Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-08-03
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
THE COMPROMISE BILL.
FRIDAy, july 26, 1850.


Sand II being incumbent the United States pursuant
the ont resolution for annexng Texas the United
approved LIST March, 1S45 preserve Texas all the terr-
tory to which that State is entitled the President of the
ed States shall be and he hereby authorized appoint
three commissioners, any two of whom may act and who
with such commissioners be appointed with like auho
tain and determine the territory properly included within and
rghtuly belonging to that Se the western and north
s borders thereof .nSs or under the treaty with Mex
accordingly and the proceedings of said shall
be- M early pract:abe transmitted 70 the President Of the
United States to be h him transmitted to Congress and the
when approved by Congress and the Legislature of
Texas, shall be obligatory upon the parties"
Mr.. SEWARD. desire to submit the following amend.
ment to the amendment of the Senator from Maine Insert
before the word that, in the first line, the following
"New Mexico SHALL proclamation by the President OF
the United States be admitted State into this Union
an equal footing with the original stses provided that the
Presden before issuing such proclamation shall be satisfied
that the constitution recently formed by the convention OF
New Mexico has been approved and ratified BY the people Of
New Mexico the election held for the purpose Of consider
ing itoDkie Goth day of june last" -. q \
sAnd in the 3i line after the word Texas" referring
@ the appointment OF BY the President Of the
United States and by the Legislature of Texas insert aad
the Legislature of New Mexico" .s4
Mr.. SEWARD. Mr. President the effect Of the amend
ment have submitted is to bring before the Senate great
and important questions that is, the admission Of New Mex
leo of the States of this Union, upon equal footing
with the original States under the constitution which she has
adopted.
have heard much said here of nationality, Of national
sympathes and Of national principles and Of national feeling
and far such principles sympathes, and feelings
concerned they obtain my highest respect and admiration
but differ very much with many who bestow that
mendaon, in regard to what sympahies and interests and
principles they deserve the character of nationality So
far as have heard here it has generally been bestowed upon
those principles which leave out Of view every thing Of
and ultimate importance regard to the permanency
and perfection Of the institutions of the country involve
only disposition to concede and compromise for the present
hour and for temporary purpose In such symPalhes and
feelings have part do participate in them at all
for the that believe that concession to-day only in
the embarassmens and evils of DESIRE
therefore, that the great question which thus brought be-
fore the Senate may now be definitely settled.
know it may be said that this subject prematurey
before the Senate nasmuch tbs Senate has official in
formation that constitution has been adopted by the people
Of New Mexico While this is true, and therefore there
would be poprey in delaying this proceeding, in order
receive official information from the President of the United
States Of the adoption of that constitution and that the
sttuon itself might be laid before for approval find
myself obliged to bring the question before the Senate for the
that emergency which CONTROL brings the
question up now, at the hazard Of being forever lost
The amendment of the Senator from Maine (Mr. BRAD
1rRr, which is under consideration, provides for
disposition Of the rights and Of New Mexico which
will absolutely prevent the bestowal of just consideration
upon her claims, when presented here with official authority,
and in due FORM fault therefore, that the question
sprung upon the Senate If this whole matter about
the boundary of Texas about the territory of New Mex
leo could be severed from the BILL then the subject of admit
ting New Mexico might be postponed until it properly
under consideration, in the customary FORM The effect
Of the amendment of the Senator from Maine is postpone
all question about the admission of New Mexico until after
the report Of the commissioners be appointed and after
the scion of Congress upon that reports and by that time
there may be New Mexico to be admitted. Now, am
placs believe it to be inconsistent with the interests and
rights of the people Of New Mexico The Senator from
New Hampshire Mr.. HALE) has truly stated the rights Of
that people They are conquered, subugated people, but
they nevertheless peoples country people possess
ing rights, and rights that important to them the
rights Of the citizens Of any Territory any State within the
United States It is only change of sovereignty that has
been made When the people of New Mexico lost their
rights secured to them by the protection Of Mexico, they
qued the rights of American citizens secured to them by the
constitution Of the United States and those rights involve
the protection Of their property, the protection of their liberty,
and the protection Of their territory from invasion All these
rights Of which the United States deprive commu
nifty earth. They may extend their conqueng
States, and Territories and Provinces but it carries with
freedom and security to their inhabitants.
In regard to the rights Of the people Of New Mexico, even
they not secured by the treaty. they would still have been
such as have stated them by force the law Of nations
the law of nations which follows Immediately upon the exc
cuon Of any reaybut they secured moreover by the
treaty Of Guadalupe Hdalgo The United States acquired
New Mexico territory province OF the empire OF Mex
leo; and they stipulated by treaty with MeIeo and . OF
course with people of the province of New Mexico that
they should be protected in all their rights, and that they
should be admitted ne rights Of citizens, and that they
should have governuent established them. The pro-
position submit is perform that treaty is to ncorpo
rate New Mexico State and the antagonsc provision
contained in tho bill is incorporate part of New Mexico
as dependant territory of the United States among the rest
in the State of Texas submit in the first place. that the
proposition contained in my amendment is the which is
Inosi congeDal with the treaty-with fair and just
suc,on Of the treaty of Guadalupe Hdago What is the
language Of that treaty It is that the territory Of New
Mexico the provinces of New Mexico and California,
shall be admitted into the United States Territories as
part OF the State Of Texas but is that they shall be ad
med States The treaty contains provision whatever
for bringing them into provincial territorial degradation,
and fair construction of the treaty say that it bro
ken, by depvng them of the rights Of State or States Of
this Union. It is only fair to presume that if the United
States had contemplated that New Mexico and California
and the other conquess from Mexico, to be held
rtoral vassalage the Union indefinitely, il would have
been expressed in the treaty. know that the right to
Judge Of the time admit them States is reserved to Con.
gress but that all that is eservedthe right to determine
the time when Well the reservation necessary keeps these
provinces just exactly in the condition in which they now
are until Congress shall adopt the proposition which now
submitted with regard to beth California and New Mexico
10 admit them as States In the place. the proposition
contained IN this amendment compatible and hamoni.
with the constitutional the United States for il is remark
able feature in the constitution Of the United States that its
trainers never contemplated territories or colonies or pro
vnces but, the other hand, they
nothing less than States perfect States equal States and as
they called here, sovereign States There was domain
belonging the United States, which was for temnorov
the time Of the formation of the constitution 6
the United States set off for the purpose being
into Terri,oy-the Northwestern Territory hui Il w.s
regarded only temporary arrangement auxiliary to the
establishment Of FIVE States within that Territory
There is reason there is political wisdom in this provision
of tho constitution excluding colonies, which always sub
ect to oppression and excluding Provinces which always
tend to corrupt and eneebe ard ultimately to dag down the
parput State.