Democratic banner. (Bowling Green, Pike County, Mo.) 1845-1852, 1850-03-25

i6f cohduct IL confined to the Ab0ii1onlseD, and
that they form but nm uncomfortable portion Of
the community. This, NO doubt b tfuel but why
do they not arrest the AbOliliOnist, and punish
him for this violation Of law; why dc they not in
terfere, and aid the owner in securing his prop
erty. II citizen Of q slave State goes into =
free Stale, and forcibly takes and carries away
the property Of another, and the owner Of such
propefty puTsues him, we aid and sssisi IN his
arrest, and hold him in custody Until requisi-
ton 10 made upon o,ss Governor, and he IL then
sent to The free State, to be tried ana punished
for the offence Under laws of your own enact
ment. Pursue this policy towards Us, and we
will soon put an end to this dsinnable system 81
wholesale larceny. You will thea hear no more
complaints against Abolitionists and Abolition
societies, for the widow and orphan will no lon
ger be robbed by these self-eonstituted philsn--
thropists, and thrown upon the cold charities Of
the world. But, sir, they have not only render
ed this constitutional provision nugatory and in
efectual, but in some instances have actually
adopted Legislative enactmenis, making il . felo.
ny 70 pursue and retake fugitive slayej in 9th.
er words, legislative enactments subjecting the
citizens Of slave States, who might be caught in
the act Of pursuing and reisking their Lost prop
erty, to fine and Imprisonment. This, know,
is serious charge, but one nevertheless true,
and which can be established by record evidence.
Il viii cite for example State which has pur.
sued towards US a. mild and concilIatofy cotirse
As any non-slaveholding State In the Union, and
whose delegation upon this floor, IN point Of abil-
ity and high moral worth, would do honor to any
deliberaiive body in the world. refer, sir, TO
the State Of Pennsylvania, whose Legislature 10
1928 passed law, the 6rst section Of which is
in SUBSTANCE as follows: --a,- ..-
"That f any person or persons shall, from
and after the passage Of this act, BY force and
violence take and carry away, or cause to be ia
ken and carried away. and shall BY fraud or false
pretence, seduce, cause to be seduced, OF shall
attempt to take, carry away, or seduce, any ne
gro or mulatto from any part Of this Common.
wealth, with design and intention Of selling and
Idisposing Of, ~ causing to Be sold, or Of kesP-
ing and detaining, ef Of causing to be kept and
want for life, or for any term whatsoever, every
such psrson Or persoAs, his o. thar Aidsrs Or
abettOIs, shall, on conviction thereof, be dsened
guilty Of felony, and shall forfeit and pay sum
not less than Eve hundred, nor more than one
thousand dollars. And moreover, shah be SEN
Itenced TO undergo seryitude Tor any term or
terms Of years not less than seven yesrs, nor exc
Iceeding twenty.one years, and shall be conhned
and kept TO hard labor, &C." "..--. aa+
Now, sir, hold that no southern man can OPP
pose the admission Of California into the Union
upon the ground that she has prohibited slavery,
without incurrins tho charge Of manifest incon-
Sistency. Her constitution Is strinlly republi-
can, and in my opinion win compare iayorably
with any State constitution 10 the Confedsrac5.
It is also manifest to my mind that il expresses
the opinions and wishes of the people Of Cali
fOrnia, ss il was adopted by the unanimous vote
Of the Conventioa-a Convention consisting 81
forty delegates. thirty-six Of whom had been oiti
Gems Of the United States sixteen from the slave:
holding States, and twenty from the non-slays-
holding States. s-I ..t..a .....ss
! should have been better pleased II her con-
stitution he'd been silent upon the subject Of sa'
very, and left it al an open question for future
adjustment; but that is q matter for the people
themselves, and not me, to determine. shali
vote to curtail her boundaries, as believe they
call for too much territory, and too much sea-
coast; aud if we do not limit them now, shall
advocate some measure providing for their sfu-
tuTe curtailment. But California must come in
to the Union. Her admission Is demanded by
the public voice and there 10 no moral power in
this Government that can keep hef out. i
I In conclusion, Mr.. Chairman. permit me to
ssk, what do gentlemen Of the North who con-
tinue to advocate the Wilmot proviso. expect to
accomplish BY pressing this question upon th.
Souths California, BY the solemn voice Of hef
people. has already adopted . ccnstitntisn ex-
GLIDING slavery, and is now knocking at the
door Of this Capitol for admission into the Un-
ions and in all human probability New Mexico
and our other acquisitions win do likewise
What. then, 10 to b accomplished but agitation,
and that Of the most dangerous kind, threatening
the very existence of this Rspublics Do yod
wish to force rs to the acknowledgment Of a
\ principle degrading 10 our people, and subver-
sive Of every prinsipie Of iu.6ee2
i Is your object to oppress the South? II sS'
let nae remind you that oppression dove our
ioreGathers 10 arms aud resistance; oppression
caused Hungary 70 draw her sword against one
ioi the most powerful nstions of Edfope' and
,loppression win break this Govefhrhent into as
,lmany Fragments - there are States and commu.
miles. |. your object 70 exhibit, n spirit d
. lvaniGr and seifshnsss, your numerical strength
1lupon this floor? II 50, then you are actuatsd
.lby different feelings from those which governed
j cur lofsathefs Ia their early and solemn delsb.
sletadsGp. Whe6 6hey met to form the Constitss.
eltiOnundse which we hive they mes - . PiRA q
rleoAss;; ;;afiun and forhssfanee..a s.zislf ~ 3,
: They Represented aiEsssAt views ,and dissf,
"a ~ L., Az