The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-13

| General Government,-then are prepared 10
make common cause with our neighbors Of the
slaveholding States and pronounce he Union at an
end. For myself, ] do not hesitate to say that
should look upon the dissolution of the Union as
the greatest calamity that could befal us but that
great as is calamity would be- am certain there
is not one of our citizens who would be willing, for
n moment, To weigh II In the balance against the
dshonor of submission. Under these crcum'
stances, concurring in the patriotic view of my
predecessor, deem II my duty as the chief magls
trate ofone Of the States whose vital interests
called in question by the blindness orPrejudice and
awlessness of faction, 10 invite your attention 10
the resolves Of the people Of Mississippi, and to
suggest to you the expediency Of Louisianas co.
operating with them in an expression Of SEMI.
ments, firm, determined, and unmstakeabIe, al
the proposed convention to be held at Nasty vile in
! June next"
| Mr.. Downs:
| al heartily concur in the above"
], too, concurred. | still concur but others
have ceased to concur. Loud applause And
when this bold and manly language fell from our
governor, was he not speaking the voice and SEN
| tlment Ofthe people Certainly he was. Bold and
dignIhed resolutions, such as were worthy of the
Stale, were Introduced into the Senate, embody.
ing and carrying out these recommendations Of
the governor. They passed the Senate with but
one dissenting voice. This is a fact which has
escaped some onvenient memories. When they
got into tie House, what occurred there Though
at a great distance, ! watched with anxiety their
Progress.-ln the House, by some feat of parlia-
mentary egerdenaIn, they were prevented from
being brought to vote. There are written docu-
ments in existence throwing some light on the
cause of this failure, which will no doubt emerge
into notice some Of these days, to the confusion
Of certain politicians.
With such facts before us, could your represen-
tatives have any doubts as TO the position of Lou
isiana?
Now hear Mr.. Clay, the great compromiser,
speaking himself of the compromise
July 22i, 1850. Senators from the Northern
States might go home to their constituents, after
this measure shall haveibeen passed, and say: We
haze got California, she is sure; there is prohi
billion Of slarcry in her constitution that aoM last
perhaps Jorerer; 1hereas, the Whnot PropiSo WOULD
haze had limited and evaneScent duration, erSting
,chi!e The territorial form Of government remained, bu
ending ,vhtnerer The State should come TO form for
hsrSe ia constitution This our Northern senator's
might say with great proIrl+ty to thel. cOnstltu
ents." We have secured California for you,
she is dedicated now and forever to that freesoiI-
ism which you much prize" Well, but why,
then, they might reply, have you not put in
sriction the territorial bill, TO that,
at least until they become to be ripe enough to
form State governments for themselves Would
it not be satisfactory reply to them to say that
in your opinion and in the opinion of large por-
ton of the Senate, "e ia,c Of nature, and nature
God excluded Siarery from these erIuorieS, and
cordmg TO your omn opinion also the LEX LOCI Of the
land also excluded slapery." I"
Therefore you forbore to vote against the final
measure, because it secu ed so much Of what the
North wanted! Could you not say that you were
IN danger of losing what you also wanted in
spect to the residue Of the country?
The North gains the admission of California as
free State, and the high probability Of New
Mexico and Utah remaining or becoming free ter
ritory, avoids any introduction Of slavery by the
authority of Congress; sees New Mexico detached
from Texas, with b gh degree Of probability
from the nature Of the climate and the charact Of
the soil, and from other circumstances, that New
Mexico will ultimately become free State, and
secures the abolition of the slave trade in the Dis
trct of Columbia IRE not these objects Of sufficient
magnitude to satisfy any moderate, RATIONAL WORTH
ern ,cishes
| What rights are sacrificed, What concession
Of power and authority is made by the North in
Il is measure;
To what power is the sacrifice made here?
! ask him ,chat ri ght ia sacrificed by the North
in this measure; Let him tell me it e North does
not get almost every thing, and the South MOTH
ING'bm her honor?"
Yes. the honor Of paying with her money and
, bloc for territory from which she is excluded
! And what saws Daniel Webster hear him also:
"Juv Il, 1850 What does she gain by /, -
! What does she lose by il Whv if this hilI
| passes. Massachusetts and the North gain wha,
! is quite an object to them, the annexation of Calf
frrnia free STATE, with her present consiiru.
ton-n rcry intensely desirable object, rs believe
| TO the whole North.
She gains that She gains nlso sir, the quiet
ing Of the New Mexican question:, and The Texan
boundary, which, in my judgment, have
said, is the most Important Of all these matters,
| because most Immediately menacng evil conse-
qnences, if such consequences be arrested by this
or some similar measure. She gains the settle
ment Of the Texan boundury-oLjects highly de-
srable.
Now, the question therefore, and I address
| myself to the gentlemen Of the North-is this Is
| the probability Of the exclusion Of slavery from
| New Mexico by natural causes, high and
strong, and conclusive, as that should act up
on it as we act upon the same degree OF probabiIi-
~ applied to other questions in civil, moral and
social life
lit be not so. il anything further is necessary
to be added to that, here have laid before us an
authenticated expression Of the inhabitants oftha,
country, who, it is agreed, on all hands, have the
ultimate right Of decision upon the subject, that
they nre opposed to IL.
And how is it with the South Why, think
the South, the slareholding Siaies if all these mea-
sures pass, ,cH gain an acceptable and satisfactory
mode for the reclamation Of stapeS. AS the terri
tora acquisition, | am bound in candor 10 say,
that taking Maryland for example, as one Of the
South, MARYLAND ,cW gain eractiy What .uassachu-
SETS iosfs-thais, nothing at aH.' Cloud laughter.
men on the compromise, which we are now told is
so favorable to the South Now, let us consult
| some other o: the great lights Of the North.
read from article, the authority of which is gen
| orally attributed 10 Mr.. Brooks, Il Representative
| in Congress from the State Of New York
"From the borders Of Missouri to the Pacific
Ocean, and from the British dominions there on
the north, to Mexico the south, not slave s
now held, or can be held. Wherever there is a
State government, it is especially prohibited, and
wherever there is a Territorial government it is
prohibited by the local municipal Mexican law
| Congress has not repealed that Mexican law, even
amid the most violent Southern effort so to make
it do. Congress had not established slavery south
Of 5000, though pressed so to do by the whole
united Southern vote. Liberty everywhere, in all
our Mexican acquisitions, really and practically
| exists The territory for which Southern blood
was shed, as well Northern blood for which
Southern treasure was lavished, az well as North
ern treasure to which the South had equal rights
| with the North-ALL is OURS Why heap Goals Of
! fire on Southern heads 1t is not enough TO hare
ih soil free, 10 haze carried ererythng before u.s.
without reproachng the South more, exaspera,-
ing it further, and ieopnrdz ng the very existence
| Of our glorious Union :"
This ia the LANGUAGE Of n bold man who sne.k q