The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-06-12

"''' +" 10 NV
Under what circumstances, if Congress
were TO adjourn without an adjustment, uflhis
territorial boundary question, without tho
establishment of Territorial governments Tor
Ulsh and New Mexico. would be left the
people Of New Mexico, Eas, Of the Rio de!
Nofie, in this conf1c with Texas Sir,
need not remind you of what every body
knuws,-of the settled purpose of dislike of
insufierahc authority existing upon the part
OF the people Of New Mexico towards Tex.
a.; dlsowning heir authority, denying their
cor quests, coniravon ming the existerce Of their
laws aud right, aud If they have The power
10 do IT, revolving against their au'horiiy.--
Yet all this is TO he let alone, and left lo take
care Of itself by the plan of :he President.
| That is no, my conception Of my duty as
an American legislator. 1t is my duty as
Statesman, To perform what we have prom.
ised TO perform.
My duty tells me TO extend to the people
Of Utah, a new empire, tie benefit of ihe SUI
pfeme authority in which they pariici pa'ed,
when they were a constituent portion Of the
Republic Of Mexico, and which, when they
came 10 US we promised TO extend to them.
That is my conception Of my duty, and
will undertake to do il. II cannot, on &C.
count Of the W,lmo, Proviso or on account
Of any olher obstacles which may be thrown
in my way, ! shall othave swerved from
my duly, bul shall stand acquitted in the
SIGH, Of God, and in my own conscience. |
shall be irreproachable for havit 9 deliberate.
Iy neglected to fulfil, or attempt, what be
Iie,ed to be The rlgh, kind of action for ap,
plying a remedy to the evils which the coun
Try labors UNDER While the Presidents
plan is confined to single measure, leaving
untouched the Governments Of Utah and
New Meyico-Ieav,ng the whole question in
respect TO them unsettled, and those terrific.
ries unprovided ior-leasing The boundary
between New Mexico and Texas open-ohe
OF the most threatening questions that now
present themselves 10 the countfy-he also
leaves unsettled or has failed 10 recommend
any plan Of settlement or accommodation for
the important aud Irritating question of lugi.
tive slaves.
| repeat it-let him who can, stand up
here and tell the country and satisfy his own
conscience, when tho whole country is cry.
ing for peace, when i, is imploring its rulers
10 bring quiet and repose TO its distracted
members-iet him tell ihe hole country
not in the columns Of newspaper, but in
his place here in The Senae-,hat he plan,
as proposed by the executive authority, is
such one as is demanded by the necessities
Of the people, and The exigencIes Of The pres.
enis crisis. | shall be glad 10 hear that man,
who can show such 10 be the case, and when
| am satisfied of IT, shall readily surrender
nta h,ok 4 b,v boJ Ia
instrumenlality in devsing.
Sir, know that there is iinaling idea in
the Southern mind such as we heretofore
have heard insisted upon, on this floor, of an
equilibrium Of power between the two sec.
| lions of the Unlon-some balancing power.
4 However desirable some such political ar.
rangemrnt, If possible to render it practca.
1 bic, might be, we all know that it is utterly
unaltainable. We all know that the rapid
growth and the great progress of the North
ern portion Of this couHtry is such tha, it is
impossible for the South to keep pace with
IT, and that il is therefore impossible FOR it 10
compete with 1t in power, unless the luIe Of
all Republics shall be reversed, and the ma.
lotiiy be governed by the minority. Bot be.
cause it is impossible that there should be an
entire equality in this respect because there
is not, aud canno, be, an entire equilibrium
of power belw zen ihe different ,eclnus Of the
country, does it therefore follow that the
Southern portion Of the Union is in any dan
ger, and that the Institution in which ii is
especially interested, is put IN peril by the
/ factl rust not. | believe not. What
are the motives for Southern rights in that
particular institution? In the first place
there is ,ha, sense of justice which pertains
10 men-to every man, 10 virtue Ot the
fact that he is man. In the next place,
there is the Constitution of the United
States. In the next place, there is the oath
which we all take 10 abide by tha! Constitu.
lion. In the next place, there is the neces.
SHY of the concurrence of the two branches
of the National Legislature before any act Of
legislative infection Of wrong can take place.
la the next place, there is the veto of the
4 President Of the United States applicable TO
any unconstitutional legislation which might
take pace in relation TO this insl,u,lon.-
Last of all, while we refer to peaceable and
civil remedies, there is the Supreme Court,
Of the United States ready to pronounce up.
on the amendment of every constitutional
law which may happen to receive the sane
tion of the Executive branch Of the Govern.
ment. There is also the responsibility Of
Representatives and Senators to their con.
sttuen,s; and lastly, though trust in God
that we shall never have occasion To use it,
there is the final right to resort to arms and
to make resistance wheo oppression aud ty.
ranny become intolerable.
Well, again, is the fact that this great in
,etes, Of slavery is in a minority in the Sen.
ate, a fact peculiar TO that inierestl No,
sir, not at all. How is i, with the fishing in.
tsreNl l,is greatly in the minority. How
is it with the manufacturing Interests That