Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-03-28
Webster and Calhoun.

and that inasmuch as freedom has shot ahead,
we must lay on our oars till slavery comes up" or,
do something to aid slavery in overtaking freedom.
aud thus re-est blish the necessary equilibrium"
between The two. The Washington correspondent Of
the Journal of Commerce, who maintains strong pro-
slavery ground; says
1.-The gist of Mr. Cahoun's speech is in one Of the
last paragraphs ;-where he tells Us What is TO
tie Union. II is highly important TO know Mr.. Cal
houn's views this point. The plan IS this let,
To cOncede TO the S"uh equal right III tile acquIr
cd Territory 81, North Ia do her duty by causing
he sipulaons to fugitive slaves To be fulfilled
Sd, To cease the agitation Of the slave question;
4th. To amend the constitution by inserting provi-
siou which will resture the South, In substance,
he power she possessed of protecting herself bef1re
the equilibrium between the sections was destroyed
by The action of this government, which provision he
says there will be 10 difficulty in devising.
IF the Union is to be saved only by carrying into
effect these four propositions then it must be past
praying for. Not one of these demands will ever be
complied with BY the North, Nortil-W West. Under
circumstances, the very stringent bill in regard
The surrender Of fugitive slaves may pass the
House. but it will be of no avail without the co-ope-
ration Of State legislation. How can agitation
ease, when the pres, the pulpit, the stump, and the
Legislative hail. alike engaged in keeping il up
To concede equal right In the acquired territory
is impossible. Even the extension of the Missouri
line will not do it, Neither Mr.. Foote'S nor Mr..
Kauifinan's Mr.. Bells propositions do that; or,
rather, if they concede the right il is barren
cession, without practical equality.
''As to the last prOpositpn-it may be ensy to de-
uise proposition that will restore the equi-ponder-
lnce of the Souil,-but il will be impossible TO adopt
It.
.'ri,ose Of you who may be curious to know what
may be this amendment of the Constitution thus sug
gesled, 81 eusy and efeetual, might guess long
time, and yet have to give 1t up. | will give my
own conjecture Of its character, al the hazard of hav-
ng the project represented in the New York partizan
press being approved aud urged by me.
81 conjecture that the scheme which Mr.. Calhoun
coniempates, is to amend the Constitution, to
provide for the division of the electoral colleges into
electors from non-saveholdug and from saveholdIng
States, and To provide that the former shall chOOse
President, and The latter President. There will be
two exc, uiives, and concurrence between them rs
10 be requisite to their action.
.You will nulice that Mr.. Calhoun states, that the
Nurihrrn section has now a majority of ffly-twO in
the Electoral Cnllege, and that the disparity will in-
crease. Tue Executive will, he thinks, hereafter,
represent the Northern section only. Therefore he
proposes a check"
This statement is confirmed by other writers. A
correspondent of the New York Globe says
Speculation is rife as TO what is intended To be
reached by Mr.. Cahouns proposed amendment to the
Constitution, and which lac has declared essential to
a satisfactory settlement of the question which now
disturbs the country. Neither himself nor his col
league Mr.. Butler, have condescended to explain it,
except by the vague aud misty language, that it is
designed to protect the South by restoring the equi-
brium which has been destroyed by the action of the
Government. The better opinion seems to be that
he has in view such alteration of the Constitution
would allow at any time, One-third of the ates,
when they considered themselves aggrleved by the
others, to withdraw from the confederacy. and is
of those theoretical hereses which could have been
grown only in the soil-rank with such poisonous
weeds--of the sovereign Stale of Souh Carolina"
The correspondent Of the Pa. Ledger says
''Fhere is desire, the part of Mr.. Calhoun,
to settle the question He does not want il settled
settling il after his fashion would be breaking down
the Constitution and the Union. He wants to settle
the slavery question the notification principle OF
1888, allowing each State tn protest against act
of Congress, and requiring three fourhs of all the
States to endorse the act before il shall be binding
the Stale thus protesting against the national law.
'When Mr. Calhoun made this proposition, he
knew that the North would never accept it--that no
sensible man in the North would give his assent and
that Northern public could advocate it with
out shattering his political prospects to finters.
"Mr. Calhoun does not, cannot, speak for this
country lie does not with all his intellect, com.
prehend progress, its aspirations its mission He
has sympathy for the millions-his heart does mol
with the prospects of future prosperity anc
SiduueuT. uc>pioco thS gIcdb nutiondi eeulncu
Of united Americans; eulogles on the Union SOUND
harshly in his ears! He would not be moved by the
sound of "a national melody in foreign and!" He
seems to scorn the very word Union As If, without
that Union. and the feelings which it inspires h'
South would he anything but colony OF Planters
and the North aught else than factory Of mechan
les.
''Mr. Calhoun'S views. carried out would in trn
duce the most selfish egutism. the most glaring ma
terialism into political system. They woul,
make the most stationary people, neyt To the Chi
nese. on the f ce Of the globe. Mr.. Calhoun's con
servatism is petrifaction his science Of Safe ex
cludes all progress.
'.But it is well that Mr.. Calhoun has spoken. II
; has shown his followers the precipce to which h
was about to lead them. and they have halted. lie
the South know that, following Dir. Cslhoun's lead
there is nothing left but rebellion their part, OF
shattered constitution on the part of The nation. BIZ
no the South are not willing 10 follow him. MI
s Calhoun has his race. "His vaulting ambitio
: has o'erleaped ITSELF"
|, The correspondent of the Pennsylvania, at
d mirer of Mr.. Calhoun, writes
G al wish could write you that Mr.. Calhoun is d,
: posed for compromise upon some ground or othe
But cnnnDt--as all hear concerning him. confirm
me in the conclusion, that he desires none"
: WEBsTER's -PosITIoN.-Thc correspondent Of Il
e Journal Of Commerce thus defines IT, rs expressed
r the late speech
n sin few words, the position Of Mr.. Webster
this The character of every foot of territory beOn
ing TO the United States, as respects slavery, is
e ready fixed by irrevocable law. This was the ca
= with Texas, and this government was bound to c
ecute, in good faith, the compact made upon the a
= nexation Of Texas To wit: To admit not more th
four new States from her territory, when they shou
T" have sufficient population. Slavery was already
Texas ai the time Of annexation, and, of cours
D South Of 26 deg 30 min. it was to be sayeholdi
III country.
,e 's1hen ngnin, he considered the people and
Statas Of The Nnrfh hound fulfil the cnn