Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-12-10
r:oc,,,. Z. L Gs y II: 7 :; K -.
7,7.,, ,,,,,- :. ,,r,IU ELECTION orU.s sENATol
SATURDAY. pEcEMbiE'' '''''
r.,[ ATE

message W.. ,ady 10 nrocecd TO the execution of
M mini order Of the day having inr lis once. he VI
| United States Senator ard ih4t ''"''' w. ~ "
| nomination for that oi'!ce - 49,, ,;or condi,i,r
Mr ISEi.L sadMr Speaker, the pecu'iu .un.,'1 S
Of politics. growing ont Of me slavery I rns,
IN, Senate vii! bear "ith me willie pr"ceeu ~ a,n m
reason, which in!ucnce my course ana govern my WV '"
! The s.bleci under consideration; , AZ Macon n
,e ,r,prry Of re-cectin. the Hon. James NJ MASON 10
h ,,r is suggested by many considerations pfeolcnea
as well upon the past LEGISLATION OIL oues
c,i,n of Congress upon this disturbing anu
,inn Uniformly denying TO Congress the rsh, ~ ie.le
win the SUBJECT OF slavery, Virginia, since liI too
mise By which Missouri was admitted iJ b nroyisiuns
constantly manifested Willingness 10 abide e =;
of tha, compromise, in the hope that hef ,
measure which resulted from coneiessioha 'oriJ Al
and not from the exercise of constitutions s.aa
A and restore reace and concord 10 distracted
caunry Imprcssing her people with Inc oee, NV ho
iusimen oil $50 was to be hnai anu ,Sot nroyison
y.cn disuosed TO observe religlousy 'ha. III I
f The treaty then entered into between the ,
south bv which the line OF 50 dcg' 81 mn s ' sl .nI
md. was fined as the boundary between inc nee S, INV
a ,r,i,orc If the United States The Southern STILES
have never disturbed the Missouri COMPROMISE, o %,
have had eqnen! occasions 10 1aes and fna
,csn, NJ the North. During the progress OF 'he wa. -
onninn as 10 the power Of Congress !" inhiO, ~
III, territories this State utterly reproaatli2 NV fG
NV .. power has invariably insisted upon ial.
l and honest compliance witt; the terms OF e NJ a.
Compromise by which the South secured no. o,;
49, ,hirh she was entitled 10 under the Consttu'ohi
I his urra sectional controversy then, the hrsl
assumed by Virginia has seen on te he o. - s and in
which she WAS lnNlifu ~ ue
which she was SheInniy prohiSeu pio'e'" - 49,
legislation oi Congress - ~. .o,s, of ,hc
IN, ACQUISITION Of possessions, on inc coast .. .e
Pacific nmqniled the Importance oil ms co'Gres,
nd stimulated the zeal OF Northern cupidity IN al
clor, 10 possess all the territory whlcA naa u'e
rmann,ecd 10 us by the Missouri Conpto"i ISL,
Finding il impossible 10 assli Us successfully LA
shielded nv that compromise they did not scrupic 70 o
a breach of faith ihc rncditnted wrong lo 'el ~
once violated he compact entered ih'o WIN mS ill., Con
hcir own solemn ac and claimed Tie night uhdcl s,,s "
,,iou TO exclude he savehodins States from al equai
p,rciaaon enjoyment Of Inc common proper! ~ ,;
United States. In order Ia consann'ae uie pun le AZ I
.soec, by species OF political egercean .y succeeueu
in getting up Con nion OF the people OF IaiIoi'i"
people infacitins one-i wentlsh pat OF NE m
Guided within the boundaries prescribed ot inc
ordauinr Constitution prohibiting forever the n'r"ouc'"
of slavery within her limits, extending THOUSAND !'es
along the Pacific coast and hundreds OIL mics mo w.
ror-wi,h commanding commercial POSITIONS ~hich ~ oHs
render the gterng mines OF California, ana al Tue f'h
products of the Pacific ocean, tributary 10 The Abolition
rcsm of the norsaveholding States Apart then rom inc
wrong done the Southern States by net reducing inc non
dares of California within reasonable limits ana mus per
hitting her The benefit OF all tie safe hnrbors along the shores
If that sea which will shortly labor under conmereh
marine unparalleled Tor lis tonnage IN the ~hoe nlSlny o
the wo.d-apart from this considerations here was prac.
