Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-11

expected Another Is, that as far as there an
power In Congress to prevent the spread of slavery il
the United States, that power executed in the mos
absolute manner and to the fullest extent An honora
bic member whose health does not allow him to be herr
| -daY-
SENATOR. He is here. Referrng to Mr. Cal
houn)
Mr., WEBSTER, l am very happy to hear that he is
may ne long be IN health and the enjoyment OF it t.
serve his countrysad the other day that he consider
ed this as their in the series of measures calculated
en'eebe the South and deprive them of their just pat
clpaton IN the benefits and privileges of this Govern
ment. He says very properly that it was done unde
the old confederation and before this constitution wen
INTO effect but, my present purpose is only to say Mr.
President that 1t was done with the entire and unani.
NOUS nc Of the whole South. Why there il
stands The vote OF every State in the Union was una
nlmous IN favor OF the ordinance, with the exception
OF single individual vote, and that individual was
Northern man. But, sir the ordinance abolishing or
rather prohibiting slavery northwest of the Ohio has
had the hand and seal OF every Southern member in
Congress. 3f"
This was state of things, sir and this the state Of
opinion under which those two very important matters
were arranged, and those two important things done
that is, the establishment of the constitution with re-
cognon of slavery as sxised in the States, and the
establishment Of the ordinance prohibiting, to the full
extent of all territory owned by the United States the
introduction OF slaverynto those territories. And here
sir, we may pause. We may reflect for moment upon
the entire coincidence and concurrence of sentiment be-
tween the North and the South upon this question at
the period Of the adoption of the constitution But OPT
mons, sir, have changed greatly changed-changed
North and changed South Slavery is not regarded in
the South asst then. see an honorable men,
Der of this body paying the honor of listening TO
my remarks he brings to me, sir, freshly and wildly
the sentiments of his great ancestor much distin
gushed in his day and generation, so worthy to be
ceeded by worthy grandson, with all the sentiments
he expressed in the Convention in Philadelphia upon
this subject.
Here we may pause. There was unanimty of senti-
ment, not general concurrence OF sentiment running
through the whole community, and especially entertain
ed by the eminent men OF all portions of the country
in regard to this subject But soon change began at
the North and the South and severance of opinion
soon showed itself-the North growing much more
warm and strong against slavery and the South grow
ing much more warm and strong in its support Sir,
there is no generation OF mankind whose opinions are
not subject to be influenced by what appears to them to
be their present and emergent and exieent interest
impute to the South no particularly interested view in
the change which has come her impute to her
certainly no dishonest view. All that has happened has
been natural 1t has followed those causes which al
ways influence the human mind and operate upon it.
What, them have been the causes which have created
50 new feeling in favor of slavery in the Southwhich
have changed the whole nomenclature of the South
on the subecand from being thought of and described
10 the terms have mentioned and will not repeat it
has now become an institution, cherished institution
there; no EVIL no seourge but great religious, social
and moral blessing, as think have heard it latterly
described suppose this sir is owing TO the sudden
uprising and rapid growth of the cotton plaNtaons of
the South So far as any motive OF honor justice and
general Judgment could act it was the cotton interest
that gave desire to promote slavery to spread it
and to use It's labor again say that this is produced
by the causes which must always expect to produce
like ettects-their whole interests became connected
with it. Ii we look back to the history of the commerce
OF this country at the early commencement of this Co.
vernment, what were our expors Cotton was hard
y or but to very limited extent known The tables
will show that the exports OF cotton for the years 1890
and 81 were hardly more than forty or fifty thousand
dollars year 1t has gone increasing rapidly until
1t may now be, perhaps, in of great product
and high prices, hundred millions of dollars. Then
mi NJ ip1i of -
more OF almost every thing exported from the South
than of cotton. think have heard it said, when Mr.
Jefferson negotiated the treaty OF 1894 with England
he did not know that cotton exported at all from
the United States and have heard il said that after
the treaty which gave the United States the right to
carry their own commodities in their ships, the GUS
TOM house In London refused to admit cotton upon an
allegation that it could not be an American production
there being, as they supposed cotton raised in Anne
RIGA. They would hardly think so now
Wen, SIR we know what follows The age of cot
ton became golden age for our Southern brethren
1t grained their desire for improvement and accumua-
ton at the same time that excitedt The desire grew by
what 1t led upon, and there be an eager
ness tor other territory a area or new areas
for the cultivation of the cotton CROP and measures
brought about, somewhat rapily, one after,
another, under the lead OF Southern at the head off
the Government, they having majority in bottf
branches OF the Government, TO accomplish thek
ends The honorable member from Carolina observed
that there has been majority all along in favost0f the
North Ifthat be true, sir, the North acted either very
literally and kindly very weakly for they never exer-
cised that majority five times in the history of the Gov
eminent. Never. When they were out generated or
whether was owing to other causes, shall not stop
consider, no acquainted with the history of the
country can deny that the general lead in the polcs
of the country for threefourhs OF the period that has
elapsed since the adophonof the constitution has been
Southern lead In 1902 in pursuit the idea of open
ing new cotton region, theUnited States obtained
cession from Georgia OF the whole of the Western
territory, embracing the rich and growing State of
Alabama, In 1903 Louisiana was purchased from
Dfx.,hi nt,t k1S to& III
and Missouri have been framed as slaveholdng States
In 1919 the cesson of Florida was made bringing an
other cession OF property and territory Sir
the honorable member from South Carolina thought he
saw IN certain operations OF the Government such as the
manner OF collecting the revenue and the tendency OF
those measures to promote emigration into the country
what accounts for the more rapid growth Of the North
than the South lie thinks they not the operation
OF time, but of the system OF government established
under this constitution That matter OF opinion To
certain extent may be so but it does seem to me that
IL any operation OF the Government could be shown in
any degree to have promoted the population and growth
and wealth OF the North it much sure that there
are sundy important and distinct operations of the Co
vernTnent about which no man doubt, tending to
promote, and which absolutely have promoted the in
OF the slave interest and the slave territory othe
South Allow me to say that it was not time that
brought in Louisiana; the act of men, 1t was not
time that brought in Florida; it was the act of men,
And lastly sir, to complete those of men who have
contributed so much to enlarge the and the sphere
OF the institution of slavery Texas, great and vast and
lllmltabe Texas was added to the Union slave
State in 1915 and that sir pretty much closed the whole
chapter and settled the whole account That closed the
whole chaperthat settled the whole account because
the annexation OF Texas upon the conditions and under
the guarantees upon which she admitted did not
leave an acre land capable being cultivated by slave
labor between this Capitol and the Rio Grande or the
Nueees whatever Is the proper boundary OF Texas
not an acre, not one. From that moment the whole
country from here TO the western boundary of Texas,
was fixed pledged fastened, decided to be slave terrific
ny forever, by the solemn guarantees of law.
And now say sir, as the proposition upon which |
stand this day. and upon the truth and frmness of which
intend to act until il is oyerhrown that there is not
at this moment within the United States or any terrific
racter of which, in regard to its being free soil territory
or slave territory is not fixed by some law, and some
irrepeaable law beyond the power of the action this
Government
Now is it, not with respect to Texas7 Why is
most maniesty 60 The honorable member from South
Carolina at the time of the admission of Texas held
an important post in the Executive Department of
the Government; ha was SECRETARY of Stale Another