The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-31

he appointment OF only two ofhcers-a governor
and Judge--who were to have absolute authority
to promulgate and enforce throughout the Terrific
ry OF Oregon, any and all laws whichth they might
ut to- select from the statutes OF any State Terri
| tory in the Union. The whole destinies of Oregon
were thus to be confided to the discretion of two
men, who were to make up a code of laws to suit
themselves by picking and culling at pleasure from
all the statute books OF the country They were at
liberty, as the bill stoodalthough the entire Terri
tory was above the latitude of 36o 30-to adopt a
| slave code or free code, as might be most agree
able to their own notions; and there was, at that
very moment, lying upon the tables before US, a
report from the indian agent or sub. agent in that
quarter, from which it appeared, that number OF
the native Indians had already been captured and
enslaved by the white settlers and that they were
held in state of absolute and unjustfable
bondage.
| Itwas under these circumstances, Mr.. Chair
| man, that moved the proviso in question and
now read, from speech printed at the time, the
| remarks which made on the occasion.
Zone limitation upon the discretion of these two
irresponsible law givers ought certainly to be i'm
posed, If this bill is to pass As it now stands, there
is nothing to prevent them from legalizing the
istence of domestic slavery in Oregon 1t seems to
be understood that this Institution is to be limited
| by the terms Of the Missouri compromise, and il
| nowhere to be permitted in the American Union
above the latitude of 36o 30. There is nothing,
however, to enforce this understanding in the pre-
sent case. The published documents prove that
| Indian slavery already exists in Oregon. intend
therefore, to move, whenever it is in order to do
the insertion of express decaration that 'hhert
shall neither be slavery Involuntary seroitude 1,
this Territory, ercepffor crime, tchereof The purity shall
hape been duly cOnuicted'' -
| did not stop here, however, SIR The whole ar
| gument of my speech on that occasion, with the
exception of the single sentence which have cited
was against the passage of the bill in any form.
81 am in hopes, Mr.. Chairman, (such was my
distinct avowal) that the bill will not become law
at the present session in any shape. Every thing
conspires in my judgment, to call for the post
| ponement of any such measure to future day"
he ma amor MT obi tn he
| my mind, was that il would leopard the peace Of
the country; that it would break up the amicable
| negotiations in which we were engaged, and would
/ leave other alternative for settling the vexed
question of title between and Great Britain, but
| the stern abitrament of war.
Entertaining this opinion, aimed at defeating
| the measure by every means in my power; and il
| was well understood, at the time, that this very
prouiso was one of the means upon which mainly
| relied for the purpose. deliberately designed, by
moving it, to unite the southern Democracy with
the conservative Wings of both the North and the
South in opposition TO the BILL and thus TO insure
| its defeat.
The motion prevailed. The proviso inserted
by vote of l3l to SO, and !, for one, then carried
out my opposition to the bill by oting against it,
proviso and all. The southern Democracy, how:
| ever, did not go with me on this vote. Not few
| OF them-the present Speaker of the House among
the number-all of them, indeed, who present,
except four voted in favor of the bill, notwithstand
the antislavery clause; and accordingly it passed
the House But there can be little doubt that this
clause had Its influence in arresng the bill in the
| other wing of the Capitol where it remained un-
acted upon until the close of the session. and was
| thus finally lost.
Sir, bill To create territorial government in
Oregon, containing this identical proviso, has since
| been passed through both Houses Of Congress, and
has received the sanction and signature of south
ern Democratic President; and / do not suppose,
therefore, that this original motion of mine will be
hereafter 80 frequent subject of southern Demo
cratic censure as it hitherto has been. But l have
desired to place upon record, in pnpettidm memoir
rei, this plain, unvarnshed history of the case
and having done SO, willingly submit myself 10
whatever measure of censure reproach such a
state of facts may fairly subject TO, either from
the South from the North If the offering of this
proviso to this BILL under these circumstances,
with these views, and with this result, be the
1 pardonable offence which it has sometimes been
styled, can only say, " adstin, qui feel in
conuerfite f9rtlmo' Nay, sir, / will say further,
that if il be fairly traceable to this movement OF
mine, that 1t Is no longer an open question whether
domestic slavery shall find foothold in the Terri
tory of Oregon. shall feel that il has not been
tirely in vain that have been for ten years asso-
ciated with the public councils Of my country.
| ! come next, Mr.. Chairman, TO the prouiso,
which has moro legtimately received the name OF
the honorable member from Pennsylvania, (Mr.
| WILMoT.) And it is not less important in this
case, than in the other, to recall TO the remcm-
brance of the House and of the country the circum-
stances under which this proviso, also, was pro-
posed.
| think, sir, no one who was a member of Con.
gress at the time will soon forget the eighth day Of
august, 1916. The country was at with Mex
leo, and Congress within eight and forty hours
Of the appointed close Of most protracted and la
borious session. We were already almost exhaust.
| ed by hot weather and hot work, and all the ener-
| gies which were left were required for winding
up the great mass Of public business which always
awaits the closing hours, whether Of a longer or a
shorter session. Under these circumstances, mes
| sage was received by this House from President
Polk, calling for appropriation of money TO
able him to negotiate treaty of peace, and inti-
the purchase Of Louisiana, that he designed to em-
Ploy this money in the acquisition Of more terri
tory.
Such message, / need not say SIR took all who
were not in the Presidents secrets greatly by sur
prise. The idea of bringing money to the aid OF
our armies for the purpose of buying peace from
nation like Mexico, could not fail TO infiict Sc
we're wound upon our national pride while the lust
ofterritoria acquisition and aggrandizcment, which
was thus plainly betrayed, gave deeper dye OF in
| justice and rapine TO the into which VIC had
been so recklessly plunged.
No time afforded us, however, for reflections
or deliberations Of any sort. The message re-
/ ferrcd at once TO the Committee Of the Whole on
the state Of the Union, and bill was forthwith
originated in that committee, under the lead OF
| General MCKAY Of North Carolina, for placing two
millions Of dollars at the unlimited discretion Of the
| President
For the debate upon this bill, two or three hours
| of hot summer afternoon grudgingly allow
ed by the Democratic majority in this House, and
these two three hours were divided off into ho-
moopathic portions Of fpe minutes each. My hon
| orable friend from New York, (Mr. HUeH WHITE,)
the senior member Of the New York delegation,
and who, hope, will long remain here TO enjoy the
dignity of that positon-obtained the floor for the
first five minutes, and was fortunate unfortu-
nate enough TO follow him. No amendment 20 the
bill had then been adopted, and proviso moved.
But here is what said on that occasion, reported
in the National jnfeiiige,fer at the time.
"Mr. WINTHROP said that he should follow the
example ofhis friend from New York, (Mr. WHITE, }
and confine himself TO brief statement of his
views, reserving to himself the privilege Of ampl
| flying and enforcing them hereafter. The Admin
istration and it's friends had thought it during the
present session TO frame than Of their
most important measures, as 10 leave their oppo-
nents in n false position whichever way they voted.
There we're two things which he had not imagined,
in advance, that any circumstances could have
constrained him TO do, and from which he would
| gladly have been spared. One Of them 10 give
vote which might appear to lend approving
sanction 10 war which had been caused by the
annexation OF Texas; the other 10 give vote
which might appear like an opposition TO the ear-
est restoration OF peace, either with Mexico any
other Power earth. But he must let appearances
| take care OF themselves. He not here TO pro-
nounce opinions, either upon the preamble of a bill
| he ,~kr of proo He