The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-19

ncient grounds ior her rejection, her admission
may be delayed indefinitely The proportion which
her numbers bear to the representative ratio is not
likely to Increase; nor is probable that the char
acter OF her population will essentially change
since there is nothing to carry Americans there
with or without any particular species Of property
doubt whether her case will be stronger fifty years
| hence than il is now.
| These, then, are the recomme ndations Of the
| policy of the President. II is demanded by the
spirit of treaty; il rests constitutional princ
! pie; II involves no sectional triumph, requires
| abandonment Of principle; il settles the question
irrevocaby, quiets agitation, and restores harmony
| to the Union.
Is there any reason why the South should reject
| il? What ia that you desire? The preservation of
| the Union upon just termsl That is, doubt not,
what the great majority of you, and majority
perhaps still greater Of your constituents, sincerely
desire. Well, in this way, you will preserve and
| strengthen the Union; and you cannot dispute the
| justice OF the terms They are in accordance with
principles which the South has always proclaimed,
| and which especially have received the emphatic
sanction OF the eminent individual-who was south
ern II any thing be so-whose death we have lately
deplored. Do you desire to enjoy your property at
home, in quiet and without agitation! You will
thus attain that end. Many southern gentlemen
have said to us, that slavery can never enter New
| Mexico, and that consequently the Wilmot provso
| was mere abstraction; and that for the North,
therefore, TO insist upon it, was 10 insist upon
measure offensive TO the South for practical end.
Whg, then, if your premises be correct, will YOU
for an abstraction, require abandonment of prin
cpe and consistency, humiliating to the pride Of
tne NOftn! but IL said tnat IL ID a principle oil
which you desire the recognition. You can get
no recognition of the principle that Congress may
not prohibit slavery in the Territories of the United
States. II you will look at the recent speech Of
the great northern statesman you will find in it
any thing but an abandonment of the principle of
the ordinance Of 1857; you will fnd on the con-
trary, that principle most emphatically asserted.
Nor would any vote that you could get here, even
expressly repudiating it, be Of service to you for
the principle is one that the people of the North
will never abandon. On the other hand, by the
knowedgment Of a principle not valueless to the
| South. and that in such a manner and by such
| vote as to be of practical use.
Will northern Democrats reject the policy of a
southern President because it is not sufficiently
southern? Will they substitute for il something
that their constituents will regard more favora-
BILE to the South-more favorable to slavery, Are
not the terms JUST The South at least is estopped
from disputng their Justice Will you allege that
you fear dissolution of the Union A dissolution
OF the Union because we authorize the people of
Territory To form constitution preparatory to
their admission into the Union State They
who would dissolve the Union for such cause
must belong to the class of nondescripts lately dis
covered by an old gentleman OF this city-the
class of " disunionists per Sc" Gentlemen may be
willing to make sacrifices, sacrifices of personal
feeling, of ambition, of consistency, of principle
even, for the sake of restoring harmony to the
| Union; but before they make such sacrifices they
will do well TO make certain that the desired end
will be attained
Will northern Whigs want the patriotism and
justice? viii you say you would rather have the
Wilmot proviso? But you cannot have the Will
mot proviso II is not at all probable that it could
pass this House, and il is absolutely certain that il
would be rejected in the other. II Is therefore idle
To talk about the proviso. Will you say that it Is
better to wait-to do nothing' Why so? If you
approve the policy of the President, believe in
general you do, and your constituents doif you
recognise the principle upon which that policy Is
founded-why not give effect TO il nowi Thus you
will escape the imputaton Of an intended violation
OF inth, settle question which ought 10 be settled,
and give quiet TO the country. But you cannot
prevent action. Action is inevitable That which
II Is in your power TO do, is, to shape its courses
| you cannot arrest it. Your constituents prac-
| tical people They will be satisfied if you do the
best thing that it Is in your power TO do; they will
fed, in my opinion, il, for want of your affirmative
votes for practical measure, something else shall
be done iess acceptable to you and less acceptable
70 them
These are my for preferring bill for the
admission OF New Mexico State, TO n bill for n
territorial government. may, however, be
ruled in my opinion, and compelled to vote ON a
territorial bill. In such case, I am not satisfied
that il is unnecessary to insert in such bill clause
prohibiting slavery. have listened with defer
cnce and respect TO the counsels of eminent citizens,
themselves opposed TO the ext nson of slavery; but
am unconvinced. do not propose to argue the
question; but will aude 10 single reason that has
great weight in my mind. ] fear that the South
would regard the erection of territorial govern
ment without the proviso as an abandonment of
4
overcome my objections so far TO be willing,
der particular circumstances, TO waive the applica
ton OF the proviso, yet will never abandon It,
What would be the consequences? How long would
| IL be before should have little alton
another Mexican war. prefer that the Wilmot
proyiso shall hang suspended over Tamaulipas and
Coahuia. II source Of discord within the Union,
u is conservative without ID Is better barrier
against our aggrcssions than any army that Mexico
could raise. There s danger that the North will
involve us in war for the acquisition of free terri
tory; do not desire that the South should do To
acquire more slave territory.
The abandonment of the doctrine of tine power of
Congress 20 prohibit slavery when coupled with the
southern theory OF the operation Of the Constitution
10 carry slavery into all the Territories Of the Uni
ted States, would convert this Government into an
instrument for the propagation Of slavery, without
limit and without restraint. Nothing earth
would make me consent to such change in the
character Of our Government. would almost bor-
row, 10 manifest my repugnancc 10 IL, the southern
language Of resistance at all hazards. and 10 the
last extremity.''
II is possible, however, that a measure may be
presented 10 me in such form that may be will
ing 70 exchange the proviso for equivalent. Let
me explain what mean by this. Do what
may, IL is ont of our power TO TX with certainty
the ultimate condition Of this territory TO slave
ry. A congressional prohibition Of slavery only
applies to the territorial state is not good in
this respect as a prohibition OF slavery in State
constitution. therefore prefer what has been
termed the California proviso, to the Wilmot pro
viso. prefer IL for another reason. There is
doubt OF the power oil State To prohibit slavery,
while we know that the power of Congress s seri-
ousy disputed. have no doubt OF its existence;
but an opposite opinion is predominant in half the
States Of the Union, is entertained by many able
lawyers and statesmen, and Is even said 10 have
been expressed by Of the Judges of the Supreme
Court; and cannot, therefore, shut my eyes 10 the
fact, that there may be a degree of doubt 10 the
decision of the tribunal whose province IL is 10 de-
tornine the question. For these reasons, can sec
that the case is one that allows equivalent IL
has also aspects in which such question may be
presented. II is in this light-the light of ex-
change for equal value that should regard
any substitute proposed for the proyi-o, and
should look 10 get something that, ON the whole,
was good as what gave.
II has been said, that the doctrine of the Pres-
dent on this question The that main.
tained by General Csss in the last Presidential
canvsss-the doctrine Of non Intervention; and wo
northern Wings have been accused of inoonsist-
ency, in being willing to support now what we
then opposed You may apply " them, II you
please, the phrase; but the difference between