The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-06-26

stilulion. K IS clenr that The ballot
box Of the South is powerless for its
protection. And the same causes which
induced the violations Of the constitution
by the Northern majority, prevents its
restoration 10 its integrity. Through
out The Northern States, there has been
no Indication Of any change in their
policy. On the contrary, the majority
against tho South is greater in The
present Congress than in the last, fol-
lowing the usual course Of every sue
cessivc election Tor years past. Nor
have we seen in the action Of the States,
with few exceptions, any proof Of
returning sense Of justice 70 us, or Of
reverence for the constitution. Several
Of them, lest false inferences might be
drawn as to their position have taken
care lately to rciiera,c in the most
offensive forms their former dcclara.
tons agair'st our rights and when q
great Senator, representing ono OF them,
anxious for the porpctunlion Of the
thing Of justice 10 the South, he has
been rcbukcd by The Legislature Of the
State he represents, anu virtually de-
nounced for his fidelity 10 the cons,,u-
ton. This resource, then, under the
ordinary operations Of the constitution,
is Of no avail. And how is it with the
present Congress, the only other source
Of redress in the usual administration
Of the constitution =? For six months il:
hns been in session, and during this
Whole period Of time slavery has been
the absorbing topic Of discussion and
agitation. Yet nothing has been done
TO heal the disconlcnls which so Justly
exist in the South, or restore bleeding
constitution, All we have received has
been bitter dcnuncia,ions Of our ins,i,u>
tons by many members Of Congress,
and threats 10 cocrcc us into submis-
sion. Although noihing has been done,
report has been made by committee
of thirteen members, which is now
bending in that body ; and as tho n,en-
ls,ires il proposes have been pressed
upon the Soutl aaS worthy a.tiessicceps,
ance. we deem it proper 10 lay before
you brief consideration Of tho matter
il contains,
This report embraces four distinct
measures: 1s,, The admission Of Cal,
tornia as State, with ,hc exclusion OF
slavery in her constitution. I'd, Terri
toripl governments 10 be erected over
the Territories Of Utah and New Mcxi-
co, with nearly one half Of Texas TO be
added TO the latter. Sd, The prohibi-
ton Of the slave trade in the District OF
Columbia and 4th, Provisions Tor the
for the rccupture Of fugitive slaves in
the on-slaveholding States. To un.
ders,nnd whether these measures arc
consistent with our rights and worthy OF
our acceptance, each Of them must be
considered separately.
Tho South is excluded by the bill from
the whole OF that part oi California lying on
the Pacific, including one hundred and fifty
thousand square miles OF territory and il
this is done by the Legislation OF Congress,
The mode in which 1t is done is of no i'm.
poriance. California belongs to the Uni.
ted States, and all action by the individuals
in that territory, whether from the United
States, or from the rest Of the world, ap.
propriating the soil to themselves or erect
ing government over II, is OF no VALIDITY
They cannot constitute people in no pro.
per sense OF the term bu, arc citizens o
the States or countries from which they
have como, and to which they still owe
their allegiance. When therefore, Goa.
grcss attempts TO carry ont aud confirm the
acts o! these individuals, erecting Caliior.
MIA into Il State and excluding slavery
thcrci1om, It is the same thing as il Con.
grcss had originally passed law to this
effect, without the intervention of these
individuals. The exclusion of slavery
from California is done BY tho act O. Con.
greSs, and by no other authority. Tho
constitution o! California becomes The act
of Congress and the WiImot proyiso j,
contains. is the Wilmot Provso passed and
enforced by the legislation OF Congress-
Here then, is that exclusion from this ter
rItory by the act OF Congress, which almost
every Southern State in the Union has de-
clarcd She would not submit TO, plainly and
practically enforced by this bill. A free
people cannot be satisfied with the mode
III which they are deprived o! ,l.eir rights
sovereign State viii disdain to enquire in
h'''' ''''''''S' S'S 80 o. 'tlSH'' NJ !iOpti-
~, and degraded from an equality with her
sister States. II is enough, that the out
rage is done. The mode is of little conse-
qucnCc There is, therefore in the mode
OF extending the Wilnot proviso over the
territory of California presented by the bill,
nothing to mitigate tho Indignation OF the
Southern States, or To battle their dctcrmi-
nation to redress the wrong, if Inflicted
They are excluded from the whole terrific
~ of California, territory extensive
enough to contain four large States.
Ii the constitution proposed by Calilor
MIA contained nothing abou, slavery. would
The North allow her TO enter the Union -
Such were the territorial bills proposed for
California at the last Congress, but she re-
joctcd them, because the South was not
excluded from this territory, in express
terms. fhe inhabitants of this territory,
have been left without any civil govern
ment, solely because the South would not
consent to be logslated out OF them with
her Institutions; and now that this object
is accomplished by the constitution prcscn-
ted by California, these conservatives