The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-29

| is trCe that General Taylor uid establish
a civil government in California, by exeici-
sing authority which Congress refused to
give him " 1t is true, :" that the dynasty
which rules our country, has paid no respect
to the opinions Of the people, or Of the rep
resentatives Of the people and in defiance
Of the Constitution, has solved the great
questions which have agitated the country"
| by the exeltion Of his official authority. All
this is true and up to this moment, no friend
Of the administration has yet come forward,
to justify an act Of usurpltion SO glaring,
and SO injurious in its effects, to fourteen
States Of this Union.
| The state OF this question on the fourth day Of
March lS49, has not been forgotten. Congress-
had just closed one of the stormiest sessions
known TO our political annals; dnring the whole
of which, the question of gescfaenenis for the
territories constituted the theme of each DAYS de-
bate. The reference of the great question, which
| formed the only impediment To their establish
ment, 10 the adjucaton of the Supreme Court,
had been discarded by the North the tme-hon-
| ored line Of the Missouri Compromise had also
been rejected; and in despair Of elFectng any ad
justmcnt before the adjournment of. Congress,
| in its last stages, the proposition was distinctly
made, and supported by the South, to extend the
laws and Constitution Of the United States over
all the acquired territory, and clothe the EXecu-
| tive with plenary power for their government till
Congress should otherwise ordain. Another pro-
position was just distinctly made; To establish
the law as il existed under the sovereignty of
! Mexico, and invest the President with the like
power for its enforcement. To neither Of these
plans did Congress lend favorable ear, but ad-
journed, leaving the territories just as they were
during the period of the last administrations The
present dynasty came into power. And scarcely
had the representatives Of the people, left their
seats in this Capitol, before schemes were set on
foot to do the very things which Congress had so
peremtoriy declared should not be done. The PHI
ant emissaries of Executive power were dispatched
in hot haste to California, carrying with them
''the views of the President, and the programme
of a government to be established at once, lest the
ensuing Congress should make bare the long con-
cealed opinions of the tenant Of the White House
on the very question which had brought him into
power. The Mexican law on the subject of sla,
very, which Congress refused to establish, was
judically determined by Executive decree, still to
be the law Of the land The military governor OF
California was, in contempt of the Constitution
clothed with the full powers Of civil function
ary. Under the dictation of those from whom he
held his commission, a convention is called, in
the face of all precedent and all law, to carry into
effect the known wishes OF the. President. All
that relates to the qualifications Of voters, is pre-
scribeG by this subordinate officer; thus welding
through the authority of the President, powers
belonging to Congress alone, and,by it refused to
be granted. To this violation Of all law, this dis.
regard of all precedent, the motley inhabitants arG
nstigated by the proclamation OF the President to
procced and that the power and patronage, and
influence Of his official station should be used to
protect and defend them in the government they
should form. And who, sir, were the suilragans in
the formation of this state of government Hosts
of mere adventures attracted hther merely by the
lust of gold, with no settled purpose to make il
their home. The conquered Mexican, with bin
peon slave; the travelling black-leg with his fare
box; the sailor who landed but the day before
and who left the day after the electon the Sand
wch Islander, whose father had been cannibal
the subjects of every despotism III the world, nnt
swarms from all the North were there. In fine
from every point Of the compass, except from thu
injured South; that very section which had mos
contributed to the acquisition of the very country
from an interest in which, they of oil others
were alone excluded .....
These, and such as these, gave form and impress
to the government we are called upon to ratify
From influences like these, sprung the constitu
ton we arc called upon to sanction Sir, was
ever such usurpation exhibited under govern
mcnt of limited powers? A Caesar might hay,
done this thing, or a Cromwell, or Napoleon
but if so, it is only because each was maste
in his own day. and they whom they tyran
nized, were the willing victims of imperial sway
Sir, let it not be urged in defence Of this act o
''kingly prerogatye, that it was the unpromptet
and deliberate act Of the people who were in Cali
fornia. He that sets up such defence but insults
the intelligence OF the people, and subjects him
self to the imputation of a want of 1t, or else to
the suspicion of want of candor. The object
| was too palpable to mislead the least inquirng
mind. Ii, to save the country from the horrors
Of anarchy had been the true, as it is the alleged
reason for Executive interference, this act of usnr
patton would be robbed Of much that is obnox.
ious to severe reprObalion. But such Il concu
sion is excluded by the fact that, for an opposite
| and contradictory reason, the President recon-
mends that New Mexico and Utah, which are in
like condition with California, be left without any
| government at all.
cannot, therefore, Mr. Chairman, lend my
sancto to proceeding, which, whether It's res
possibility be referable to the President and his
| Cabinet, or to the heterogeneous inhabitants oi
California, is alike in violation of the Constitu
ton, and at with all the precedents and all the
usages Of the Government, from it's earliest dawn
cannot, by my vote, settle the principle, that d
handful Of mere adventnrers ard irresponsible
soiourners, without the disqualification Of citizen
ship-ignorunt of our institutions, and holding nc
sympathy with the principles of our Government,
may seize upon the public domain of the United
States without limit, and, IN contempt OF the
! rights of the propretors Of the soil, mould and
/ fix the character Of its institutions throughout al
coming time. will not, by my vote, ratfy this
arrogant and surreptitious appropriation of what
belonged to all, to the benefit of a few; even
though it is sought TO be consecrated, under tn,
spccious but fimsy pretext, OF the right OF self
| government. -, ~
How then, are the parties to this great nationa
controversy affected by the California feature oi
this proiei Of compromised Why, SIR, 1t is wrestec
from the South by fraud and "kingiy prerogafire,
and as "Tae Union," very properly remarks, sis
great point gained by the North. D."
but let us see if any equivalent for the entire
surrender Of California, is proposed TO the South
in the next feature of this plan, as set forth by
! "The Union"
at provides for the establishment of terrtoria
governments for the Territories of Deseret and
Utah, ,ciiI,om any legislation with regard to sla
very. 1t adopts the principle of non-interven
ton upon the subject of slavery, leaving. tho
whole matter to the people of those territories tc
settle and determine for themselves when they
shall come into the Union as sovereign States
The South is willing to leave the question to tho
arbitramcnt of the Constitution of the Union, ant
the people of the territories interested, wei
1 knowing the natural impediments and obstacle
phich may be interposed by eristing Girl insfitu
tions against tLe introduction cf siarery into os
territories Therefore, far in the proposed ad
| iustment the North gains positive advantage IL