The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-03-23
Vol, l9, No. SO. Whole No. 600,

no Guoh object, no such purpose, They would
think ia taunt, an indiEnhyi they would
think y 30 bv aR act nkiHg away from them
what they regard proper equality ofpriyiegeI
ana whether they expect 10 realize any bene-
ht from II OF not, they would think u a theO-
feio wrong that something moro or lesH de-
foRatoLy 20 their character and their rights
had taken place PfoPoss W iBfiiet 40 such
wound 1Pon any body, unless something es'
henhally Important "a tho country and efficient
90 the preservation Of liberty and freedom, is
10 be effected. Therefore, ] repeat cir, aud
repeat II because ! wish 90 be- understood, that
do not propose 10 address the Senate oflen
on this subject desire TO pour out all my
heart IN a. plain a manner aa p1Hsiblei aud !
say, again, that " proposition were now
here ioF aAoyeTnmont for New Mexico, aud
q was m0yedi 20 iH6eft provision for a pro-
hibiton q alayrfy, would not vote for IT,
Now, Mf President, have established, 40
far an proposed 10 60 into any line Of obaer.
yation 10 establish, the proposition with which
Bot out, and upon which propose 20 stand
or lalli and that 10, that the whole territory Of
the States In the United States, or In tho new.
ly acquired tefTiiory-of the United States, has
hIed aud settled character, nov fKrd and
settled by law, which cannot be repealed Va
the case Of Texas without violation Of pub
lac faith, and cannot be- repealed by any hu.
man power Ia regard 90 California aud New
Moaieoi that, ,underono or other Of these laws,
every foot Of Territory IN the States or IN tho
received 4
eided character.
Sir, five were now making a Government
Tor INV Mexico, and any body should propose
a Wtlmot PrOyiHo, I should treat u exactly a.
Mrfolk treated that provision for excluding
slavery ifom OREGON, Mr. Polk was known
10 be ~ opinion decidedly aVeTsc 10 the vii.
mot ffoyiHoi but he felt the necessity Of cs-
labiHhrug Government for the TcFrit ory OF
Oregon, aud, though the Pfoyik0r was there,
nc knew II would be entirely uugntoryi and,
since u mnat DO entirely nugdtory, sinee IL
t1oh aWay 40 IgNt, 40 dtsUlIUauIc, 10 TEliinIa-
BILE, no woiRhablo or tangible right OF tho
South, he said he would sign the bill for tho
sake OF cnneting law 10 form Government
~ that Territoty,and lot that entirely useless,
and, IN that connection, entirely senscirHs
Pfoyiso, remain. For myself, i will say that
We hear much of the annexation Of Canada;
and " there bc any man, any Of tho Northern
Democracy, or any one Of tho Free Soil party,
who huppoecH II nfceaafy 20 insert n Wiimot
proYiso ~ Territorial Government for New
Mexico, that man will of course be Of opinion
that II ~ necessary TO protect the eveTlastng
SHOWS Of Canada from the foot Of slavery by
the same oycrpowcfing wing Of an act Of Con-
grrss. Sir, wherever there Is a particular
good -hs- -done5 wherever there ID n foot of
land To be- staid back fEom becoming slave ter.
ftOty, am ready 20 assert the principle Of
the exclusion Of slavery, | am plcdgad 10 Il
from the year 1897 have been pledged TO IL
again nnd again and | will perform those
PiedgoGi but viii not doA thing uungrnHEury,
that woupds the feelings Of others, or that does
disgrace 10 my own understanding.
Mr. President, IN the excited times IN which
We live, there is found TO exist 4 state oferim.
ination and rcerimnation between the North
and south There are lists Of grievances
rr---f-.~..1-l, and ihnae grie 4anncA. real
or supposed ALLEVIATE the minds Of one potion
OF the country from the other, rIaaperair the
Tee ling, Eubduc tho sense uf ffaternnl nonncH.
nuI nd mr.
shall bcAtnw little attention, sir, upon these
v9Iious grievances produced on thc one sdo
and on the other begin with the complaints
OF the Sonih will not answer, further than
! have, the general statements of the honora.
bic Senator from South Carolina, that tho
North has grown upon the South in conSo.
queneo OF The manner Of administering this
Government, In the collecting Of It's revenues
and 80 forth These are disputed topics, and
! have no inclination 10 enter into them. But
will state these complaints, especially ono
complaint of the South, which has, In my o.
pinion, just foundation; aud that IL, that thcro
has been found at thc-North, among individu.
ais and among the legislators of the North, n
disinclnation TO perform, fully, their conStitu.
tonal duties In regard TO the return of persons
bound to service who have escaped into tho
free States In that respect, IT is my judg-
mcnt that the South IL right and the North 10
wrong Every cmbcr of every Northern
Legislature is'bound, by oath, like every other
-aiharr ~ the eangityI 20 anppori the sonattn-
ton of the United Statcei aud this HrtioIu ur
the constitution; which says TO these
States they shall deliver up fugitive slaves
from service, Is as binding in honor and con.
science us any other article. No man fulfis
his duties ia amy Legislature who sets himself
TO ind excuses, cvasions, escapes from this
constitutional obligation have nlwhys
thought that the constitution addressed itself
10 the LeElslnturcs ofthe States themselves. II
says that those persons escaping To other
States shall be delivered up, and confess 1
have always been of the opinion that IL was nm
niuncto on upon the States themselves. When
il ~ said that q person escaping into another
State, aud becoming therefore within tho ju-
risdictlon of that STATE, shall be delivered up,
II seems TO me the import Of the passage ~,
that the State itself in obedience 10 the consti-
tuition, Shall cause him to be delivered up
That is my judgment, have always enter.
taiHcd that opinion and | entertain il now .--
But when the subject, some years OgA> was
before the Supreme Court ofthe United States
the majority of the Judges held that power to
cause iugitives from service To be delivered
up, was a power to be exercised under the au.
theTity al this Government. do not know,on
the whole, that il muy not have been fortu.
nate decision. My habit is 90 respect The re-
suit and the soemniiy of judicial delibcra-
tons aud decisions Dut,us IT, now stands, tho
business of seeing that these fugiuves are de-
lyered up resides IN the power of Congress
and the national judicature, and my friend at
the head ofthc Judiciary Committee has bill
on the subject now before the Senate, with
some amendments to it, which l propose to
supportt with all it's provisions TO the fullest
extent. And desire to call the attention Of
all sober minded men, OF all conscientious
mon. IN the North, all men who ore not car
ricd away by any fanatcal idea, or by any
false idea whatever Ia their constitutional oh-
legations. put II 10 all the sober and sound
minds Of the Northasa question ofmorals and