The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-01

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either section were not idle in persuading
their constituents that the fault lay with
the other, and the disturbances for which
they were themselves mainly responsible
were magnifed into presages of evil con-
templated to be perpetrated against the
separate States under the sanction of the
legislation of the whole. The effects Of
these representations, which were assisted
and enforced by the local press, were soon
felt in the reverberation of charges sent
from the Capitol and returned in sympa-
thetic echoes by the country. By this
means, the discontents at the centre and
the circumference encouraged each other
till timid men despaired of the republic,
and even stout ones could scarcely resist
the contagion of an epidemic alarm.
The organization of the House of Rep
resentatives being at length effected, the
annual message and the reports of the sew
eral Heads of Departments suficed only
for temporary diversion of the public
mind from the absorbing topics of the day.
The seeds Of discomfort had been sown
broadcast, and with liberal hand. They
fell upon soil prepared for their reception,
and Congress had not progressed many
days in the business Of legislation before
germs Of sedition were seen sprouting in
rank luxuriance.
| Before we proceed further, it may be
well to point out the outward signs which
argued harvest of thorns. In the North,
the growth of wanton, unnecessary, and
hostile purpose of pressing the "Wilmot
proviso," with or without cause, was the
eflorescencc of an encouraging crop of the
apples of Sodom; whilst in the South, the
fruit was expected to ripen in the hot bed
Of the Nashville convention. The Iegisla-
lures of several of the Southern States
committed themselves to that dangerous
device; whilst the Halls of Congress pre-
sented the irstlings of the Northern culti-
walton in the refusal to lay the "Wilmot
proviso" on the table by a decisive vote.
This mischievous proposition was intro
duced out of place, and out of season, by
one of the members of the ssthird organi-
zation," who summoned the Northern dele
cations, that would, but dared not, disobey
ssto face the music" in tones of insult and
mockery which betrayed the malignant and
disloyal spirit in which it was determined
to urge this Vaccination against the peace
and repose of the Union.
1t was at this darkest period of the ex-
element, when fanatics were emboldened
to openly deride unwilling followers in the
| House,, and the resolves of southern legis-
latures and public assemblies were pour
ing in upon the seat Of Government, that
General TAYLOR transmitted his California
message to Congress. AT time when
irritating instructions were daily presented
from the legislatures of the North when
avowed Abolitionistsin the House assumed
the mien and arrogance Of victors; when
State authorities in the South recognised
the necessity of the Nashville convention,
and even Wings were found to serve as
delegates in the hope of pouring oil upon
the tempestuous ingredients of which it
promised to be compounded-at this drea-
riest and gloomiest hour, the Presidents
message made its appearance, and the
Waterman aloft cried aloud-sLand no ~
The recommendations of the message
were few. The principle upon which il
was based was so simple that " the way
faring man though fool" could under
stand it, and so practical in its operation
that it executed ITSELF 1t was to the
North an escape from false position into
which infatuation had betrayed it and to
the South the recognition of principle
for which il had contended. II asked
neither section to succumb to the other.
The North was not invited openly to re-
ject principle born of sentiment uni
versal amongst her people and the South
was not importuned to submit to legisla-
ton which large number of her citizens
had pledged themselves to resist at all
hazards and to the last extremity. The
line Of settlement suggested was equidis-
tant from either extreme. II invoked no
violation of the sentiment of either ex-
IRENE. II held out the doctrine which all
sound men subscribe to-the cardinal tenet
in every republican creed-that the peo-
pie alone have the power to regulate and
determine the character of their domestic
law and institutions and the adoption in
Legislation Of this simple fundamental prin-
ciple Of popular supremacy was the solu-
ton of the difficulties that surrounded the
question, Phcbsre statement of the plan
Of settlement is calculated to bring it
| friends.
The PRONUNCIATION of thisimportant doc
ument was followed by calm. In the