90 il was.
was not prohibition Of slavery in State constitution
adopted by the people themselves Such pro-
hIbons were to be found in the constitutions Of nearly
all the Tree States OF this Union before Mr.. Wmot
born II was not prohibition OF slavery in territorial
bill TO continue so long as the Territory existed, and
leaving the people tod as they pleased when they should
De admitted into the Union as State. This was not the
Wilmot Provso for such a provision to be found
n the ordinance OF 1857 aud in each successive territorial
bill for the northern section Of the Union from that period
up TO the time Mr. Wilmot first saw the light and du-
ring his infancy and his youth. up 70 1885, when
Mr. Winthrop Of Massachusetts, offered like provision.
fore M W@os Voice " was ST ever heard n The he halls ei
Congress This proviso, proposed by Mr. Winthrop in
ls4o became thsla of the land part Of the Oregon
bill in August S4s and is the that the distinguish
ed senator from Missouri in his celebrated Jefferson city
speech denominates the Jefferson Benton provso
he Whole course Of his naiuTa e brouuh forwsra 4 4
proposition prohibit slavery in bills for the government
Of the Territories What, them s, Ishould say,
the Wilmot Provso for il has been dead several years,
without the hope Of resurrection 1 will refer 10 the
journals Of the House Of Representatives and Senate IN
August, ls4e, Outing the war with Mexico, President
Polk sent message to Congress- asking appropriation
Of money to enable him to negotiate treaty OF peace
limits, and boundaries, referring to the precedents in the
cases q Louisiana and Forlda and nt.aaag nat twas
The message was referred to the Committee of the
Whole the state Of the Union; and in the committee
tions Of the message, which has since been known in
the political history OF the country as the two-mion
To this bill Mr. WLMoT, Of Pennsylvania, offered an
amendment in the shape Of the Proviso, which will
read journal Journal Of the House Of Rep
resentatives for is45-46, page 1881
Mexico BY United states by virtue Of any treaty which
nvolun,ay servtude shall exist ii any par, o said
tSTo Say for orme whereof the party shall @ bs
This is the original Wilmot Proviso and il assumed
all other provisions which had been proposed upon
sn sm on hs q s oass
by majority vote control the exercise of the treaty
making power, which the constitution had vested solely
thirds vote. Itproposed to deprive the people Of the ter
ritory, even when they should become State, of the
right of moulding and forming their domestic institutions
to suit themselves, and to make them the subject of
negotiation and treaty stipulation with foreign pow
er The prohibition Of slavery was not to be limited
to the period during which the people should remain
forever, after they should be received into the
Union as States proposed t acquire the country on
should never exist therein. The purchase was 70 Be
conditional and the title conditional dependant upon that
fact II the country had been acquired upon that
don, and had been received into the Union State,
propose to receive California and subsequently,, by
amendment OF her constitution the people had chosen to
recognise and sanction the institution Of slavery the faith
OF this government would have been rreyocaby pledged
to foreign nation, either to have abolished slavery by
force in that sovereign Sate have turned her out OF
the Union and sent her back to Mexco either Of which
constitution Of the United States The Wmot Proviso.
therefore, proposed to pledge the faith of this nation in
Tess was not likely to happen subver and destroy the
constitutional rights Of one or more OF the new States
of this Union. Such was the character OF the Provso
prepared 10 go further, and show that this was the
mon understanding the object design, the fixed purpose
Of those who supported the Wmot Proviso.
hold in my hand the authenticated copy OF the first
series Of resolutions adopted By the legislature Of New
York in favor Of the Wmot Proviso, presented TO the
Senate BY Gen Dix, and ordered to be printed will
read the two resolutions bearing on this point s
is hereafter acquired By he United States .! snnsnoa
Ss as s ay s oa con asss az
fundamental article prorision 'chsby slavery or invon
orsv excluded from the territory acquired or annexed
Roptd (f the assembly concur,) That the senators In
Congress from this State be instructed and that the
senavcs In Congress from this State be requesed TO
their best efforts into effect the views expressed In
the foregoing resolution" Nnt
These resolstons were adopted in the senate OF New
York the 27th OF January and in the assembly on the
Isl OF February lsi being he first session Of the legs
ature after Mr. Wimot had first introduced the Provso
into Congress There is no room for equivocation or
doubt to the plain meaning OF these resolutions. The
legislature OF New York did not instruct the senators
from that State vote for prohibition OF slavery in any
territorial bill which Congress might pass for the govern
ment Of the Territories, in Oregon, Nebraska, and
Minnesota much less in the Territories 10 be acquired
from Mexico. rAe.
This resolution contempates such II provides
that 'rHE by whieh uh territory Is acquired
nersd, chaeu0 such act may be- should contain UNAL
TERABLE FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLE" &c, for the prohibit
ton OF slavery The prohibition 10 be in the treaty
acquiring the country and not in the territorial bills forts
government The prohibition was 10 be an unalierable
fundamental article" whereby slavery should ZOE FOX
EVER ercided from e territory acquired or anHeIed
remain in force not only while iertory, but
''forever II was TO be "unalterabe" that the peo-
pie could not change it, il they desired to do 20, after
they became State OF the Union could, il necessary,
deian the Senate from this time until sunset IN reading
other memorials and petitions OF the same characterize
show that this the common, general universal un-
derstanding oi the Wilmot Proviso at that day, ,,
But, sr there was still another objection 10 the WAL
mot Proviso Of insupeabe character entirely Inde
pendent OF the slavery question II would have bad the
inevitable effect il indeed not the settled purpose
OF many OF its original supporers TO have defeated the ac
QUESTION OF any territory al ALL IL requires no argument
Ia proye and but little faith believe that under 1t Cali
forna and New Mexico could have been obtained