The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-01

v.
csLrFoESlA.
Oa motion Of Mr.. Thomson cl Mississippi. the House
resolved Itself into Commee Of the Whole the state OF
The Caa,nMAs stated lie penng business 10 be the res
olations referring The Presidents message TO the aprlopr
Mr. TooMss (who was enlisd 10 the oor irom yester-
dayD rsmarkng ha seemed 70 6e the wish the House
about il, moved 10 iiy aside The Presidents annual
sags. and take ~ ii,s ,cahioratn messsge
50 the couaitice procecdcd the consideration OF the
nesage Of the President communicating the constitution Of
M TooaBs tstil rs,aaing his right p the aoor) yield
Mr. DorY, who said he wished to submit proposition to
the comsniiie He moved the following;
IAN ACT admit the State Of California into the Union
Whcreasihe people ofCaliornia have formed for Them
selves constitution and State government, aud applied
admission into e Union STATE and whereas tho said
constitution has been officially communicated 70 Congress,
and is republican, therefore,
sao 8en enacted, Sr That state Of California.
shalt be one, and IL hereby declared be one Of Uni
ted States OF America and admitted the Union AN
equai footing with the original States IN all respects what
ssc The said State Of California shall never ntereye
with the primary disposal OF the soil within the by
the United States, with any regulations Congress may
make for sscurng the title In such bon1 pucha
ey ofhe United States which said provisions are hereby
declared 70 be fundamental conditions upon which the said
State is admilted into the Uniou.'
Mr.. GREEN the door being further yielded by Mr. T) Of
iered amendment, which read proposing the
Mr.. McLAaE said he desired 10 know whether amend
mens Submitted this way Of other am or
whether they were read for Information merely
The CHAIEsASs reply not heard, ne addressed
hmsef,o Mr. McLaSs, the other side Of ihe hail fl
the reporter The propositions OF Mr. DorY and Mr. GREEN
understood by the reporter 70 have been received
M McLAsE objected o further amendments being
Geived Ia this way by the gentleman ipm Georgia Mr
IooMRsl Yielding 70 gentlemen 70 ENABLE them 10 offer
Mr. TooMBs resumed the i,or, and addressed the COM
mittee during his hour uroa the slavery question,
Mr. BAKEK obsaned the fioor, and addressed the commit
MIR. McLANE said that there was no gentleman on
this floor who, throughout the debate. had felt
strongly than himself the obligation pressing upon him
TO contribute, in as humble manner might be within
his power to direct the public sentiment OF this House,
to direct the public sentiment Of the Legislature OF this
country with spirit and with amolve looking TO the
just rights Of every part Of the country and % the well
fare OF the people Of all the States recognising the
same time the great principles that the just welfare Of the
people OF all the States intimately, If not ndissolu-
bly, connected with the welfare of the federal govern
ment, and the existence OF the federal constitution
itself Coming into this House as the representative
OF constituency who had frequently been referred
the of the debate a border population
representing portion OF the people OF Maryland who,
IN the first speech OF the session. made by the gentle
man from North Carolina, Mr. CLrSGMAN,l had been
referred TO and specuiated upon in view OF their PROB
able action in the contingency Of dissolution Of
70 occurMhe sMr Mel ieIt bound 10 saw, ha, this was
people who had contemplated this question without
reference 10 geographical feengs and, conscious that
he himself had formed and entertained opinions upon all
general questions which had engaged the attention OF the
federal Neutrality-suspicious. formed without any regard
10 his geographical yosiionhe now felt at liberty,
he hoped he always should feel 10 participate in de-
bale here upon national platform But, IN making use
of this language, be not TO be understood holding
an indefinite or confused idea OF national platform
He would feel that he had but very small title 10 the
respect of the members OF Congress, he supposed that
in legislatng upon national platform, he was TO legs-
late without regard to the federal character OF the gov
which constituted The nation He used the Term
naton, without any desire 10 subject himself TO hyper
criticism. To him, at this moment. IL matter OF
perfect Indifference wheher the gentleman from North
nlinaf Mr. NrN 4 w ho had ken had
should be called coniederated republic oil STATES
confederacy OF States, national government and ma
onal people He believed that, within the limits OF the
constitution, nation They here to iegislae
for the nation They here egsate for the people
Of the United States and although as he had said he rep
resented border people, Tin view OF sectional issues,
and although the will OF the people OF that region, when
that will clearly expressed, was his guide, yet
abstract questions and in matters involving immeae
action he hoped that they knew and fe that he legisaied
for the people OF all the States and for the government
which The people OF all the States had formed II seemed,
unfortunately 10 be the act that all those general issues
which ordinarily engaged the attention Of Congress had
passed away. As general rule, he could not coneede
the propely and wisdom OF connng his remarks when
he catered into debate here TO single isolated point
and permitting that 10 engross the whole wisdom and
patriotism OF The American Congress But he feit--and
probably this conviction had been brought home 10 the
bosom Of every gentleman ereihai these issues whlsb
great line OF demarcaion between parties IN the United
Staies had been adjourned That they adjourned
Tor The hour was manifest; and ne believed mat rested
lourned forever.
Il seemed to him that they had assembled, national
Congress, under circumstances most peculiar; apd ne
challenged the attention OF honorable gentlemen 70 The
issue which he about 10 present, aud which, ne De-
eyed could be denied They here not as free
men, They vauned much, IL true, oil their freedom
OF speech and freedom OF opinion. The great point Of
misapprehenson this-that Congress was not free.
They had assembled here, elected, most OF them during
the last presidential canyass-whiss and Democrats bound
alike TO which the great body OF the people, al
the time they elected them, were strangers lie looked
to northern democrats who had their seats here and who
though fully committed 10 the non-nlerventon principle
OF national democratic party, had yet excited expec
tations on the par oil earnest and fanatical anti
slavery constituents which embarrassed them, In
meeting, with wisdom and justice, the phase OF
this question, presented by the adoption OF the California
State constitution. They obtained their seats IN the
North for the most part, by accepting issue which ap
pealed 10 minority OF the people OF their own districts.
had also been adjourned al the time these elections took
place Honorable gentlemen had separated themselves
IN their congre essonaI IRON the Just obligations
which they owed the principles and policy adopted by
the national democratic party, and had substituted of
these obligations devotion TO the particular issue Of Tree
soil
The whig party OF the North, unembarrassed by any
national obligations on this question: had boldly and
freely contested with the ireeso party proper the ex-
elusive and paramount devotion TO the principles OF Tree
soil and free labor, generally understood TO De lpvov
ed in the legislation oil Congress prohibiting the existence
OF slavery in the Territories OF The United States
On the other hand at the South, southern democrats
relying implicitly upon the fidelity oil their nor'nefn dem
ocrac brehren and the wel-known adhesion o. tnel,
presidential candidate TO the principle oil congressional
49,. fhc tnzfif nm