The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-07
"WArCHNAy! WHAT OF TIE NIGHT %

"WATCHNAN. WHAT OF THE NIGHT ?"
We believe there is not half so much danger of
dissolution of the Union, there is of a compro
mise of the Territorial Question fatal to Liberty.
The -Slaveholding people of the country have
decided that the Free Territories acquired from
Mexico shall remain free. They are just unan-
imous in this decision now as they have been at
any time since the question was agitated. But,
there is great danger that their resolve may be
tA8srted -.,.,....
The politicians, not daring to oppose directly
their known will, are seeking, by ingenious con-
trivances, to render it Intellectual. The two old
parties are not Trustworthy. Hunkerism is re-
gaining its ascendency in the Democratic party
Cass and Buchanan are laboring to bring it back
to the Baltimore Platform, or rather, to renew its
alliance With the Slave Power. Taylor and Clay
are crushing vitality out of the Wing Party. All
sorts of influences are hourly radatng from
Washington all over the country, intended to sti-
ie the free expression Of sentiment in the North
ern States, by their leading men and Legislatures.
The violent demonstrations Of the Slavery Ex-
tensionists, viewed with real or affected alarm by
certain Northern members of Congress, are used
to arrest action at home. Letters have been sent
from some of these gentlemen to managers in the
New York Legislature advising them that the
Union is on the brink of a yawning gulf and beg
gng them to be exceedingly prudent and moder-
ate in their declaration of opinions, should the
Legislature deem it best to make any at all. We
know the false and deceptive action of the State
Democratic Convention at Columbus, Ohio 1t
was concerted, doubtless, with wire-pullers here.
We have seen the abominable shutting in the
Legislature at Albany The resolutions of Mr..
Cnaa.-, Taylor mamher. were snch as Mr.
Duer might have sustained they evaded the real
issue before the country Vitality was at last in
fused into them by the action of the Democratic
members. In the assembly, bunker Democrats
and Compromising Wings have since been emu
atng each other in efforts to back New York out
of the position she has hitherto occupied. In
beetle resolutions were reported by the Demo-
cratic majority of the Select Committee to which
the Territorial Question had been referred the
Wing minority reported manfully in favor of the
Senate resolutions Then followed equivocating,
time serving resolutions from Mcssrs. Monroe,
Waters and Dox, Wing members, intended to
propitiate Messrs Toomhs and Stephens, and to
mould the Party according TO the pattern in Gen
eral Taylor's recent message. And, up to this
hour, the miserable politicians on both sides
have been shutting the question, without coming
to any result Was it for this they were sent to
Albany?
Some of the Democrats seem to be befooled
with the idea of harmony. They want such an
expression Of opinion as shall unite their Party,
apparently Indifferent to the effect it may have
on the decision of the great Question here What
would their unity be worth, without Principle to
to give it life and pOwer2
Some seem to imagine that resolutions of Legis-
lstures produce no effect at Washington Never
was there greater mistake. Let Michigan re-
scnd her resolutions of instruction, and New
York pass any of the doughface sets of resolu-
tions proposed, and the mischief done here would
be incalculable The Slavery Extensonists would
shout victory, and the hands of Northern men,
bers drop in despair.
Let the People awake The Constituency, by
letters through the press, by public meetings, may
yet save the cause Of Freedom from the treachery
or imbecility of men who, knowing their will, yet
presume to disregard it.
There is danger, we repeat General Taylor
advises Congress to abstain from all agitatng dis
cussion-to postpone action in relation to New
Mexico and Deseret till they shall apply for ad-
mission as States-to let the People of the Terri
| In tha n ~ n . a,,
selves, on organizing Government-to adopt, in
word, the policy of a :" mastery inactivity"--
and the Wing Press throughout the country, with
rare exceptions says, AMEN!
Henry Clay comes forward with Compromise,
as he calls it. He comedies to the North certain
seatimeus-he claims for the slave States all that
Shareholders have demanded. He would admit
California with suitable boundaries" So would
Mr.. Foote meaning by suitable boundaries, "
800 30 on the south and 42o on the North lie
would have Territorial Governments set up in
New Mexico and Deseret, wahom The Proriso.
This is all that Slavery Extensionists have ever
claimed He would have slavery in the District
perpetual, should the people of Maryland so will,
no matter how much we, the people of the Dis
trlct, might Will OTHERWISE lie insists upon more
stringent legislation in regard to fugtives from
service or labor although already they are denied
the benefits of jury trial and habeas corpus
And the poor boon he would yield the free States,
is, the prohibition of the importation of slaves
into the District! This he calls Compromise! And
this thing meets the warm appreciation of the
Philadelphia Daily Neps, thorough Wing paper
hitherto loud In its denuncia,ions of Slavery
tension! Hear it
ave are not prepared to say that the resolu'
tions offered by Mr.. Clay will be approved by
the Senate, but we have no hesitancy in declaring
our, conviction that Of all the propositions yet
submitted, they are not only the best calculated
to effect the object desired but the most likely "a
meet the approval of the great mass Of the people
of all sections of the Union
1.-THE adoption Of these resolutions would be a
triumph only Of the spirit which produced the
| Constitution, and which has sustained, and will
forever sustain, the Union Of the States. In this
movement Henry Clay has added to the fame that
belongs to his name and established his preami
nent claim to that distinction, which thirty years
ago was adtudged by the people Of the United
States to be his-'the Great Pacihca'or,'