The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-21

provision Of the constitution into effect BY its own legs
laon The power was thus wrested from the hands Of
the State authorities and swallowed up by Congress.
conflict necessarily between the laws OF Congress
and those OF the States upon this subject, when the
Supreme Court Of the United States put end to the
controversy, by deciding that the right and duty OF
providing for the execution OF that clause OF the con.
sitution in Congress. and not in the States. The
North. as in duty bound acqulesced in The decision,
which stripped them OF the authority and OF abb
solved them from the responsibility OF doing that which
the senator from South Carolina claims at their
hands of the conditions Tor the preservation OF the
Union There may be defects, and doubtless are. in ex
listing of Congress upon this subject They should
OF be remedied and must remind the senator that
is much his duty mine 10 devise the remedy, and
Of the South as well as Of the North to apply it, Upon
this subject OF the surrender OF ugtves from service
there may be some ground for complaint and undoubed
~ is but in my opinion il has been greatly exaggerated
We in Illinois find difficulty in preserving friendly
relations with neghbors in Missouri and Kentucky,
We live near enough TO each other to understand and
precate the characters, conduct, and motive OF each
Hence comparatively speaking, have no difficulties.
So of the people OF western Virginia, Maryland, and
Delaware, with their neighbors across the line One
line bordering on the free and slave States. would
be the scene OF all the excitement, yimlence, and
ourages OF which we hear so much, But no. We
hear not word about dsunion and Southern Conyen-
tons from these people. They and understand the
and extent OF the evil and know how much reality
there % init But when we behold Vermont and South
Carolina, New Hampshire and Alabama, Connecticut and
Louisiana, their suerngs utterly inolerable! And
this for the very best OF reasons They have very little
q ~ personal knowledge q each Other her habs
upon by any man who Is mischievous unprincipled
enough to practise the imposons and the preudices OF
each the result q ass minds a 70 re-
Hence we find that the war RACES furiously between
these extremes, whose positions preclude the idea OF their
having any real grievances involved in the struggle, or
being able to comprehend the true merits Of the conrover
sy II is impossible to get Caron;an to comprehend
and appreciate the character Of the people and institutions
OF the North, is for aboonst to understand the
true Condition Of things the South
now pass to the consideration Of the remaining con-
dton insisted on BY the senator from South Carolina as
essential to the preservation OF the Union;
To provide Tor the of provision in the cons-
tuition, by amendment which will restore to the South
s the was
by the action OF this government"
And therefore, without reference to the merits Of the
proposed amendments am willing to hazard the predc-
ton that the northern States will consent to no amend
ment OF the constitution which shall be presented under
threat to dissolve the Union We not in the habit
Of making and changing constitutions in that way.
Whenever you have any amendment to propose, will
examine il carefully and dspassionaely, and il we APP
prove we will adopt IT. and il not we will reject it.. We
are willing TO abide by the constitution as it and per-
form with fidelity every duty and obligation il devoves
upon We will protect all your rights under the
stuton il was made by fathers; but when you go
beyond that and demand your rights under the consttu
ton as il rs to be, we know not what you mean.
When the amendment to the constitution alluded to by
the senator from South Carolina shall be presented to us
in due form, will be better able TO Judge OF its merits
think the senator has enough, however, to indi
pretty clearly the idea he intended to convey As
understand him, he desires such an amendment as shall
ibrium between the free and savshoding States; in
other words there shall always be many slaveholding
as d es ses ns Son my ae nn
be moral and physical impossiby In the frst place
il is not be presumed that the people of the slave
States would ever agree 10 such amendment to the
constitution and, secondly, il they should, il would be
impossible carry it into effect have already had
remark that the time OF the adoption of the
constitution there twelve saveholdng States and
only one free State and Of those twelve, six OF them
have since abolished slavery This fact shows that the
course of freedom has steadily and firmly advanced,
while slavery has receded in the same ratio We all look
forward with confidence TO the time when Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri and pro-
badly North Carolina and Tennessee will adopt gradual
system OF emancipation, under the operation OF which
those States must in the process OF time become free In
the time have vast territory stretching from
the Mississippi to the Pacific, which is rapidly filling up
with hardy, enterprsng, and industrious population,
large enough to form at least seventeen new free States,
onshaf OF which we may expect to see represented in
this body during our day OF these calculate that ioar
ston from Mexico, including the present State OF Cali
fornia two OF the Territory Of Minnesota, and the
residue ea o. the COUNTRY upon s ely vs m
each OF these will be free Territories and tree States,
whether Congress shall prohibit slavery or not Now,
let me inquire, where you 10 ind the slave territory
with which 10 balance these seventeen free Territories
any OF them Will you answer me in Texas
have already shown that il Texas should be divided
least three of them would in all probability be free
and for that reason among others, have expressed my
serious apprehensions that Texas would never con-
sent 10 the subdivision. Will you annex all Mexico :
II you do at least twenty OF the twenty-five will be
free States il the "law Of the formation OF the earth,
the ordinances of nature, the will OF God" to be
respected if the doctrine shall prevail OF allowing the
people TO do as they please repeat the question, where
is the territory adapted slave labor, out Of which
slave States can possibly be formed' There is none
none al ALL We must look al things they exist, and
talk plainly and frankly one to another about them
These may be unpalalabe truths 10 gentlemen but
il is well that their attention should be called TO them, that
they may examine them, and decide for themselves
whether they are not in reality undeniable truths.
Them sir, the proposition OF the senator from South
Carolina is entirely mpractcable II is also nadmissi-
BILE, il practicable. Ii would revolutionze the unda
mental principles OF the government II would destroy
the great principle OF popular equality which mus neces.
sarily form the basis OF all free institutions II would
be rerograde in age oil progress that would
astonish the world. The people Of the United States will
never entertain the proposition, much less adopt II.
speak in positive and general terms, perhaps general
as have no authority TO speak this question for any
one but myself
lat the suggestion OF Mr.. BADGER, Mr.. DOUGLAS
yielded TO adjournment, with the understanding that
he to conclude his speech to-morrow1
ny DYER q BROTHER, Auctioneers.