The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-16
TIE SOUTHERN PHESS.
THE TEXAS BOUNDARY.
Remarks of Hon. I. e. HOLMES


Remarks of Hon. ]. e. HOLMES,
OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
IN THE HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,,
TUESDAY, September 3, 1850.
The House having passed Gas in Committee of
the Wholel TO the consideration of the bill from
The Senate relating TO the Texas Boundary
Mr. HOLMES said
MIR. CHAIRMAN The honorable gentleman
IGovernor McDowELLl who has just addressed
you mplored the people of the North by all fra
ierual considerations, to forbear their aggressons
upon the South. make no such appeal; well
knowing that nations sections of nations, IN their
relation each other, moved rather by interest
than affection; and that the only mode of repres-
sing aggression is TO array in opposition greater
and antagonistc interests. Power must be oppo-
sed by power; and whenever II shall be discovered
that the interests of one portion of a country are
subjected to the control Of another portion, there
is but one remedy: "A REIMBURSEMENT Of the ma
chinery of Government" Whether the weaker
section can procure this adjustment is another
question; but if they cannot, oppression must
continue.
There are few things so Familiarity spoken of as
government; yet few things little Understood
To fabrcate a machine which shall combine few
agencies for common purpose, requires ability.
Yet the ability TO create a system OF rules which
shall control or regulate the varied sentiments,
PASSIONS and interests of men, is deemed to reside
IN all associations of men. And thus 1t is sup
u
Of majorities can WELD a force sufficiently potent
TO fashion the thoughts and fix the habits Of entire
communities; and This, without regard to cline,
local circumstances associations of birth, castles
or geographical position.
This, sir, is error, and in which our
fathers fell. They endeayored (by the Constitu-
iion) to do that which cannot be done, make
g t,oo peopie one" Government may do much;
but one thing it cannot do g Create.' X has the
faculty OF hnrmonizing dependent interests; but it
pip tie hose Int harn, zo
such con affecting. Government is system
derived from the sentiment of people, designed
by the intellect of nation to regulate the
OF nation. And all tribes and people and castles
have certain simitudes, they may be held together
in common league, based upon the principle of a
common good, and operating upon common inter-
tss. But as castles of color, of cline, necessarily
have divers sentiments, by which their sense of
interest or benefits are modified, that government
only provide for the liberty and equality of all
its parts, which shall have respect to common diff
ferences. In this, our Constitution is wofully de-
fectiye. ii proceeds upon the idea, that by embrac
ing the industrial pursuits Of all, it could make
some people out Of many, without any provision
for the peculiar views, and estimates, and instu-
lions of entire sections of States sections widely
different as were those OF Greece and Egypt under
the Macedonian prince The result of all, was the
erection of government confederatng Southern
and Northern sections upon the principle of the
equality of States in the Senate, and the influence
of numbers in the House of Representatives.
Now, the majorities of these two representative
bodies must concur to pass law ut was supposed
that no law could be passed subversive of the
rights Of the States. 1t was mistake, and we now
that our fathers acted ,inphilosophicaly. They
should have made all Federal Legislation conform
to the principles of the revolution. The govern
ment from which we were emerging into new
form was a government of our revolution, IA
revolution with which all our ideas and sentiments
were closely allied. That revolution commenced
and proceeded upon the idea, that the functions OF
government should be employed in protecting in
dividuals and States in the exercise Of their ener-
gies, and the utmost expansion Of their industrial
faculties.
The present constitution Of our legislative
bodies yields up this principle, and subjects the la
Dor and profits of one cluster of States to the abb
solute control OF another. What is the effect; ,
system of external and internal regulations,
aggrandizing one, and depressing the other great
divivision of States. A community, like indi-
vidua, has its own law of action. That law
tinually strives to subject other communities it's
progressive wealth; and no government is perfect
which omits to provide counter action. This
counter action in Government utterly ceases
the moment one section of interests controls both
branches of the law making pooer, and upon the
admission Of another free State, the law-makng
power lis In the hands of the NORTH There should
have been provision in the Constitution for
equality of sections. Now, when it is too late,
we discern, that the South was potently surren-
dered to the North in the frame work of this Fed
eral Government. The potentiality will, upon
the admission of California a free State, become
reality The free States will have absolute con-
troll; their will must become absolute; their con-
troll unlimited. And as tyranny consists in the
exercise of uncontrolled will over the interests Of
others, it follows that in relation the industry
of the South, the North ispossessed of tyrannical
sway. What the South, lift submits, must there
fore become blush to say. Massachusetts once
had her industry controlled by British legislation.
She called it tyranny Great Britain only called
it constitutional legislation. Every act Of which
the South complains, is the result of legislation
according to the forms of the Constitutions But
we are not the first people who have been taught
The sad lesson ssof tyranny through iaic" Law
is the very device OF oppression. Legislation has
superseded the sword and the gun. Mind is po,cer
thought its minister-law its execuioner; and |
we are subjected to its invisible agents, as en-
thraed as in the days Of the genii. The South
henceforth is poweress; her voice is powerless in
council; her industry subjected to another's ,ciH
her products tributary to Northern capital-that
capital which is so proftably employed upon
Southern cotton, and which already has reared, as
Mr.. HUNTER in the Senate remarked, a Northern
cotton interest, antagonist to Southern cotton
terest. And now assert, that in that very antae-
onism are to be found the causes which now agi- |
tate the Union upon the subject of slavery. 1t is
customary to attribute the connections which en-
danger national unity to the desire Of the Abo
hionlsts for universal emancipation; and as the
Abolitionsts few in numbers, il seems q mys-
terry that so much has been accomplished by means
so slender; that all the acquired territory has been
rescued from the possibility of slave labor. If the |
Abolitinn'sts were the cause, might well be |
amazed at the magnitude of the effect But they |
are not the cause. The Free -soilersare the cause
and although the Free-soilers desire the appropri
alton OF new territories to their free labor, vet
they are anxious to accumulate slave labor upon
the cotton lands of the South 1t is their Interest
The Abotionsts act from ssniiment--the Free
soil party from interest. IL is the interest of the
North to buy cotton cheap; that Of the South to
sell it dear. There will always, therefore, be
struggle between Northern and Southern capital
for the control OF the article; and if the North
establish their Free-soil doctrine, and incor
porate IL as fundamental in the legislation of the
Government, they triumph. The mastery is theirs
The two elements in manufacturing are labor and
raw material. Labor being high, profits will in
crease as the raw material is cheap. The raw
material is cheaper by increased production
This production depends upon Southern slave
labor Now, if the slave labor cannot expand
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