The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-03-27

but il may be thought quite different
thing when State is divided, and two
or mole States made out oft. II does
not follow, in such a case. that the same
rule Of appointment should be applied.
i That. however. is a matter for The
consideration Of Congress when the prop
er time arrives. may nu be here.
may have no vote TO give on the occn-
sion, bui | wish il to be distinctly under
stood 10 day that. according to my view
OF the matter, this Government is solemn
lily pledged by law to create new States
out Of Texas, with her consent, when
population shall justify such proceed
ling, and so far as such States are formed
out Of Mexican territory lying South Of
$3.50, to let them come in as slave
States. This is the meaning Of the res
olution which our friends, the Northern
Democracy, hare left Us to fulfil and
for one, mean to fulfil il; because I will
not violate the faith Of the Government.
i Now. as TO California and New Mexico,
| hold slavery to be excluded from those
Territories by a law eren superior 10
that which admits and sanctions il in
Texas. | mean the law Of nature-ol
physical geography-ihe law Of the for.
nation Of the earth. That law settles
forever. with strength beyond all terms
OF human enactment, that slavery cannot
exist in California or New Mexico. Un.
derstand me, sir | mean slavery as We
regard il; slaves in the gross, Of the col
ored race, transferable by sale and deliv'
cry like other properly. ! shall nos dis
cuss that point. | leave il to the learned
!; gentlemen who have undertaken to dis,
cuss it; but | suppose there is no slave
Of that description in California now.
understand that peoaism, a sort Of pena
seryltude, exists there, or rather sort o
voluntary sale ofa man and his offspring
for debt, as il is arranged and exists in
some parts Of California and New Mex
leo. But what | mean 10 say Is, thai
; African slavery, as we see j. amongst US
is as utterly impossible to find itself, OF
TO be found in Mexico, as any other nat.
ural impossibility.
n California and New Mexico are ASH
attic 10 their formation and scenery
They are composed Of vast ridges Of
mountains of enormous height, with some
times broken ridges Of deep valleys. The
sides Of these mountains are barren, en-.
Itirrly barren, their tops capped by pc
rennial snow. There may be in Cali-
fornia, now made free by its constitution,
and no doubt there are, some tracts Of
valuable land. But it is not so in New
Mexico. Pray, what is the evidence
which any gentleman has obtained on
this subject, from information sought by
himselfor communicated by others. I
have inquired and read all could in or
der to obtain information sought on this
subject. What is there in New Mexi>
co that could by any possibility induce
any body TO go there with slaves p
There are some narrow strips of tillable
land on the borders of the rivers, but the
rivers themselves dry up before mid
summer is gone. All that the people
can do is TO raise some little articles,
some little corn for their tortillas, and
all that by irrigation. And who can ex-
pect to see hundred black men cult
waiting tobacco, corn, cotton, rice, or any
thing else, on lands in New Mexico
made fertile only by irrigation I | look
upon it, therefore, as fixed fact, to use
an expression current TO tho day, that
both California and New Mexico are
destined to be free, so far as they are
settled at all, which | believe especially
in regard to New Mexico, will be very
little for great length Of time; free by |
the arrangement Of things by the pow !
er above US. have therefore to say, in !
this respect also, that this country is
fixed for freedom, to as many persons as
shall ever live there, by as irrepealable
a law as the law that attaches to the
right Of holding slaves in Texas; and !
will say further that ifa resolution or a
law were now before us TO provide ter
ritorial Government for New Mexico, |
would not vote TO put any prohibition
into it whatever.
The use Of such prohibition would
be idle, as it respects any effect it would
have upon the Territory; and | would
not take pains TO reform an ordinance Of
Nature, nor 10 re-enact the will Of God.
And | would put in no Wilmot proviso
for the purpose of taunt or reproach. !
I would put intoit no evidence of the votes
Of superior power, to wound the pride,
even whether n just pride, rational
pride. or an irrational pride, to wound the
pride Of the gentlemen who people :he .
Southern States. have no such object,
no such purpose. They would think it
a taunt, an indignily they would think
it to be an act taking away from them
what they regard a proper equality Of
privilege; and whether they expect to-
realize any benefit from it or not, they
would think it theoretic wrong; that
something more or less derogatory to
their character and their rights bad TAX
en- place. / purpose to infict no such