The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-20

not be willing to award him more for the free sol
sentiments ne has repeatedly uttered. l have read
some little OF conquess by Governments, but IL has
remained for this age TO discover people conque r.
ing another, obtaining their lands and by the opera.
ton destroying their property by It's touching
their soil, and compelled to abandon their own rei-
gon and adopt that Of the conquered Yet such is
the result Of the prevalence of the Mexican laws il
they be OF force to exclude slavery Sir, these
various shifts are Iamentable and disgusting in this
bold effort 10 cheat the South. Can any one be-
ieve that the day after the treaty, American citi-
zens could not be allowed in New Mexico to worship
their God in any other faith than that OF the 10,
man Cathohci Can any one believe that Ameri
can officers who had slaves with them must have
stood by and witnessed their iberatlon3 Suppose
the Mexicans with view of improving the physi
cal powers Of their citizens for their better secu
riiy in crossing their cliffs and precipices, had
law prohibiting the use of horses, would 1t be con-
tended that an American now on the territory
should surrender his horse to such law and make
his journey on foot' Again; suppose the territory
had been conquered shortly after the adoption oil
the Federal Constitution, when every State in the
Union had slaves, could there be found man so
lost to common sense TO contend that none
could 60 with their slaves without encounterlng
their Iberationl | do not believe il; nor do be-
lieve il would be so contended now, but for the
influence Of aboltonism.
As to the proposed compromise from the other
end of the Capitol: II its name were changed TO
that of the ignomnous surrender Of the South,
and were then to vote upon its title, should
vote in favor Of the change. But could not be
induced TO vote for any other feature in the bill.
am opposed To it, because 1t proposes TO admit
California with all its- enormities. am opposed
to II, because It proposes to purchase nearly one
third Of Texas acknowledged by MIR. Webster
himself to be slave territory with our own money
to become ultimately subject to some of the new
tangled Neutrality-suspicious. or provisos of free
soiism. ! am opposed to it, because the report
of the committee expresses the existence OF the
Mexican laws in the territories; because it pro-
poses to insert the entering wedge in the abolition
Of slavery in this District; because it proposes to
Iegislate in fact for the negro, instead of the
master, in the States. And above all, am OPP
posed to it, because, in my estimation, it would
amount TO an entire surrender OF the rights and
honor of the South, and instead Of allaying the
aggressions regularly going on against US It would
give new zeal and confidence TO our enemies, very
soon to show itself in this District, the dock
yards and arsenals, and before many years, in tho
States.
Our ancestors made compromises in the adop-
ton of the Constitutions; their posterity made
compromises in the admission Of Missouri; and
again, on the tariff Of 1893. And what have they
awaited us against the arrogance of the North :
| call upon patriots from the North and the South,
If they love this Union, as many profess here, to
energies to restore this Government to its original
character; to cast out the poisonous heresy that
threatens its dissolution. -e h..r
But we hear on this floor that the South are ar
rogant, and the North (havng all power) will not
grant her demands. ask, in what single instance,
since the establishment Of this Confederacy, has
the South ever demanded the establishment of
single principle of doubtful constitutionaityl And
who does not know that the arrogance always
comes in every insdous form from the other end
of the compass! and who does not feel that there
is double arrogance in the unfounded assertions
II is with the North to determine whether the
Union of our fathers shall stand or fall. She is
now in the majority, and the destinies of the Union
are in her hands 1t is for the South to take care
Of herself, according to her sovereign and consti-
tutonal rights, in the Union, if she can, out Of it,
if she must Nor will the idle threats of arrogance,
the painted pictures of fana,icism, deter her
from her duty. | make no threats, except as man
about be assailed in his person. his rights, or his
honor. When wrong is attempted against me,
will repel il; and, although trust the conflict may
never come, yet whenever force is attempted by
the North against the rights of the South, headed
even by colonies of militia covered with glory
from the fields of B lena Vista, promise them re-
giments in the field from the district from whence
| come, anil whom shall he found, though my
head should be white as snow. But look upon
all such threats as idle bombast, rather than the
sentiments of statesmen. Let those who threaten
to coerce the South TO depression and degradation,
read the terms upon which the States came into
this Confederacy. Virginia, in her ratification of
the Constitution declares that the powers granted
under the Constitution beii-l derived from the peo-
pie Of the United States, may be resumed by them
whatsoever the same shall be perverted to their
injury or oppression, and that every power not
granted thereby remains with them and at their
WILT New York came in on these terms, ex-
pressed in her articles of ratification, "that all
power is originally vested in and cons. quently de-
rived from the people, and " that the powers Of
Government may be reassumed by the people
whensoever it shall become necessary to their
happiness" and further that no religious sect
9 or society ought to be favored or established by
law in preference To others.' Rhode Island came
in on the following terms: 60 That there certain
natural rights of which men, when they form n
social compact, cannot deprive dvest their pos
terity, among which the enjoyment Of life
and liberty, with the means of acquiring, POSSESS
ing and protecting property, and pursuing and
obtaining happiness and safety. That all power
is naturally vested in, and consequently derived
from, the peoples that magistrates therefore are
their trustees and agents, and at all times amcnabe
10 them;" and I" that the powers Of the Govern
ment may be reassumed by the people ,ohen-
scorer may become necessary to their happiness. -
Rhode Island, doubtless recoectingt that Roger
Williams had to leave Massachusetts for heresy,
added strong clause against the right of Govern
mcDt to favor religious sects or societies. Thus
we see Virginia reserved the right to reassume her
sovereignty whenever the same should be per
verted to her injury or oppression; New York re-
served the right to reassume the powers granted
to the Government, phensrer IL should become ne
cessary TO their happiness; Rhode Island in the same
words with New York. Let gentlemen reflect
whether the States have not sufficient Justification,
or if they have not yet, how soon they may have,
to reassume their sovereignty. Should they see
fit to do so, there is no right on earth to prevent
them. The States making these reservations were
admitted into the compact with these terms, and
they thereby became the terms Of all, and must
innure TO the benefit Of all.
Melancholy predictions have repeatedly been
INDUCED in on this floor, and perhaps by none
more lavishly than the gentleman from Massachu-
sets, MIR. Manu- to the condition Of the
South, should she withdraw from the Confedera-
cy. He describes the scenes Of piracy, robbery,
and plumber, that will be common on her coast.
would not desire to see that necessity, nor will
the South be in fault if it has to come. II will be
from sense Of the grossest injustice at the hands
of the North. am not one Of those who would
seek the necessity, nor am one of those who
would shrink from the responsibility, when self