cal and violent assault upon rights Claimed py 'ne 49,
v;rus nj he ad,us,m nj of 1890. This appropriation oil e
whole If California TO the purposes Of irccsoilis, was
rievous wrong To the Southan act which, although III
nv Judgment unconstitutional yet operating sucn mus
ce and injury 10 The svc-hodng States 10 destroy their
confidence in on honest application of the powers OF Inc gov
ernment for the welfare of all parties TO the uno mus en-
vcen different sections of the Republic As an .olaed In
act of legislation would have shocked Inc whoe
sentiment OF the South aud PROVOKED resistance o w
o o,al ci,izens-r they would have been Indifferent as
10 the fact whether oppressive act found warrant III
the Constitution the rcsn 81 the most oarlnS us"
nation think may safely assert, that no Souhcn ian
ho admits the right 10 resist unconstitutional acts vi Con-
arcss or SUCH though technically constitutional as operate
intoeabe OPPRESSION would nave oeeh pepareu " aeu
sce in the admission of California, measure ndepen-
don't of the general scheme of pachcation adopted at The
last session oi Congress. ,.,.a,, NJ
son in voting against that First because practical
~ sailed position which Virginia has heretofore assumed
and which you placed him in the Senate TO deend and
w. because his Judgment as in the Judgments Oh US an II
nlcted serious blow upon Southern interests In the re-
solutions passed BY the Legislature tor several years past
n which have been regarded by Senators as guides tor
her conduct have put Virginia IN such an attitude on
The slavery question induce them to believe that th
State was prepared for further concessions on Inc
Their action doubtless proceeded this idea and generally
conroed 10 it, Nor Virginia prepared Tor any lu'her
concessions the then condition OF the matters IN dispute
between The North aad South Affairs have Undergone an
important change since VT last sent orth an authoritative
rpesson of opinion upon the duties dcyolved upon us by
The continued agitation o this slavery question Able states
men c both parties all sections OF the country seeing inc
dancer which threatened the Union have honestly and anxi
ously srven H. To such extremity had the madness
OF tic North driven that it apparent violent co'son
woul cnsue unless pretensvns of our opponents were
Withdrawn The sighted and patriotic statesmen oil
the North were satisfied from the decided tone OF OR s-
a,iye resolves did mean 10 submit TO measures
al once in conflict with the Constitution ana utterly oes-
truc,ive OF rights under it, Hence The alarm was gwen
by the first men Of the Senate that the country was In Pc
ri Danger impcnded the Republic Porlentous Signs
every where in the political heavens and The par
ot's heart sckened the ot dsienbered empire
lighted up by the torch OF civil war The crisis mad arrived
when an accommodation Of conflicting opinions and noel
caon pretensions must be made or the States
of the Union be at engaged in conflict oil nrms ~
was TO avoid such awful catastrophe mat leaders OF
parties-lhey who had been uncompromisingy opposed
in partisan struggles for quarter oi centnry-
found an opportunity and necessity for exhibiting
thai enlarged patriotism which teaches that have
country 10 save we'll party to serve We are a Ia
niar with the faithful abors and anxious deliberations
which engaged the attention OF Congress during the len
monhs of It's last session. Hope and fear alternately pos
sessed the public mind and kept the people in ieverish
state Of excitement After subJecng The whole question 10
the most searching examination and in view oil conicing
claims urged by both sections of the Union that Congress
concluded abors by offering to The country certain acts
on the subject of slavery, known the Compromise niea
sures in the hope Of composing the sres and ncnng the
hearts Of the people more towards that government
which established BY the common sacrces and COM
mon serngs of fathers and which alone can DC pre-
served in the spirit in which it was formed.
Before adterting these measures desire to say MI
Speaker the Compromise bills arc the political results Oh
the action of the Southern States and especially OF Virginia.
and were less by the rnncs and unshrnk
ng devotion of scnators TO Southern nights than BY
the powerful efforts Of the friends OF those measures
Had not Southern representatives stood firm amidst the
storm OF fanaicsn which shook the very pillars OF the Ca
pj,ol we shoud have witnessed tho Abandonment o
the Wnot Provso by the Northern majority who had
peatedly declared - purpose enSra!t that ocous feature
on the territorial bills vi l tab and New Mexico submit
then gentlemen who seek 10 ostfacSc MI Mason
that very opposition vi the most controlling
elements eccting the scheme Of raclhca1n finally dcc-
dsd upon nj Washington And iurths. whether that
scheme was direct result OF action heretofore
do not mean say that other ought to have resulted
from -fa from itbut do mean TO say, falling TO obtain
anything satisfactory this was offered 10 Keep peace
among The States. Should it he acquesced In by usl
think should BE- In the FIRST place is our bounden dy
10 oer no violence IL because it IL now part oil the Ia"
of the land conslituonay cnactcd and IN the second
placc subserves interest and will promote
under existing circumstances TO abide by IT, These TWO
propositions think will be- sus;iinsd by brief eadnna
ZION OF those measures embraced within that scheme That
Scheme COMPOSED Of the following measures lst territorial
bills Utah New Mexico 3D. Abolition of the trade IN
slaves between States and The District Of Columbian 3d.
Tho Texan boundary bill 4t The Fugitive Slave bill; and
9TH The bill admitting California into the Union desire 10
notice for u few moments thesc respective measures.
The right Of Congress prohibit slavery in the territories
asserted by the North ard denied by the Sout hes kept
,a, constantly before the for several years
Recently has been the main point of attack and repuon
By opposing parties Other questions connected with
tho agitation OF slavery formerly occupying more consp
cuous place In the controversy have been oversadowcd b.
this which seeks appropriate the property OF all
the States 10 the and benefit Of only oncha Of them.
The application of this power has been regarded in ali the
South Us such wanton assalmen OF the constitution and
infringe her rights but de-