The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-27
SPEECH
HON. JOHN W. HOWE, OF PENNSYLVANIA,
THE CALIFORNIA QU ESTION.

House of Representatives Night Session June T. 1850
Mr. CHAIRMAN: Since we came together six
months ago, the views Of members upon this floor
seem to have undergone material and most re-
markable changes 1t would not be easy to assign
all the causes for the uncertain state of opinion
here upon these great questions which are agitat-
ing the country. The People, however, do not
appear to change; they remain as steady and
true as the needle to the pole. What they thought
a year ago, and two and three years ago. upon
this subject Of setting metes and bounds to the
alarming spread Of the institution Of slavery, they
think to-day; and nothing which be said
here, or in the other wing OF the Capitol, how
ever eloquently urged or strongly enforced by
party discipline, is likely to change that opinion,
or put out the lights which the experience OF
the past few years has furnished them upon this
subject Whatever Others may choose to do, they
are however alone responsible for. desire for
myself, that my constituents should understand
that my opinions have undergone no change and
| shall act in conformity to these opinions when
ever have An opportunity to vote. The question
stands upon the broad, well-defned, and WELL
understood platform Of lS4S-the Wing and Free
Soil platform. The free soil feature in this plat.
form is what it chung to with unyielding tenacity
We shall regard it as the apple Of our eye-as
principle never to be surrendered, never to be
miserable pretext that God has so constructed
those territories with particular reference to do
ing away with the necessity Of its application f;
that it would not only be totally needless and
ridiculous, but next to hasphemous to insist upon
it. God has never enacted the Wilmot Proviso
for these Territories and IL not enacted by man
the leprous curse of slavery will spread over
them as it has over all other Territories acquired
by this Government, excepting those to which
man has taken the precaution to apply the Ordi-
nance of 1887. This is q fact-a great and i'm
portant fact--at which we should look long and
carefully when taking into consideration any
proposition to recede from the position taken by
the North. All the Territories which the United
States have acquired since the foundation Of the
Government to which the Ordinance of 1887 was
not applied, have come into the Union as slave
States Ii is pretended that a portion Of what
was included in the Louisiana purchase obtained
the benefit Of the Missouri Compromise, but it
would be difficult to tell how, since Missouri her
self absorbed an area of greater extent than New
England and taking nearly as far north as the
original boundaries of that Territory.
Sir, what was the platform Of ls4s2 Did We
not subscribe most emphatically to the doctrine
that slavery should go no further1 Did we not
take the ground that Texas had been annexed by
scheme Of territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT which has
parallel in modern, IL il has in ancient history
and that We had been dragged into war with
Mexico for purposes inconsistent with the honor
and dignity of the nation and that under such
circumstances, we should insist upon applying the
Ordinance Of 1887 to such portion Of the terri
tory acquired as had not been swallowed mp in
the capacous nav of Texas Did we not con-
tend that the North had right Qesving the
moral question out of the issue) to fair proper
ton of these vast territories lying between Louisi-
ana and the Pacific, which had been acquired at
the expense of the common blood and treasure Of
the Nation !" and that they should be forever con-
secrated to Freedom Every nan woman, and
child. from Nssiias 10 iowa apars &. at Ne did
Everybody knows that we promised to stand by
that Ordinance. Wings and Democrats pledged
themselves to stand by ii and we are not now to
be frightened by the cry Of disunion which has
been used to Brighten the North" for the last
sixty years; and which, to tell the truth, has
lost some Of its potency-for we find Southern
gentlemen now resorting TO other means, calling
the yeas aud nays on frivolous notions and with.
holding the appropriation bills; and probably,
before we get through, we shall find them resort
ing to other equally ingenious methods of pro-
ducing "discord' and confusion for which the
people will hold them to account hereafter Many
Southern gentlemen even left the Hall some years
since in body, but they were very glad to re-
turn. South Carolina nullihed-though that was
on another question the tariff land nothing
very alarming came Of it, We had n constitu-
tional discussion, almost States rights war,
upon one or two little items in the Census Bill
this session, and | was momentarily expecting
some chivalric gentleman to rise and announce,
in tones Of solemn warning, dissolution Of the
Union In the event that certain sections of that
bill we're retained
should not like to ask Europeans how we APP
pear to them legislating upon the most important
national affairs in this somewhat peculiar and
extraordinary manner | should fear they would
say, "You Americans are much better in farce
thau tragedy
But, Mr. Chairman, this is what we pledged
ourselves TO do when We came here secure to
Freedom portion Of that territory by applying
the Ordinance of 1897; that righteous Ordinance,
sanctioned by Washington. We promised to use
every endeavor in our power to have II passed by
Congress, and TO restrict slavery within Its pres
eut limits We did not propose to interfere with
slavery In the States; within the States we all
know il is beyond our reach. We do not intend
to interfere with It there. We hold the Consti-
tuition sacred We mean to live by 1t, and We
mean that 1t shall be regarded by all. But where