Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1850-11-27
NUMBER 40.
Henry Clay's Speech.

9 CLAY. before the Legislature Of Ky.
g by which ne had been invited TO attend
for the purpose Of addressing it. After
brief recapitulation Of the action of
Congress on the questions OF Compro-
. mise. and the difficulties attending their
passage. he says
And now. Mr.. Speaker. let us for
momen. pause and consider what are the
actual losses and gains by the two sections
of the Union. in the adoption Of this
system Of measures. think that as TO
California. whether parties far as the
action of Congress is considered. can be
truly said 70 have gained or lost. Wha,
has been done there. has been done bv a
competent and admitted authority without
;,Sso in,erpositon Of Congress.
As to the territories of New Mexico
and Utah, the wishes of the South have
prevailed
The Wilmo, Proviso has been repudi-
ated. and, although do not believe that
slavery will be tolerated in either OF them,
both are allowed to admit or exclude it,
according TO their own pleasure. In re-
gard TO the Texas boundary. the South
has been rendered secure in all the terri
J, tory living west Of the Nueces and ex-
tending to the Rio Del Norte and up that
river from its mouth to the southern line
Of New Mexico an area for slavery,
which had been before disputed and con.
troverted.
The South gets an effective provision
for the restoration of fugitive slaves. The
South think will be quieted on the sub
iect of the agitation Of slavery in the
District Of Columbia. by the abolition Of
the olious slave trade in that District, q
measure equally demanded. in my hum
BILE opinion. by the honor. the dignity and
the true interests OF both the South and
the North Will that system Of mca.
sures allay excitement and agitation. and
pacify. tranquiize and harmonize the
country! | hope. trust and believe il will
At all events the field Of excitement and
agitation has been greatly circumscribcd.
No longer can California be theme to
create division amongst US. She is now
an admitted member Of this Union, and
can be no more put out, than kentucky
or Virginia. or any other State can be put
out Of it, No longer can the Wilmot Pro-
viso be insisted upon TO be engrafted upon
the territorial Governments Of New Mexi-
+ co and Utah: for ] venture to predict that
viso upon those Governments, il will be
resisted by decisive, if not indignant
majority, in one or both House of Con-
gress
No longer can the subject Of the Texas
boundary be one Of agitation and contro-
versy, for. from all that have heard. the
people OF Texas themselves, who had the
undoubied right 10 decide for themselves
whether they would accept or reject the
proposals Of Congress, have, as | never
doubted they would. consented to those
proposals. As to the Slave trade bill in
the District OF Columbia, the North, I
presume. will hardly attempt a repeal Of
that, and | confidently anticipate that no
such attempt will be seriously made on the
part of the South.
In respect 10 slavery within the District
), OF Columbia. which is dying a natural
death, rapidly, think we NAV confident
ly hope for freedom from all disturbance
on that account.
Thus, Mr.. Speaker. trust and believe
that If all the numerous threatening topics
connected with slavery at the commences
ment Of the late session Of Congress, one
only remains TO create interest and solicit
tude. and that is the fugitive slave bill.
Narrowed down TO that single ground, the
slavehoding States will occupy the van.
tage position.
The constitution is with them, the right
IS with them, and if its execution shall be
opposed or attempted to be thwarted by
force, that State which makes such an op-
position viii place itself clearly, rnanifestly
and lndisputably in the wrong, occupyin.
such ground that the slaveholding States
may fea lessly and consistently await the
issue. 1t was not to be expected. nor did
expect that the measures adopted at the
last session Of Congress would lead to
immediate and general acquiescence ola
the part of the ultras at the North and at
the South They had been impelled by
such violent and extreme passions, that it
was too much TO expect that they would
silently and promptly admit their errors,
and yield TO what had been done for the
best interests OF our common country.
Accordingly we perceive that at the Souii,
that second edition of the Hartford Con-
veniion has again assembled, and is labor
ing TO stir up strife and contention, and in
several of the slaveholding States, the
spirit Of discord and discomfort is busily
engaged in its unpatrio,c work. but |
confidently anticipate that all their mad
efforts will be put down by the intelligence.
the patriotism and the love Of Union Of
the various slaveholding States. And
here, Mr.. Speaker, let US make momen-
iary enquiry as 10 what would have been
The condition Of the confederacy on the
subject Of slavery, if unhappily i, had
| been severed.
! Assuming that the line could have been
drawn between the slave holding and the
non -slaveholding States-al. north Of the
States Of Maryland and Virginia and all
north of the Ohio river would have be.
come foreign. independent sovereign
! power; contrast if you please, our present
condition with what it would have been