The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-18

modify their institutions and shape their in
ternal policy so as fo-pakA j: acceptable to
what may happen to be the prevailing sem
tment of that body, is to assert doctrine
which verturns every principle which sup
ports the popular Government under which
we hive. Great considerations may weigh
with Congress in admitting or excluding a
State--tie condition of the country at the
moment Of the application, the fitLess Of the
inhabitants Of the new State to participate in
the deliberations or the action Of tie Govern
ment-these and other considerations, may
well be regarded as bearing upon the quesS
ton. But trust never to see this House
deliberately reject proposition like that now
before US, and thus to deny to the people Of
any part of this country the right 10 form
the institutions which may seem to them best
suited to promote their prosperity as State.
No one who has any just conception Of
popular rights, or any disposition TO maintain
the great principles which are essential to
their protection, can allow himself to be
thrown into hostility to this fundamental doc
trine, which all the States Of this Union have
recognised, and will, / believe, at all times
uphold. The existence of slavery within the
limits Of new State affords no ground for
the rejection Of its application to come into
the Union, nor does the exclusion of slavery
from the limits Of State by its constitution,
afford any just ground. The objection made
to the admittance Of California into the Union
as single and distinct measure, does not
rest upon any such ground, but upon the fact
that its almittance, under present circum-
stances, with the boundaries claimed for it,
would tend to disturb the harmony which
should reign between the States Of this
Union, and, SO far from adding to our strength,
would essentially weaken US as Confeder-
acy. Let the boundaries be altered, as j
propose they shall be, and will not hesitate
to vote that the State shall be admitted |
know that irregularities have marked the
proceedings which resulted in the formation
of the State government, but will overlook
all these, and welcome the new State into
the Union, with suitable boundaries, even
though its constitution excludes slavery. As
| have heretofore said, the legislation Of Con-
gress, admitting the State, will relate back
to the original proceedings, and legalise them,
and allow me to ask what objection can be
raised to the change ofboundaries which pro-
pose. Some of the ablest and most influential
members of the convention whichformed the
Constitution Of California, were in favor Of en-
bracing all the territory called by that name
within the limits Of the new State. Among
those, | believe was Mr.. Gwyn, one Of the
Senators chosen to represent that State. He
brought forward proposition, if remember
correctly the proceedings Of the Convention,
to take all Upper California acquired from
Mexico into the State Of California; and
his proposition was maintained with abil-
ity by himself, and, believe, by others.
Now, sir, desire to take from the projected
State its southern territory below the parel-
lei Of Sc deg. 80 min, and extend its eastern
boundary, so as to embrace the country called
Deseret or Utah. Outright to do tais is clear;
the whole Territory belongs to the people Of
the United States, and not to the inhabitants
who are now thrown into that remote region,
many of them there temporarily, drawn
thither by the spirit of adventure. The
whole subject Of boundary is perfectly within
our control. 4
By what authority have the people o
California formed State government
Not by the authority Of Congress. do no
complain of their having done So GU
neglect compelled them to take care 0
themselves. But mean to say that Cali
fornia is not State; it is a Territory be.
longing to the United States, and we nigh
to-day stretch our authority over the whole
Of it. The question of boundary belongs to
us, and. not to the inhabitants who now
happen to occupy our territory. 1t is very
different state OF things from that which
Missouri presented when that State came
forward and applied for admission into the
Union The people of Missouri had, by the
authority OF Congress, organized STATE.
It, might be admitted into the Union, or il
might be kept out, but still it was State,
and would have continued to exist as a
State, either within the Union OF out Of the
Union. 1t is not SO with California. The
whole subject of its limits belongs to u.s.
Let US exercise our authority for the good OF
the whole country, SO that when We welcome
the new State into the Union, we shall not
hereafter regard it as the apple of discord,
but feel that it adds new guarantee to the
power, prosperity, and perpetuity of our
glorious political system. Sir, / earnestly
hope that this will be done that we shall,
by our votes, recognize the great popular
principle Of the right Of every State to form
its own institutions, and that we shall receive
this new accession to our Confederacy in a
way to increase its strength and its glory.
Mr.. H. W thdrew the amendment
Mr.. HUBBARD renewed the amend
ment and said Mr. Chairman, it has be-
come my duty on this amendment to state
what my constituents expect at your hands.
Members from the North have many friends
among US who have, up to this time, con
tended "tbat you would act uprightly and
divide fairly this conquest from Mexico
The vote you are now about to give will
prove whether they had a right to conile in
or ,<,f