The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-06-11

"'""1 . N't''' thNS"Httl Ut! stetn ana lnficN
. able opposition.
) Ny position in reference TO conrressiona
action on this subject is easily explained
! am for on.intcrvenion--total. entire. mn
/ qualified non-inJerventiou. Leave the peo
} pie OF all the States flee to go with then
property of whatever kind, to the territories
: without let and without hindrance, and
am satisfied. But this / must say. thai
whenever Congress undertakes 20 give pro
lection to property in the territories, ON the
high seas, or anywhere else, there must be
no insulting discrimination between slave
property and any other species of property.
To say that Congress may protect the nor
then mans goods in California, but TINT
Congress shall not protect the southern
mans slaves, as inteyreatioR. 1t is inter.
vening for the worst ends, and in the most
insulting manner
You have been told, felow.citizens, tha,
we once said the people of territory, when
they come TO make n State constitution,
might settle the slave question for them
selves, and that we have now abandoned
that ground, Not SOL speak for myself.
have always maintained and maintain to.
day, that the people Of q territory when du.
! ty authorized to form State constitution,
may settle this and al! other questions for
themselves and according to their own in.
clinations. But was California dulyauthor.
lied Where did she get her authority ?
We have been told that she got it from the
Almighty. This is very well if it is 50. But
it would be more satisfactory to me to know
that she got it from the proprietors of the
soil, and that her action had been subordi.
nate to the Federal constitution.
have no inclination to discuss this point
at length. Whenever it can be shown that
California has been subjected 10 the same
ordeal through which Mississippi, Arkansas,
Florida, and other holding States have
been compelled to pass, | will, if in Con.
gress, vote for her admission into the Union,
without why or wherefore as concerns
slavery. But it is asking of me little too
much to expect that snail vote for her ad.
mission, under all the remarkable circum.
stances attending her application, until she
has passed this ordeal.
If it shall be shown that am getting a
fair equivalent for surenderng your rights
IN California, you may reasonably expect
me, in your name, TO favor compromise.
| The great national mind wants repose, and
| for one am ready for any arrangement
which may afford reasonable angury of q
happy adjustment of our differences. This
brings me to brief review of Mr.. Clay's so
called compromise scheme.
| The Ipndibu hill t1raeaptal Ia, M TIr,,
| from. 'the Committee of Thirteen" contains
three distinct and substantive propositions
First, the admission of California. In this,
as in every other scheme of settlement ten.
dered to the South, California in all her
length and breadth, stands first. Secondly,
we are offered territorial governments for
New Mexico and Utah, (Deseret that was, J
acithout the Wilmot proviso; and thirdly,
we have proposition to dismembcr Texas,
by cutting of enough Of her northern pos.
sessions to make four States as large as
Mississippi, and for the privilege of doing
this we are to pay - millions of dollars.
The suggestions for filing this blank have
varied from. five to fifteen millions of dollars
] have already suggested some reasons
|
pendent proposition, ought not, in my iudg.
ment, to receive your sanction. now pro.
pose to inquire whether the union Of these
three measures in one bill makes the whole,
as a unit, more worthy of your consideration
and support All the objections to the ad-
mission OF California stand out in the same
force and vigor in Mr. Clay's bill as in all
| Go 6np
are asked to make the same sacrifice of feel.
ing and of principle which we have so often
and so long protested we would not make
unless indeed It shall be shown that we are
getting fair equivalent for these sacrifices
4 He has told us, as remarked to you in an
other place, that California was not State
and could not become so out OF the Union
That in truth, her constituents had no bind
ing force, as constitution, until the State
was admitted into the Union. The consti.
tuition Of California contains the ahti-slavery
clause, the "Wilmot proviso" But the
constitution is dead letter, so far as we are
concerned. 1t has no vitality, no binding
effect until the State is admitted. Congress
admits her, and by the act of admission puts
the, proviso in force--gives it activity and
life. Who, then, but Congress is response
bic for the active, operative "proviso--fol
that proviso wRfch. excludes you from the
country! Congress and Congress alone il
responsible. You can now aderstand more
fully what | meant, when | signed ettel
to his Excellency the Governor saying
"that the admission of California was equiv
alent to the adoption of the Wilmot provi
so." The northern people understand this
and TO man they are for her admission.
The question now is, are we offered
! any adequate consideration for making
this sacrifice of feeling and of princi'
plel This is question worthy Of thc
: most serious. and critical examination
By the terms of the resolutions, an
nexing Texas to the United States, i
is expressly provided shat such State: