The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-18

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the associations Of interest and intercourse, ii
and all hanowing, influences that, had
cemented our iathers into, confederation and =
unity, had consecrated the II Mon In her
affections. For the sake OF that u mon, and
to maintain the cherished relations OF amity
and peace with their sister States, the 4
States OF the South acquiesced in the terms I,
Of settlement forced upon her, and in perfect 4
faith have ever since adhered to and MAIN
tanned them But, sir, surely they are not +,
now to be abandoned, and their spirit repu- b
diatGi by the Representatives of that section
who adopted and put them upon the South.
Representatives Of the North, appeal to
you. Does not the fact, that your section
forced this measure originally on the adverse
South, impose the most potent obligation on
your honor, your consciences and good faith,
now to adhere to and re-enact it in its fullest
sense and spirit?
Mr.. Chairman, the attitude Of the two
sections at this time and on this floor, pre-
sents striking contrast with the past, full of
solemn admoniton to both. Sir, the mea-
sure which, some thirty years since, the Re-
representatives. Of the North mainly forced
upon the opposing Representatives of the
South--that measure, the Representatives
| of the South--eyen the most violent--al-
most unitedly proHer and press upon your
acceptance, and even that scant measure Of
right you refuse and deny US. If this be
sad and striking illustration of the waning
power and influence of the South, with what
force to every liberal and just mind ought
it to come, in aid Of the appeal we make to
1.-THE North. Yon'can entertain no visionary
apprehensions Of the eHcroachments Of this
weakened section You cannot fear for
your institutions or your interests, nor even
dread the loss of northern ascendency and
power. You can be Just without danger
liberal without even the impairment Of flu
ture power. And, sirs, if you are wise,
you will be so. 1t is the noblest prerogative
of conscious power that it can afford to be
both just and liberal, and in the ordinations
of Providence, it is wisely arranged, that by
the exercise Of such ennobling sentiments,
power is made most secure and harmoniZed
with its true and most enlarged interests.
In your connection with the Southern States,
you realize your greatest progress, prosper
! ity, and development. From the very in
sti'utions you now wantonly aim to cramp
and crush, flow, in innumerable rills, the
springs that nourish and fructfy your diver
sifed fields Of labor and enterprise. You
cannot be unjust and detrimental to them
without marring all the fair effects of your
present prosperous connection. Cause them,
| by wrong, to feel alarm and adverse to you,
4 and Your interests, and if even the forms of
4 confederation remain, rely upon it, its SUBJ
stantial benefts-its rich fruits Of emou-
ment and prosperity must soon perish and
be forever lost. 4@# $. ssh
i Mr.. S. withdrew the amendment. n...
! Mr. BROWN, Of Mississippi, renewed
the amendment, pro torma, and said: long
since made up my mind that would intro
duce no proposition OF my own, nor vote
for any other mans proposition, which did
not give ample justice to my section, My
\ determination was not formed without com
sheraton. The whole ground had been
duly examined, and my judgment was based
on solemn conviction, that no proposition
which did not inhict positive injury on the
South had the least chance Of favor in this
House. If | had ever been brought to
doubt the correctness Of this Judgment, the
vote Just taken would have convinced me
beyond all dispute that ! was right.
| Day by day our ears are filled with the
cry 'scompromise!',s "adiustment!!" We
|, have been invoked, time and again, to come
forward and settle this angry dispute, on
!, terms equitable and Just to all sections of
| the Confederacy. We have been admon-
ished, liza high sounding phraseology, that to
the people of the States, when forming
their constitutions, belonged the duty and
the right of settling for themselves the
question Of slavery or no slavery Some,
4 we have been told, fanatical and violent,
would repudiate this doctrine; but the great
i BODY of the moderate men OF the North, of
! all parties, we have been assured, had
planted themselves on this broad, republi-
can platform. Now, sir, what have we
SEEM The question has been taken on q
proposition declaring that it shall hereafter
be no objection to the admission ola State
lying South of SO deg. 80 min. that her
constitution tolerated or prohibited slavery,
and this proposition has been voted down
voted down, sir, by a strictly sectional d.
| vision-al the Southern members voting,
for it, and all the Northern members, with but
one honorable exception, voting against it.
/ Mr.. HARRIS, of Illinois. Three or four.
/ Mr.. BROWN. saw but one--Mr. McCLER-.
NAND. There may have been three or four. IL
may have been that five six threw up their hats
and cried g God save the country!' a,.
! Mr.. BlSSEL. was not in my seat. should
have voted for it with great pleasure. -s
| Mr.. HARRIS, of Illinois. | voted for it. Il,
| Mr.. BROWN. II may be that five or six voted
| for the proposition. But what of thati Where
was the great body of the northern members,
! Wings and Democrats They were Just where
have always predicted they would be when it came
| to voting. They were found repudiatng the very
doctrine on which, they ask us to admit Califor-
| nia-the doctrine Of sel-goverment in regard to
slavery.
There could be no mistaking the intention of
this VOTE The gentleman from Kentucky, Mr.. Al
MARSHALL, IN speech of marked emphasis, had
called on the South to cease debating, and let us