The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
THURSDAY, JULY IS. 1850.


SENATE
CALIYORklA--rERRIToRIAL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The Senate having under the bill 10, the
admission o Caliorna INTO the Unlon the establishment
Of territorial governments for Utah and New Mexico
and making proposals to Texas tor the settlement OF her
northern and western bound4,ies-
Mr. HUNTER SAID have never in my liie rsen
TO speak with reluctance than do at this time
| know that the Senate is weary OF this debate. know
chat the country anxious should come to some
decsson upon these questions FOR one, wquid nave
been willing at any time 70 fotego and would DC Will
ing iorego the privilege Of speaking, by 80 do
Ing we could come 10 question the bill. Bit, sir
Ano ing that be mpraclicahe and feeling that shall
70 n s yos ws ae1p hs
will pardon me for desiring an opportunity to present a
yindication Of my actions to my constituents.
Sir this bill before under high and imposing
SANCTIONS Its author ia the disng senator from
Kenucky, MIR CLAYl II is endorsed by majority OF
heen senators, who have been selected for the special
reconsideration OF these questions. We are exhorted to
support by considerations less sacred than those of
union and reace We told that il pass shall
heal the bleeding wounds OF the country that shall
peace and harmony 10 distracted and divided
people And, sir If believed, the friends OF the bill
believe. that il would have that effect shonld regard it
with very different feelings than those which now
ertain in relation 10 it, Peace, sir-peace permanent
honorable TO every section OF this confederacy There
is nothing, there is scarcely anything. that would not
sacrifice 10 attain such an object as that But | have
studied this bill aenvely and have reached the
cuson tha, it will not attain the ends that lis friends
seem to hope from its passage believe, sir, that II we
pass this bill we shall send not peace but the sword
through this land of ours that shall not shut but
spsn he gates oi the temple OF war Aud when speak
the sword and OF war; speak not OF physical but OF
disturbing and dividing and dstrac.ng the land be-
eve that il will tend to these results, because seems
that It s beginning at the wrong end, and that we
are reversing the process which is proper to pursue In
order quiet the agitation and settie the differences
Of the country. believe that this bill proposes the
surrender OF right and political power the part OF
the South, and that will not say its intention, but
2s end and effect will be TO make the weak weaker
and the strong stronger of the two contendng ele-
ments in our system do not think we can obtain
peace unless distribute the strength OF those
agonsc interests that they shall have the power to de-
fend their rights, and power enough to make It more
dangerous than profitable TO attack each other When
ever manifest and dangerous invasion OF right is made
on the part Of the other there ought to be power
enough those who attacked 70 make il dangerous
dsagreeable TO the assailant Now, were called
upon devise measure calculated to obtain peace and
settle the agitation Of the country, would pursue
which should strengthen the weak, and which
in such contest would weaken the strong Above
all, would not take from the weak any portion OF that
political power which the constitution designed that they
should enjoy; but the contrary would do all which
.he constitution afforded me the OF doing, to give
every section OF this confedeacy the power to defend
their rights system of surrender by the weak can
punty, because the precedent can never operate with
effect against them they have always strength enough
prevent its repetition whenever may be necessary to
do 90; but experience shows that the weak never
rurrender without beginning The which ends In the
prostraton OF all their interests and the saclce OF their
rights If the weak surrender rights to-day. becomes
almost impossible Tor them TO resist when another de-
msnd s made upon them tomorrow; because on to-
morrow there will be not only the same physical force
that, there will be the moral force OF the precedent which
they themselves have established The weak can
right with impuDy in contests with the strong
and believe that whoever reckons upon producing
and settling agitation by any such system this ID
destined to be entirely and cruelty disappointed
Sir not without some warnings and some teach,
ngs relation this matter from actual experience and
whoever will look At past history will md that the
surrender which the South makes to-day, and which to-
day considered by her as the extreme OF conces-
son, and amounting almost to snbmsslon wl De con-
sidere ed extreme and unreasonable demand II made
BY her few years hence Why, sir, have we not seen
this in our pas, history You; Mr. President, well
you know that in many portions OF the South II
regarded the extreme OF concession, a. amounting
e yoS arSr s ,hsi was 5 q.
and supposed that nothing more could ever be ask
ed Of her But now, VIE scarcely thirty Years have
suc demand a that denounced trai,orous. and
proceeding from wish for agitation, and desire to de-
soy the confedency it is secuted at a impfactcabe
and Impossible and the almost sought to be put
to pube ohams who ask what tbs South considered
ihs eG9sme Of concession and felt almost humiliation
to grant, In 1870.
hut. Mr. President need not go back 20 far that
for an example in relation TO this matter OF surrender Of
right and power the part OF the South AT the CON-
mencemen Of thi: session. we know that the senator
and those resolutions upon their appearance were mme
daeIy and utterly denounced by southern They
would allow the 0eunRufbneu senator IRON
kentucky the grace Of naming day when his
resolutions should be considered and debated on
the contrary. they denounced on the spot-de-
nouncsd iercey and vioeny and, if mistake not, the
southern press responded b this denuncation IN one
voice OF universal accord and yet in lew months al
select committee raised. and proposition "a re
ported which think show, in whatever respect i
differs from those resolutions 10 be worse Tor the South
than the scheme contained in them. But what ~ now
said OF the who oppose scheme worse even than that
which was 70 much deaounced but short while ago;
Why sir, they accused OF being in favor OF disunon
treated almost evidence of treason that they should
oppose III it is considered giving conclusive testimony
Of disposition for strife, and desire Tor agitation, that
they refuse support scheme think shall be
able to show than the resolutions that much de-
nosnced Sir, let compare these resolutions with the
schemo OF the committee. The resolutons proposed. in
the 6rst place. that they would abolish called the
slave trade the District of Columbia that slaves
shoad not be brought into the District for SALE or for
Transportation other markets and that the depots for
that purpose should be abolished The scheme OF the
omree proposes moi only that You shall put slaves
depot here Tor sale, but that you shall not depose
hem even for any purpose Of transportation and,
understand it, il you have fugitive slave, bringing him
rom ,he State to which he had Hed you could not de.
oei,e him here for safekeeping, If this proposition
Should be adopted you could not, If travelling through
the District with slaves, moving to some other State de-
osite them here And yet s, the decision Of the Su-
eme Court is explicit that you have right to carry
aves and to be protected in your property througn ee
States TO some other slave State So that IN this re-
ect seems TO clear that the proposition Of the com.
mtee il worse than the resolutions o the senator from
Kentucky Then SIR the resolutions Of the senator from
Kentucky promised some "morc e6ecual fugihve-save
and the inference was, that it was 70 be something