The freeman. (Fremont [Ohio]) 1849-1850, 1850-02-16

es, and the thing pledged to pay her debts becomes
the property of the United States; and the fund
pledged tothe payment of her debt is now turn
ed into the vaults of the United States. Now, he
thought that by all the principles of honor and
justice known amongst men, the United States,
the recipients of this pledge, should pay the debts
due to the creditors at least far the thing pied
ged would go to that object, There were three
parties to the afair-Texas, the creditor, and the
United States; and the United States could not
do any thing to the prejudice wrong of the third
parties.
How much of that debt would now exist if this
pledged fund had not been transferred to the Uni
ted States, is uncertain. The trade to Galveston
and the other ports of Texas was now principally
In the hands OF coasting vessels and instead of re-
celvlng imports from Europe, the other States of
the Union. But is this certain that, ifTexas had
not become state of this Union the duties on her
imports would in few years have been sufficient
to pay her debt This proposal was made another
condition. on the condition that Texas should relin-
qulsh any claim to any portion of the the territory
called New Mexico Now, she had no valid title
to any portion of that territory, but merely claim
and with general desire to have harmony and
peace she and the United States might do, as
is done by individuals, compromise, and the United
States pay something even for disputed claim for
the sake of peace.
The fifth and sixth resolutions, like the third and
fourth, had some connexion and should be consider
ed together. The fifth asserted substantially no
other principle than what was asserted by reso-
luton ofhis submitted in the Senate twelve years
ago. and then passed by a majority of nearly four
htths OF the Senate That resolution was passed in
1888, and required that the abolition of slavery in
this Districs should not be done, except with the
assent of Maryland the assent OF the people of the
District and full 49, @ba
ers of the slaves.
The sixth resolution is, that the slave trade
should be abolished or prohibited within the Dis
trict 1t was not that the alienation or transfer of
slaves between the inhabitants or between neigh
Dor and neighbor should be prohibited, nor that
the rights of property among the residents of the
District should be affected. But the slave trade
pronounced to be an abomnable traffic more than
forty years ago by distinguished son of Virginia,
Mr. Randolph, should be broken up at least in this
District 1t was mistake on the part of the gen.
tlemen from the north if they supposed that the
regular traders in slaves looked upon with par
ticular favor at the south On the contrary, they
were sometimes unjustly excluded from social inter-
course on account Of the odium attaching to their
business.
There was no reason why the trade should be
allowed to exist here any longer. There was, if it
was desired to have large number of slaves to-
gether for sale, Alexandria, Petersburg, Richmond
Annapolis and Norfolk, and let them be carried
there; let the trader go there and establish his ials
and his prisons, and not in this place. the capital
OF the nation; where too often shocked the feel
lngs of gentlemen, by seeing slaves in chains, and
IN long trains, driven down to the Avenue, from
the Capitol to that house where resides the Pres-
dent of a free Republic. He spoke the sentiments
of many southern men when he declared the slave
trade, now carried in this city, to be abomnable.
The object and purport of the seventh resolution
had been made plain and obvious by the debate
already had upon the bill before the senate. 1t
was obvious also thatno legislation is necessary nor
was it intended that they should follow the eighth
resolution. 1t established truth sustained by law,
and would meet with general acquiescence.
He had thought that resort to the old custom
OF our American and English ancestors, of an oc-
casional declaration of great fundamental principles
would be the best plan to pursue, and the senate
now had before them that plan of settling the great
difficulties existing.
How far it might prove acceptable to the two
parties to this question, it not for him to say
1t should be acceptable to BOTH There was in the
acceptance oft no sacrifice of principle by either
1t was founded on mutual forbearance and origin
ating in mutual concession and conciliation.
At the north he knew there was deep oppos-
ton to slavery, an opposition dictated by the pur
est humanity and philanthropy. But while he be-
ieved there was in these resolutions, about an
equal amount of concession, he thought that he
might have asked more from the north, in the way
of concession, than from the south. With the gen
tlemen from the free states what was this subject
but an abstraction? An abstraction, it was true,
based upon the principles of humanity and philan-
thropy, noble when not dictated or used for party
ends and party purposes. The north was also nu-
mericaly greater than the slave states and great
ness of power and magnanimnity should ever go
together On the part of the north, the opposition
to slavery was sentiment of philanthropy and
humanity and, when sentiments of that kind are
entertained with the wish and disposition to make
sacrifices to enforce them, they are truly noble
But when the sacrifices are not to be made by you
of the north, but by those who cannot sympathise
with you, it is not SO. One the one side, it is a
sentiment without any sacrifice peril or danger
or loss ;on the other there must be vast and in
calcuable sacrifice of fproperty-withont you of the
north being burdened with any portion of it-a
sacrifice of all the social relations of property, of
life, and of every thing dear
| Look at the storm now-upon whom does its fl-
ry fall? You of the north are safely housed, and
feel none of its force; but at the south how differ
ent! Look at that dwelling house wrapt in flames;
rafter after rafter cracking, breaking, falling; look
at those women and children rushing wildly thro'
the flames. shrieking in their caamities, for help
| from heaven.
| I-4 IL - II y