Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-03-30

peculiar institutions from the Territories Of the United States
when the people Of those Territories were not
heethst il violation of the spirit Of the constitution
and OF the principles of institutions This was the point
OF honor presented by the South is unnecessary here
inquire how far well founded. My opinions upon
that point have been already sufficiently expressed II is
apparent that her demands thar time ONLY extended 10 the
establishment Of principle, and the accomplishment
OF practical result favorable her wishes or ine
rests under the principle On the other hand equally
clear that the North could have eraned from any legislation
upon the conovered point without the slightest hazard that
slavery would be extended inch of that country
This was the state of the controversy when brought in
bill last session authorize the people of California to
form constitution and come into the Union as State II
should be borne in mind that my first proposition to bring
the whole Of the country acquired from Mexico into the
Union as one reservng the right to subdsde all that portion
oil east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into as MANY
States Congress should determine frankly asowed INV
opinions al that time, that under this bill the whole country
would come in free State aud that each of its parts
would be free whenever division should take place. Free
however, not by virtue OF act OF Congress-for do
think that Congress made any country fee-bu by the
OF the people nhabng the country only sure
guaranty of freedom. have faith in that kind Of free
dom which depends upon the arbitrary of power
noteected by responsible the people governed have
no confidence in your una.eabe provisions of free
DOM TO be fastened upon people opposition their wishes
aud against their supposed interests Slavery be
extermnated liberty be established and perpetual
ed BY such The desire for free institutions must first
md an abiding place in the hearts Of the people and show
sslf In all their works. When whole people will
together and unite in the establishment Of free institutions for
themselves, there is hope that their children will
maintain and preserve the liberties bequeahed TO them by
their fathers These the principles avowed by rue when
urging that bill the Senate last session. and when
tued the prediction that slavery would be forever excluded
under It, called upon the North to support it, be-
cause under would secure all that could desre-the
exclusion of slavery from the whole country by constitution
provision also called upon the South give her sup.
port upon the ground that while the country destined
be tree at all events and under whatever that might
pass this was free from the objections used against Others
because it secured to them the point of honor then
thought aud still hold that when there modes of
comprising the same result matter how desirable and the
one obnoxious and offensive large portion OF the COM
munty, while the other is not, any right minded
who has heart respect the feeling of his NEIGH
bor and patriotism enough desire the peace and harmony
OF his country bound to adopt that mode which
ectionabe end the slightest wound For these
reasons thought that it the duty Of every who
desired TO sac this agitatoaso and to restore peace and
quiet to the country, at the time that furnished govern
ments to the Territories to pass such bill the
proposed
make complaint that the bill did not pass deem it I'M
fortunate but in this may be mistaken The majority de-
cided against and bowed in Difference their decision
refer to now, not by way of boasng of my superior
sagaey nor for the purpose Of arrasnng the conduct of
but with the sole view of placing myself right here and
elsewhere on this question For time there seemed to
reasonable prospect that the bill would the support of
both sections Of the Union, and become law by common
consent But length the extreme Southern section began
to make demonstrations agans, it upon the ground that in
asmuch as would bring free State into the Union at
once, and soon be divided into several others of the
character It would destroy the equilibrium and give the pre-
ponderance OF the free the savehong States
in this Union, and forever. On the other hand the
extreme wing of northern free sosm, those who assume to
lead the advance guard Of the great northern wing against the
extension OF slavery protested have discovered just about
that time, that if the people Of California allowed to
decide the question for themselves slavery would be extended
over the whole Of the country acquired from Mexico and that
this mammoth State Of Calf nia would eventually be
subdvded into half dozen slave States This view of the
subject carried majority Of section against the measure
while about the proportion Of the section opposed
It for decidedly the opposite views Thus the bill defeat
ed by union between those two extremes whose
and schemes have always perous the harmony and
safety Of the Union.
Yes, sir the extremes met upon common ground-har-
monized and fraernzed upon this question They
laborers in the work, with object the defeat
OF the State BILL and then justified their conduct their
respective constituencies by assigning opposite and contadc
tory They defeated the measureprevented ad
usmen-deprived the people Of the Territories Of Govern
ments-kept the question open-connued the agitation
and produced the excitement these of the
results Of their joint labors Well short year has elapsed
and the people of California have settled the slavery question
for themselves We all know what the decision and
all know whose predictions have been verified and whose have
been falsifed Time, very short time, has settled this
disputed point Its no longer matter Of conjecture
oversy what would have been the result under the bill of the
last session. had become law. Slavery prohibited by
provision in the constitution of the State Of California
covering less than third of the territory acquired from
Mexico and told necessary to apply the ordinance
OF 81 to the residue of the territory order to prevent the
extension Of slavery No such necessity would have existed
if that bill had passed. for then the constitution Of California
would have applied the whole Of the territory acquired from
Mexico. The prediction Of the Southern gentlemen have
been fully verified the extent that the people have acted
while the prophecies of the other extreme have been faed
in every particular The people have decided in favor Of
freedom and slavery has been excluded to the Of the
present limits Of the State Of California, and would have
been excluded from the whole country had the bill of last
session become law. read out of the Democratic
church by the seyled FreeSo Democracy introducing
this bill They denounced dough and slavery
extensionis and the bill cunnngy devised scheme to
extend slavery, in obedience the dcaon of the slave
power These denunciaions upon have been kept up
even to the present moment Notwithstanding the action Of
the people of California. The class of Northern men to
whom have alluded not only opposed the bill
calculated to extend slavery, but they rdicued the idea
when expressed it my deliberate opinion that slavery
would be excluded from the whole country under its pro-
visions Now hst have actinstead OF opinions by which
to test the question, willing that the people OF the Norh
shall decide between these and myself Time has
worked out the problem and the result has announced
The country has the means Of determining who has
attempted msIead and deceive the people-in whom they
ought place their faith and in whose honor and judgment
they ought to rely.
Since the question has been decided be
of amazement to the whole country how any should have
entertained doubt upon the subject But the
markable feature Of the whole that after all these predictions
should have sgnay failed in regard the State Of Cali
fona and since slavery has be excluded there by unan
nous vote-hee not being dissenting voice in Conven
ton composed Of natives slavehong than free States