The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-14
No. 50.


comes necessary to convey IT to the party who is
to receive it, and Its transmission is obstructed by
an unlawful assemblage, ask If the President is
not the proper officer To direct that the army and
navy, or both, be summoned for the purpose of
putting down, by force, any attempt to obstruct
the President his agents from transmitting the
money and thereby complying with the provi
sions of the treaty? Beyond all question the Presi
dent Is bound to see that the laws faithfully
ecuted. ! am as much opposed to the exercise Of
high handed power, and placing the lives and lib
critics OF the people in peril, as any can be- 1t is
adverse to the genius of this Government. And /
should as deeply regret to necessity for such
course OF action to be resorted to as any Ameri-
can citizen
l again appeal TO this House, and ask in the
name of common sense, what mode of proceeding
could the President of the United States have
adopted, save the one he has adopted?
i am honestly arriving at the conclusion, as
Heaven Is my Judge, that there is settled purpose,
a fixed determination, ON the part of large num-
Der of the inhabitants of some of the States dis
solve this Union. They disunionsts from cal
culation, from judgment, believing that this Union
is curse-dsunionists, irrespective of, and indie
pendent of, the slavery question.
am not one of the number of those who believe
that il is the best to dissolve the Union On the
trary, wish, and honestly wish, to maintain it..
And here let me soberly ask, the two degrees
of country, now in dispute between Texas and the
| United States, be 30 important that this Union
must be dissolved, and the country thrown into a
civil war! When the proper power decides, no
matter how, is it Of such vast Importance 1t must
and it would be part and parcel of the Union, no
matter whether the decision was correct or erro-
neous What difference would it make to citizen
Of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee whether
| the aforesaid two degrees were in New Mexico or
Texas! Truly, no difference, save this: good
citizens they wish to justice done to the con-
tending parties Suppose the proper power, when
it is decided, decides it wrong, would that be mat
| ter to the people Of Texas and New Mexico, of 30
much importance that disunion civil war must
be the consequence? Can it be believed that the
people of this country, who have lived so happily
under our laws, should, under such circumstances,
and for cause so slight, be ready to destroy the
best Government the world ever saw? | would do
no such thing, will the people of this Union do
50 simple an act, IN my opinion.
This country, New Mexico,) when acquired,
was acquired with the full knowledge that it
free by the laws of Mexico-th that slavery pro-
hibted. Ii was acquired with the full knowledge
that its soil not well adapted to slave labor.
My distinguished friend from Georgia, (hIr.
ITooABs,) ii mistake not, declared, at the COM
mencement of this session, that, practically, the
question was against the South; that slavery would
not ge there If territorial governments were form
ed without the Wilmot proviso. Such is my opin-
ion and has ever been
! never wanted TO acquire solitary foot of that
territory. ever opposed it, in argument at home
and everywhere. l believed that the acquisition
would lead to our present difficulties. The party
| that acquired the country was warned, over and
again, that unfortunate consequences would newt
ably How from its acquisition. The with Mex
leo ends, peace Is made, the country acquired the
Wilmotproviso adopted by Congress after the war,
signed and approved by President Polk. The cleo
| ton for President comes off, and, sir, Zachary
Taylor and Mard Fillmore were elected Presi-
dent and Vice President of the United States; and
without having done thing or said a word about
the Wilmot proviso, the slavery question after
their election, and the Wing party having done
nothing, the people of Mississippi proposed TO call,
and did call, Southern convention, to devise ways
and means TO defend the South from the aggres-
sons of the North; and, further, that If the Wilmot
proviso should pass Congress, they would go for
dissoving the Union; forgetting, doubtless, that
| the Wilmot proviso had passed while they were in
power, and il was submitted TO by the entire party
l know that the party pleads in avoidance OF that
act by saying that Oregon is north of the Missouri
compromise line. The Missouri compromise did
! not extend there.
This celebrated Nashville Convention in the full
ness OF time met The representatives of Tennes-
sec, as am credibly informed, having seen let
| ter from member of the convention, were in favor
unanimously of the Compromise bill Of the Senate.
Yet, before they adjourned, they were unanimous
ly for the Missouri compromise line How was
this radical change and sudden revolution effected?
Let plain facts attest. Some of the representatives
i from Tennessee we're telegra phed by members in
this Hall, and were informed that If the conven-
.tion would agree upon the Senate Compromise bill
then before the Senate, that there every pros
pect that would be passed by the Congress OF the
United States. The representatives in the
convention were informed that If the convention
| agreed upon the Missouri Compromise line, II
could not and would not pass the Congress Of the
| United States. With full knowledge that pas
! sage was hopeless, the Nashville Convention, with
grsat unanimity, agreed upon that line Of adjust
incnt, regardless OF the fact that the Democratic
party, no longer ago than last Congress rcpudiatcd
and denounced that line of adjustment as uucon-
stitutonal and unjust. Why this political somer-
scl The Hon. Robert B. Khett tells you in his
Charleston speech. He says that in five days the
| Tennessee delegation wheeled into line. What
/ liner The disunion line How2 BY rejecting the
Senate Compromise bill and agreeing to the Mis-
sour Compromise line that they knew to be inn
| practicable.
This conduct to my mind, speaks volumes The
Case platform has been substantially offered 10 and
rejected by the party Can you not pass bill for the
territorial government. Of New Mexico and Utah,
without the Wilmot proyiso, and admit California,
and pass each separate measure in ten days, If you
choose 30 TO do, But you are not now satisfied with
your Presidential platform Of lsIS, and you will
not now stand by that platform. The compromise
was defeated by southern votes, tchich far
as possible undr the circtunsfdnces. General Cass's
Mr.. TooMBs asked how many northern whig
votes II got?
Mr.. WILLIAMS. I do not know, and do not
care nor bas 1t any thing 10 do with my argument.
IT the South, IN ls45, wanted and desrcd only
intervention, why reject IL i'm the Senate OF the
United States in lSs0,
My friends about me with whom converse both
Whigs and Democrats who 60 for the extreme
southern doctrine, not for the measure, either
separately or combined. Why, then, I ask, with
thcsc facts staring you in the face, and the world
knowing it, do you say you are for AN adjustment
Jcct to every thing proposed, and propose nothing
but the Missouri Compromise What IL your OBJ
jcct'-what Is your desre' You know you cannot
pass the Missouri compromise IL it your object, if
that fails, 70 go for disunion,
j have no right TO arraign any man here, and !
will not do so ! assign TO every man the same
honesty Of purpose that claim for myself
IL has bocn argued and much relied upon, that
your slave States are crowdcd-that you want
more room for your slaves, or their labor will be.
come unprohtable Have you ever cast your eyes
over Delaware upon the map, and traced line
running along with the northern boundary of
Maryland west 90 Missouri and Texas then
sweep around south to the g ulf Of Mexico and the
Atlantic coast to the beginning If you have not,
do 40, and perhaps you will be surprised to find
that within the thirty States there is nearly double
az much slave territory as free territory. Make a
calculation Of the whole area including Texas.
Texas, II as densely populated Massachusetts,
would contain about twenty seven millions Of in p
habtants. What is the number Of inhabitants IN
the fifteen slave States, About eight millions
Taking, then, the number Of inhabitants in the
State OF Massachusetts, as the basis Of my caicua
ton, Texas could contain the entire southern pop
ulation, and there would not be many persons
TO the square mile by e-half there are in Mas