The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-08
prs.ldsnt Polk and the w,lmot provl.o.

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President Polk and the wiImot Proviso.
We copy from the Nashville Union an
account Of the last interview of its editor
with President Polk, as an interesting
chapter Of political history.
He (Mr. Polk) stated the circumstances under
which the Oregon bill approved, as
tanned in his message, and reiterated his determn
alton to have vetoed any bill excluding slavery
from any portion of the territory south Of the Mis-
souri, compromise line. He kindly granted US per-
mission TO refer TO his papers on this subject; but
he was almost Immediately afterwards seized by
the disease which proved fatal to him, and
him no The permission then extended TO
has, however, since been renewed by Mrs. Polk,
and during n recent visit TO the room where the
papers of her illustrous consort are filed with all
that method and order for which he distin-
guished, we copied the very important extract
which will be found below.
Most of our readers will recollcct that, the
close of the session of isl9 Mr.. Walker, Senator
from Wisconsin, introduced amendment TO the
civil and diplomatic appropriation bill, giving ter
ritorial governments to California and New Mexico
aoithout attaching thereto the Wilmot proviso. II
generally supposed that the proviso would be
attached in the House; and the veto of the provso
would have been to veto the entire appropriation
bill, at the last moment of the session. Mr.. Polk
did not hesitate moment in coming to determin
alton. He dreto up veto message, and sat in the
Office of the Clerk OF the House, firmly determined
to veto the BILL if presented to him with the provso
attached to the territorial government portion fit
This message is preserved among the papers of MIR.
Polk and is one of the documents which he referred
to in his conversation with US. We read it through
on our recent visit to the room where he kept his
papers, and with increased admiration Of his talents
and exalted patriotism II bears, in his own hand
writing, the following endorsement
ssMarch, lS49. took this message with me to
the capitol on the night Of the Sd March, 1919, in
tending to return to the House in which i origi-
mated, with my objections, the civil and diplomatic
BILL to which an amendment offered by Mr.. Walk
er, of Wisconsin, had been adopted in the Senate,
for the government Of California, had it been
Wilmot proviso. The bill with the Wilmot pro-
viso attached did not pass, and it therefore
necessary to use the message. J. X. p"
We now make extract from the message re-
ierrcd to, not doubling that it will attract general
attention. and eectually silence the talk about the
precedent set by Mr.. Polk in approving the Oregon
bill
we'll setted convictions of duty to the Constitution
and to the country, sanction by approval Of this
BILL the provision which it contains. My opinions
upon this subject officially expressed in my
of August last, announcing to that body my appro-
val and signature of the bill to establish the terri
torial government Of Oregon; and again in my last
annual message to Congress, recommending the
establishment of governments over the territories
Of New Mexico and California, acquired by the
treaty of peace with Mexico
sThc doctrine of non interference with the subject
of slavery by the Federal Government, / have
never doubted was the true doctrine The people
who nhabit may inhabit the acquired territories
have alone the right to decide for themselves what
tr,stt hall he
tervention interference of Congress. In signing
the Oregon bill, and expressing my opinions in my
last annual message, ! felt myself constrained 70
yield my original convictions, had this been
open and an original question, and to conform in
my action to the compromise established when
Missouri was admitted into the Union. was thus
constrained to yield because the Missouri compro,
mise, in respect to slavery, had been recognised
and acquiesced in by the slavehoding and non
slaveholding States for a period of nearly thirty
years; and had not only been acquesced in, but
had been distinctly recognised and affirmed, with
out serious opposition, in the resolutions passed by
Congress in February, lS45, for the annexation of
Texas as a State of the Union. was unwilling,
by my action, to attempt TO reverse what seemed
to have been so long and SO well settled.
In the provision of the bill under consideration,
Congress has disregarded the principle Of the Mis-
souri, compromise, and undertaken to enact a law
which not only abrogates it, but in effect destroys
the equality of the several States, and the equality
of rights which belong to their respective citizens
The bill reduces one-half of the States and their
litca rights under the constitution, 10 the other
half of their sister States and their citizens The
equality of the States political communities, and
the equality Of rights of their respective citizens
constitute fundamental principle which lies at the
foundation Of our Federal Union; and without the
distinct recognition of which il is well known the
sonederacy could never have been formed.
:" The territorial possessions acquired by the
treaty of peace with Mexico were purchased by
the common blood and treasure Of citizens Of
all the States-slaveboding and non laveholding.
II belongs equally and alike TO all the States, and
the citizens Of all the States have equal rights in IT,
To exclude the citizens of the slaveholding States
from the enjoyment of equal rights in ii with the
citizens Of the acknowledging States, for other
than that slavery exists in the former and
that the latter possess the majority Of the popaa
ton of the Union and the majority Of the represen
tation in Congress, would be TO iniict vital
wound upon the Constitution ITSELF and 10 destroy
the tohoie frame and design Of the Confederation, Of
tohich all bs States under the Constitution equal
members. Surely there can be no adequate motive
for any lover Of glorious Union TO press this
delicate question TO an extreme point, by which the
blessings Of liberty may be put in jeopardy lost
forever II was because Of my deep convictions OF
the value Of preserving Federal Union in all its
parts, that was willing, in signing the Oregon
bill, to give up original opinions and yield 20 an
f,.bI al