The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-19

vast territory, without authority from Con-
2ress. Admitting the iwrgulanty OF the pro
ceeding, ths~reaI question for the people Of
The South 70 consider, when they are called up
On 10 secsde from the Union, In The event of
The admission Of California un6U present cir
cumslanees. and with her limits as defined ~
her c0nsiiluion--lhe real qats,on, we say, for
the people of the South to decide is, whether
They will derive any praeticd benefit from the
REMINDING of California back TO territorial
eondiuu. VIII that enable them 10 remove
ihere ~. aud enjoy the use Of, their slave
property Could that, by any possibility,
make California sayeholding State? In
the very art VI remanding her, Congress
.yould certainly authorize her 10 form
Stale c0Dsii,utiOn--no Southern member, II
IL presuTnable, ohycctiDg--in which event we
should have her back IA the next session, with
lntrher constitution inhibiting slavery. and re-
newing her application for admission, under
such circumstances that there could be found
40 decent pretext for refusing IL.
Suppose an extreme case. Suppose Caliior-
ala remanded 10 territorial condition, and re-
qulred 10 continue IN that condition ior several
yenrs--dDcs any sane man doubt bat that, at tbs
expiration u this term Of probation. her people,
when They came 10 form State constitution,
would exclude slavery And with this GER
tainiy before them, with the doubts and con
nlctipg opinions existing 10 whether the
Mexican laws prohibiting slavery are still in
force, and considering the great cost oi trans
porting slaves 10 California, is il not absolutely
certain that they would not be taken there IN
any numbers worth speaking OH
II is then "a .Gged taef that Tie remanding Of
California back 10 a territorial government
| would mol be the means Of making slave
holding State Of her, nor, practically be Of any
benefit whatever 10 the South.
But, her limits ought 10 bo reduced Well,
extend the Missouri compromise line To the Pa
cifc, and establish a territorial government
South Of that line riibout the Wilmot proyso.
VIII that do2 No. Something more must be-
done. There must be declaatory act Of Con
| gress, snying that the Mexican laws prohibiting
slavery are not IN force, or an net positively re
peang them. Against this, the whole North
is united, as one man. Not one member from
any one of the nom ayeholding States, II is
confidently believed. can be found IN either
House Of Congress- who would vote 10 repeal
those laws. or simply to declare them null aud
void In opposition To any such onactments by
Congress, leading members of the Democratic
party of the South have lifted up their voices,
on the ground that they would be inconsistent
with the principle Of non intervention, which,
as they, in common with the whole Democratic
party Of the North, allegc, denies 10 Congress
the constitutional power not merely 10 abolish
or establish slavery in the Territories, but
even 10 'iegisiate upon NE atjcei" This Is
the ground occupied by the Union newspaper Of
this city, and, as we understand 10, the ground
occupied, in an elaborate letter recently written,
by Mr.. Speaker Corr. Of the House ri Repre-
sentalyes. and repubshcd several days ago IN
that journal.
Thus divided among themselves as 10 the
eXpedcncy, necessity, aud even constitutional
ity of any act Of Congress, either expressly re-
pealing. or declaring null aud void, the local
laws Of the Territories prohibiting slavery,
with what proprieiy can portion Of the political
leaders. or of the people Of the South, demand OF
/ the North the establishment Of the Missouri
compromise line, accompanied by an expires.
recognition %" their right Ia remove with their
slave property 10 the territory south Of that
| line. as an ultmatuB, az n sine qua non Of their
continuing in the Unon'
Cannot, will not that portion Of the people
Of the South whose leaders are attempting to
scduce them into this issue. that il is a false
issuc--an issue which ought never TO have been
made. and should be- abandoned as far as IL has
already been made-an issue in which they
cannot carry their point, and upon which they
cannot seccde from The Unon}
Most sincerely do we wish that the Missouri
compromise, in spirit as well as in letter. could
be- adopted. But the latter without the former
is humbug, a mockery. an insult To the intel
ligcncc Of the South; while, against the former
that is, the line. with an enactment by Con
grcss removing all mpcdlments created, or be-
lieyed 10 be created. by the existing local laws,
to the introduction Of slave property into the
territories South OF that line. We find arrayed
/ the whole North, and some of the most distin-
quiahcd leaders Of the SOUTH
The establishment Of the Missouri cOmpro-
mise. in spirit and in letter. therefore. we have
a right to regard. and the whole people Of the
South should 50 regard IL, as utterly impnctI-
cablel
And II practicable. aud carried into effect. il
could not avail the South in any respect what.
cycr
As 10 California. the question Of the intro
duction Of slavery is already settled. and set
lied. as we have shown. by causes for which
neither Congress nor the people Of the North
are 10 be held responsible. As IL has been
truly remarked: ono matter whether Calilor
MIA be or be not admitted now. or whether she
be or be not romandod to territorial condition,
there has been such a development Of public
sentiment there. ~ 10 render tie exclusion Of
the institution inevitable"
As TO New Mexico and Utah, we undertake
10 say. what every intelligent southern planter