The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1850-08-17
EX WM, II. BAXN NE,
DEBATE IN TIE SENATE.

|
| The following sketch of debate. is probably
about the most important which has occurre
on the all-absorbing topic which has occupied
| Congress for the last eight months. 1t is a de
| bate which ought to be read by every body. 1t
took place on the 1st of August We copy from
the Union:
Mr. MASON. Sir, if there be any
event which has not yet transpired, but
upon which can reason from facts that
are known, l apprehend it to be this: that
the slaveholdng States Of this Union have
made up their minds irrevocablv to admit
of no further trenching upon what they be-
| lieve to be their rights than was done in
Missouri Compromise. | think, Sir, that
those who are conversant with the people
of the southern States, those who read the
newspapers from those States, and who
have looked at their primary meetings,
and the resolutions of their general assem-
blies, will find that, although they declare
unanimously that 1t was concession to sub
NIT to the line of Sc deg. so min.. they
| will submit to nothing below it. take
it for granted that at the proper time the
same amendment which was offered to the
bill lately under discussion by the senator
from Louisiana Mr. Soule will be offered
to this, as a substitute for the amendment
of the senator from Mississippi, if it shall
be carried, OR in place it, if it should be
last. want to know why it is that the
majority of this Senate, having the power,
will refuse TO do now, in the case Of Cali
fornia, what they were prepared to do
within two short years past, affecting the
tory of California? Sir. if refusal IS to
| hn LAT no lof
pie understand distinctly where they
stand. Sir, | have looked at the record,
because it has been said that this line Of
Sc deg. SO mir, much as it has beer sought
by the people of the southern States, had
been refused by them at former day.
| In 1913 proposition was made by the
honorable senator from Illinois Mr. Dou
glas7 to extend that line to the Pacific
ocean, together with the compromise there
| in contained. which was declared to be in
full force and binding for the future
ganization of the Territories of the United
States. The effect of that proposition
was to run the Missouri Compromise line
through this very Territory of California,
which they now propose to admit as
State. And how was the vote? The
/ ty- three to twenty-five. The whole of the
exception of senator from the State
of Florida, whose name does not appear
on the journal. aye or no. Twenty-siX
votes were given for it by southern sena
tors. All the senators from the South
voted for it except the one senator; it had
seven votes, including four senators
upon this floor When proposition fol
lowed 10 engross that amendment, 1t re-
celved twent y-iive votes from the South
the senator from South Carolina, who is
now no more, Mr. Calhoun. being the
only southern senator voting against the
enarossment. The amendment was or
dered to be engrossed by vote of thirty
three. including eight senators from States
where there no slaves, one senator
from Illinois changing his vote. Now,
sir, | present thls from the record, to
show that when this compromise line was
offered IN 1913 it met the unanimous as
sent Of tie southern States upon this floor,
with the exception OF one senator from
South Carolina. And further, when it
was stricken out in the other wing of the
Capitol, and when a motion was made in
the Senate to recede, every southern sena-
tor with the exception Of one, the gentle
man who made the motion to recede) voted
against 'receding, and this vote included
the senator from South Carolina, Mr.
Calhoun 80 ''" :'5.''.';
= Mr. BERRIEN. Willthe senator from
Virginia allow me to ask him to what bill
he has reference now
Mr. MASON. | have reference to the
amendment offered by the senator from
Illinois Mr. Douglas to the Oregon bill,
which before US in 1913. / need on
y read part Of that amendment:
That the Sth section, together with the COM
promise therein found, is hereby revived, and
declared to be in full force, and binding for the
future organization of the Territories of the
United States. In the sense and with the
same understanding with " hich it was originally
adorted.i'
The line was thus to be run to the Paci-
ffc, and through the very territory of Cali
tornia which is now sought to be introtluc-
ed as a State into this Union. Now, sir,
if the issue is to be made up between the
States holding slaves, here it is. In lS48
it was assentcd to. If, in 1850, it is to be
refused, in reference to the very same ter
ritory, and lift is to be refused under
protest of senators from the southern States
here, declaring that, in their belief and ih
their judgments, those whom they repre-
sent will at every risk and hazard insist
upon it, submit to the Senate and to the
nation, if those disastrous consequences
which are anticipated should ensue, upon
whom will the responsibility rest Sir,
this line of 56. so min., believe has
been almost odions to the slavehoidlng