The North-Carolina standard., 1850-03-13

EDNESDAY MORNING, MAJ
the honorable member has given Us on that occasion
He lectured upon monomania with the JUNCTION Of
one deeply experienced in its symptoms, and left none
in doubt of his experimental knowledge of the malady
With wit which was chiefly derived from the
stores of memory and historical illusions founded
authority which justly entitled them to the character of
fancy sketches he ectured southern gentlemen for their
impudence, and with the er caihedra manner Of one
who has been in the habit of teaching with author
ity, recommended restraints upon the personal lib
erty of some of US, lest our freaks of insanity
should be mischievous. .s
With the deep acumen of one we'll informed in
the history of the country, he advised of the fact
that the ordinance of 1857 was precedent to JUS
ty legislation the subject of slavery in the Ter
rtories by Congress. Doubtless, posterity will
acknowledge the obligation for this discovery. We
had always supposed that it prior to the existence
of Congress or the Constitution, an ordinance or
treaty made by the old thirteen before the adoption of
the Constitution, which on its face, purpors to be
junior to the ordinance. But this is the age of
light, and progress, and discovery. His quotation
from the Scottish bard would have been peculiarly
appropriate to himself if he had remembered most
remarkable piece of history in his own State, of recent
occurrence Perhaps it has occurred too lately to be
remembered. On the 18th of January, 1850, the Leg
islaure of Indiana passed act directing the Gov
ernor to procure a suitable block of marble from a
quarry in that State, to be placed in the Washington
Monument, which is building in this city.
Upon it, by his direction, the following inscription is
placed: " Indiana knows no North-no Souh-noth-
ing but the Union. - On the 10Th Of the same
month the same Legislature passed resolutions in-
structng their Senators, and requesting her Rep
resentatives to vote for the Wilmot proviso as a
part of any bills which may be presented to Con-
gress establishing governments in the territory re-
Gently acquired from Mexico. Now sir, who but one
deeply affected with monomania would look upon
these two incidents, completely cotemporaneous,
without being struck with their absurd inconsistency!
The inscription to keep pace with the resolutions,
should have read-s Indiana knows the North, but
knows no South, and nothing of the Union founded
on the Constitution" Alas!
"No rim can hold licentious wickedness,
When down the tide he holds his fierce career,
We may as we'll send precepts to Lcviathan
To come ashore"
shall speak of the provso policy as unchanged {;
for although its aspect does present some variations,
yet the purpose is the same. The recent vote, lay
ing the resolutions of the gentlemen from Ohio Mr..
Roof, on the table, indicates no determination to
abandon the proviso. The change was too sudden to
be Sincere grew out of the fact that the resolution
was enlarged so as to include California. The reso-
luions presented by that gentleman few days be-
fore. to instruct the Committee Territories to
port bills for the government of the territory east of
Sierre Nevada, excluding slavery therefrom. was
subjected at once to motion to lay them on the table,
The House refused to do so by majority about as
large as that which laid them the table after their
amendment to include California California
was knocking at the door with constitution exclud-
ing slavery; and the instructions asked for would
certainly give up that advantage. 1t would be most
easy to explain that vote to the satisfaction of the
determined provso Free Soil constituency. 1t was
to give proviso territorial governments to the
territory of the Sierre Nevada, and hold to
the chances of the admission of California. When
California was included to lay the table left the
chances the for the territorial bills, orhowever
reported the proviso could be atached,) and the ad
vantage Of position which the restrictive constitution
of California has still retained.
If We were at any loss upon that subject, our
doubts are removed by the announcement of the gen.
tlemen from Illinois Mr.. Baker] that it was great
mistake that the proviso abandoned. He said that
when it presented to the House specific pro-
position this would be manifest. So there avas no
purpose to give up the proviso, anda faced determin-
alton 10 hold to any advantages arising from the
position of California. They would be unskillful
tactitions indeed who would fail to secure such ad-
vantages by parliamentary adroitness. If California
is admitted under the constitution tabbe, the
eectual proviso is enacted If territorial gov
enments ven to the country east Of the Sierra
Nevada, the provso will be attached to the bills; if
withheld, the mastery inactivity in appearance, but
executive interference in fact, which is the policy of
the President, will speedily settle all this question
against the South. saw through the whole matter
when the vote given. l was constrained 10 smile
at tho mistake, that intimidation had anything to do
with the apparent change of vote; it dexterity
it was skfu management, to make great progress
towards the consummation of the slavery restriction
without exciting apprehension-to give the South the
appearance of victory. in order that this concession
might insure ultimate and overwhelming defeat. The
excited South must be amused, must he Diverted and
this cheap device, costing nohing and worh nothing
to US, is resored to for that purpose. 1t would be
amusing, if it not so insulting to under.
standings to examine the various expedients which
sive to the policy which must end in their own ruin
And here l would refer to some incidents in ou1
history which ought never to be overlooked.
| pass by the surrender of the Northwestern Ter.
ritory without consideration, and the Missouri
promise. The first treaty made before the
Constitution, and the last, though unconstitutional
and oppressive to the South, has been long acqu
esced in to be tolerated that account. At leas
no southern statesman is now disposed to disturb it
come to mo.e recent events affecting the state o
the Union and giving color and character to the tran
sactions in which We find ourselves the actors. re
fer to fragrant and open violations of the Constitution
which justified and maintained by parties to thu
contract, we'll those concerning the constitu
tionality of which doubt has been raised only II
justify tyrannical majority inficting wrong. Car
which requires the surrender of fugitives from labor
or, in plain language, runaway slaves! The courts
have so decided, and the common sense of manknt
recognizes the simple provision in all its force ant
effect. The Constitution requires each member o
State Legislatures and all the officers of State to tax
solemn oath to maintain its provisions. With thi
oath upon their consciences they have enacted law
violating this provision, and given protection to tn
ugitive-denying the owner their State courts; fol