The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-02

have alluded to, even then would you be willing
to admit her with the limits which she clans II,
her present constitutions | am most reluctant to
believe it; and proceed to state some of the
prominent objectionsI have to the boundariessh
claims in it |
| lst They are enormous and excessive, and
far beyond such as were ever allotted TO any Of
| the States which were formed out of territories
4 belonging TO the United States. Tennessee was
| only allowed, in round numbers, A 900 square
miles Ohio, 10000 Louisiana, 10000; In
diana, $4,000; Missouri, $1,000 Illinois
s., 900 Alabama, $4,000 Maine, $1,000 Mis-
sssippi, $4,000; Arkansas, $4,000; Michigan
$4,000; Florida, $1,000; Iowa, $4,000 and Wis
consin, 81 900. y
End, They are unnatural, disregardng those
geographical divisions which her very structure
Indicates and combining together districts disoint
ed by the eternal barriers Of the creation, and by
antagonistical conditions Of soil and climate, IL
Ord. They are impoliuc, placing under the con
| troll and sway of single State territory equal in
extent to all New England, with the Empire
State of New York added to it {; an extent of sea
coast exceeding one thousand miles all the trade
of China and of the Indian Archipelago And
laying the foundation for an empire which may
hereafter WELD i'm its hands the destinies of this
republic, il it should not endanger its very ex-
istence.
But we shall find in the movements that brought
about the justment OF the present boundaries OF
California, that they Dy no means originated III
any wants of hers, but with the intermeddllng OF
the administration, and in the arrogant assump-
ton of the authority of Congress to close up the
slavery question, through the exclusion of the
South from the totality of the territory, which
was the nucleus of the contest at the last two SEES
sions; and that may give the Senate an lnsigh
into the motives which actuated the delegates II
the California Convention to assume the bounda
ries which they claim, will now lay before i
= some other passages from the debates OF the con
vention:
=, I" Mr.. Semple, president ofthe convention.)
- feel under some obligation TO repeat converse
ton which has distinct bearing upon this mat
', ter There is distinguished member Of Con
gress, who holds his seat from one of the States
of the Union, now in California. With desire
, to obtain all the information possible IN relation
to the state of things on the other side of the
mountains, asked him what was the desire OF
: the people in Congress. | observed to him that
it was not the desire of the people of California
to take a larger boundary than the Sierra Nevada
and that we would prefer not embracing within
our limits this desert waste to the east. His reply
was: For Gods sake, leave no territory tc
legislate upon in Congress- He went on to STATE
, then that the great object in our formation of
State government was to avoid further legislation
q there would be no question as to our admission
. by adopting this course; and that all subjects o
, minor importance could afterwards be settled.
:, think it my duty to mpart this information to TIT
! convention. The conversation took place be
. tween Mr. Thomas Butler King and myself -
a debates, 1884,
e Speaking Of this communication, Mr.. Shannon
! says, debates, 1919
l. "The chief argument which has been urged il
II favor of the extreme boundary has been, not II
. the necessity, not the convenience, not the bene
: fit TO be derived from it, nor the necessity of in
s Guiding it, but the probability of its passing thu
Congress of the United States, and the authority
$ Of gentleman from Congress, that, if such pro
n position adopted, it would pass. Sir, | CLAIM
: for the dignity of the State of California, tina
all dictation of this kind should not receive yer,
l. favorable reception in this House; that we shou
al not listen the propositions Of gentlemen in thi
"a matter, however hg h their characters at home
at &c, &c. But who are thes
al authorities? Are they men who have become, b
N long life service in this country, so deeply in
terested in the welfare of California that the weG
n of the new State is alone the dearest objects G
er their aspimtions!-or they not rather tn
&c agents Of interested parties, not of Congress
IF For they do not speak the will Of Congress; sin
e gle man cannot speak the will of Congress. AM
when the president of this convention stated thi
1t afternoon the expression of Mr.. Thomas Butte
&c King: For Gods sake, leave no territory i
at California to dispute about-when he IN,
Ia King) spoke it, presume he did not speak tn
lie sentiment of the entire Congress of the Unite
te States. The secret of it is this, that the cabn'
IL Of the TniteA States have found themselves
es difficulty upoItlhis question; they in difficult
es about the Wilmot Proviso; and Mr.. Thoma
IN Butler King Git may be others) is sent here in tn
n first place, for the purpose of influencing the pee
pie of California to establish State government
L. and, IN the next place, to include the entire teri
tory.
H. There are two great political parties there, ii
n Congress- who have been for years past fghtin
to like tigers in their cage Every day, every hou
n but increases the ferocty with which they srugg
upon this question of slavery
al "When this proposition comes before then
~ Southern mcmbers-thoSe from the savehodin
Of States--will that it strikes from beneath the
feet an enormous tract of country into which the
o desire to introduce slavery hereafter. Add to thu
- the further argument of the enormously eXtensi,
n territory that it includes; and then add to that Il
20 further argument, that large portion OF that te
:. ritory has not been represented in this body-ths
- the feelings and wishes of the population are ne
~ known-and | think you leave open groun
~ enough for them to build an argument upon tina
y will defeat your constitutions; that you at leas
:, bring all those difficulties which gentlemen hop
y to avoid directly to bear against ia result which
i every gentleman here, have no doubt, honestly
seeks to avoid. These are arguments which yot
cannot get over 1t is true, sir that the boundary
, is enormous. No man here wishes to include the
whole of it. We are told by these very gentle
men that it is too large; it is unwieldy; 1t includes
|, an enormous barren tract of country-an immense
desert waste; but, say they, will bring it all in
not for the purpose of retaining it within the Stat
= of California, but for the purpose Of settling, thu
o slave question at home. We don't intend t
q keep 1t.
q Then we have something more significant iron
the delegate from San Francisco, lMr. Gwin,
If page 1877:
81 was opposed to any other boundary bu
o that of California, as recognized by the Govern
>, ment of the United States and Mexico, for anot
err reason, and considered tia veryimportant one
t. that if we leave a portion of territory out, W
d would necessarily open question which we her
should not Interfere with. We all know what 3
n deg 30 min. is 1t is the great bone of conten
0 ton North of that there is no contest south o
= it there is a contest. Ifgentlemen will look wher
this line strikes the Pacific, they will see that no
solitary vote was cast bya delegate in this con
a vention south of that line, except those cas
J. against a State government. The representative
e here from that region are unanimous in their vote
= against the establishment of State government
k Ii we include the territory these delegates repre-
sent on the coast, why exclude the barren vast
d beyond, where no white man liye. We tax