The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-06
The Admission OF California.

Element of the Territorial bills, would pro-
duce feeling of deep discomfort, and
would be looked upon as ga degradation
by the people of every State south of
{ Mason's and Dixon's line" He is also
reported to have said, that if bill for the
admission of California should pass before
the settlement of the Territorial bills, cit
would dissolve this Union"
We believe that we have given abun-
dant proof that on these questions we are
disposed 10 take national grounds; and
that we have in no instance suffered our
selves to be misled by sectional or local
predictions in the discussion of men or
measures. We have denounced the spirit
of disaffection and disunion, whether it
appears in the North or the South. We
have stood on the Constitution as it is,
with strict regard to all its compromises
and all its obligations. We have rebuked
faction and fanaticism, whether it has
taken the aspect of Abolition or of
pro-slavery and we shall continue to
rebuke it under every form and face in
which it may seek to figure in the national
councils. We do not believe that the
American people are prepared to sacrifice
the blessings they enjoy, to crafty the ex-
IRENE views of either Northern or South
ern ultraists; and we throw ourselves with
entire confidence on that unnumbered null
titude who have only the common stake
of citizenship in Union and under Con-
stitution too valuable and too sacred to be
made the sport Of party contention.
We must say, therefore, that the an
nouncement of Mr.. FooTE that the South
ern people will look upon the unencum-
bered admission of California as a ssdegra-
dation,' and resentit accordingly, with the
view of dissolving the Union, strikes us
as one of those absurd and wicked propo-
sitions which no gentleman has right to
PROFOUND in the Senate of the United
States, and which no constituency will for
a moment endorse or tolerate. II implies
that unless the minority can settle this
business in their own way, in manner and
form as to them seems best-or, in other
words, unless the minority can usurp the
functions and powers of the majority, and
mould and direct the legislation of the
country to their own liking-they will con-
slider it "degradation, and proceed to
'sdissolve" the Union.
Why, this thing has been tried once be-
fore in this country-with what success let
the annals of the Federal party and the
Hartford Convention bear witness. The
Federalists of New England declared il to
be degradation" to submit to the en-
barge and non-intercourse laws; they de-
scribed il as "degradation" to submit TO
the rule of the War party and of JAMES
MADISON. The ambitious young politi-
clans from the commercial States were as
warm and ardent in the development
of their peculiar views as Mr.. FooTE or Mr..
CLEMENS themselves. They undertook
to dictate to the majority the terms on
which the minority would permit them to
carry on the Government and preserve
the Union. They called upon the people
Of the commercial States TO "breast them
selves to the shock"-''to sacrifice all party
chickering's on the altar Of pafriotism"-
to "humble the pride and ambition of Vir-
ginia," and to "chastise the insolence of
the madmen of Tennessee and Ken
lucky, who aspire TO the government of
these States, and threaten TO involve the
country in all the horrors Of war"
When we recur TO the language of those
days, and compare it with that of present
agitators and disunionists, it looks very
much as if the new generation of faction
lists had borrowed their vocabulary from
the seditious newspapers and pamphlets
of forty years ago. We have before us
extracts from pamphlet on "Northern
Grievances, set forth in letter to James
Madison by a North American''-pub-
lished in 1914, and which was circulated
extensively in New England and New
York. From these we Gull single para
graph, which is so like what we some
times meet with nowadays, that il
would seem that some Of our localized pa
triots have been engaged only in parody
ing the illusions of earlier times. This
writer says to Mr.. MADISON, and the gen.
tlemen then engaged in carrying on the
Government:
"You have carried your opTre,sions to the ut
most stretch. we tcin no Longer submit Restore
the Constitution TO its purity; give US security for
the future indemnity for the past. Abolish every
tyrannicsl law. Make an immediate and honor. |
able peace. Revive our commerce. Increase our
navy. Protect our seamen UEnies, you comply
wih these just demands tcitiom delay, WE WILL
WITHDRAW from THE UrIoS, scatter 10 ne ,cind, |
ts bonds Of tyranny, and transmit 10 posterifv that
liberty p,rchosed BY he Repoiution"
With the change of few words, TO
adaDt this extract 10 the nuestione r,or, a.; |