The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-06
iu.t and benevolent purpoae 70 nrrument. which

=
pored recesses of New Mexico, would be followed
by new revelation of the will of the Almighty in
regard to it.
point Inc 10 tyrant who ever deprived his subjects
| Of what he deemed necessary for them. Nero
| thought one neck would be more than enough for
the Roman people, when he wished they had but
one that he might destroy the body polite blow
| Perhaps they can point me to any act conterring
| or declaring human rights that not abstrac-
ton IL was observed by one Of the founders of the
Commonwealth Of England that the promulR CATION
Of those rights had always been in terms not :
crete, but abstract"* Our experience s the
same There is the Declaration of Indt tpendence,
with it's solemn recital Of the natural equality Of
men, and of the inaenablity Of their essential
| rights. There Is the Constitution Of the United
States, beginning with its sublime summary Of the
objects OF the Government, and ending with its
Jealous bill of personal hts What were these
but distractions! There Is the bill of rights
in every constitution; and even the constitutions Of
many of the slave States hopefully assert abstrac
tions of equality, which. for want of only com
plete development OF political Justice, not yet
reduced to the crete by established laws
Perhaps moreover. the apologists can show me
come act deciaratory OF human rights that did not
give offence. The tyrant Of France took umbrage
al the noble motto which Algernon Sidney in
scribed in the album of the King OF Denmark
M MAsus Hec INIMIcA ryRANSIs,
ENsE PETIT PLAcIDAM sun LIBEarATE oUIETEA.
Nay. Agernon Sidney expiatcd with his life the
offence Of writing mere distractions the fundA-
mental principles Of own Constitution; and
among them the Wilmot proviso, thus ex-
pressed by that immortal patriot "The liberty of
one man cannot be limited diminished by one
or by any number of men, and none give away
the right of another"
Equal justice always excites fear, and therefore
always gives offence; otherwise its way would be
smooth and Its sway universal. The abstractions
"f human rights the only permanent Iounda-
tions Of society. 1t is by referring to them that
men determine what s sstablish<d because il is
RiGHr, in order To uphold il forever and what is
right only because it is establshed, in order that
they may lawfully change II, in accordance with
the increase OF knowledge and the progress OF
reason.
! The abstraction now in question is the right OF
all the members of State to equal political free
dom That is the Wilmot proviso--that is the pro-
viso OF freedom-call it by Whatsoever name you
Will III 1t ever was right at any time, in any place.
under any circumstances. ii Is right always in all
places, and under all circumstance 1t can be re-
noonced safely nowhere. Certainly New Mexico
10 not the region, s hers the soil, hers the
cline, where it should be renounced. New Mexico
Is the very field of the contest If we surrender
here, where we have all the vantage, where else
shall We find ground on which to make resistance?
We have taken a breathing spell from annexa-
ton Of territory to divide the gains This division
once made, no matter how, the national instinct
an instinct fostered by democratic sentiments and
sylnpathics. and invigorated by martial mbito0-
Will hurry OH In y career that presents scarcely
formidable obstacles. Whatever seemed attractive
TO the slave States in Louisiana, in Florida in Tex
as, in New Mexico and in California, u sur passed
in the valley Of Mexico, in Yucatan, in Cuba, in
Nicaragua, in Guatemala, and in othcr States of
Central America. There fields native to the
tobacco plant To the rice plant TO the plant
and TO the sugar cane, and the tropical fruits
and there arc even mines Of silver and Of gold
/ There the climate disposes Incidence, indo
/ lence To luxury, and luxury to slavery. There
/ those who can r. ad the Wilmot proyiso onlv 4.
/ the rigors OF perpetual winter, or in arid sands
Will fail to discern Its inhibition. Our pion ers
are already abroad in those inviting rcsions;
our capital Ia making passages through tn m
from ocean to ocean; and within ten years those
passages will be environed by American commu-
nities, surPassing in power and wealth, il not ia
numbers, the unsettled and uncntcrprising States
now existing there. You will say that national
moderation will prevent further annexation. But
national moderation did not hold bac k from the
Mississippi, nor from the Nueccs, nor from the Rio
Grandc, nor froIn even the of the Pacific
ocean. The virtue grows weaker always the
nation grows stronger.
The demand Of the slave States for a division line
Of 36' 80, or elsewhere across the continent, be
tween slavery in the South and freedom in tho
North, betrays the near expectation of these con-
quests The domestic production and commerce
IN slavcs will supplsnt the African slave trade and
new slave States will surround the Gulf Of Mexico
and cover its islands. Those new States, combined
With sa,e States already existing, will constitute
slave empire, whose seat of commerce ON the Cree
cent leyec viii dominecr not only over the south
ern portion of the continent, but throu gh the Mis-
-issippi and its farreaching tributaries, over the
broad valley that stretches away from the foot of
the Alleghanies TO the base of the Rocky Noun
tains.
This. sir, is the dream of the slaveholder, and
tins is the Interpretation thereof. know full well
That II Is woven OF the stuff that all " dreams are
made on.' ] know how hopeless would be the
attempt to establish and to maintain such States
and an empire composed Of such States But
know that nothing seems to slavery impossible,
after advantages already won; and that caismitios
distant, and therefore derided will not deter il
from the prosecution of its purpose, or ertinguisb
the hope OF success.
There IL a sound ma kim which teaches that every
government IS perpetually degencrating towards
corruption, from which it must be rcscued at sue
ceseve periods by the resusciaton of It's hcst pnn
ciples and the establishment Of its original con
stituton. The blood IN more native 10 the heart
than the principle Of the equality of men contained
IN tnopsinsnce of 1857 tO the Constitution of the
UNI States. The Constitution Of the United
States coners no power upon Congress to deprive
men of their natural rights and inalenable hb.rty
shall, therefore INSIST upon applying the provisO.
not only where 1t "a necessary TO cave territory
from slavery, but even where it, application might
be waived, means Of preserving and renewing
the Constitution itself. Ii cannot be bad'poitcal
husbsndry TO stir the earth and apply fresh mould
tO the roots OF the vine loreisthcrs planted,
when its branches are spreading themselves abroad
and clustering upon the States which surround us
Cherishiag these opinions. have struggled. and
shall struggle to the last, to extend the ordinance
OF 1887 over New Mexico II fail in that shall
not then surrender II by entering into the Kidding
covenant contained ia this bill: bot shall fsfl
back, as ] did IN The case of California, upon
tho people OF the Territory and leave New
Mexico IN the mean time under the protection of
her ancient laws, deening her more safe in sit
ung Tree, though without guard, in open danger,
than enclosed IN a suspected safety This, sir,
viii be non intervention-such non intervention
as you and can practice and can Justify; not
voluntary ,self-imposed intervention 20 6etray
or expose freedom, but compulsory non -interven-
ton, when all intervention TO save IL has failed.
The Presid.nt anticipated that failure through the
known discordance between the two houses OF Con
gress, as we all might we'll have anticipated it; and
therefore he recommended the alternative without
an unnecessary trial II would have been wise for
the slave States to have adopted it then; 1t would be
wise for the Senate to adopt IL IL reject il
little longer shall only reach IL at last throu oh
the necessity which he 90 well foresa~. When that
time comes he will have his triumphant vindcs-
ton; lor then IL will be said truly OF him. az i, was
of the noble Roman. never did he do NOR. for hsr-
mony and for freedom than when To dull and pre-
JUDGED apprcbensions he seemed to be doing no
thing
need only indicate the application Of thess re.
marks to Utah.
The District of Columbia, the offspring OF the
Republic, Ia cherished equally by ali of the States;
anu II the destnies OF tho nation correctly ap
prehendcd, the capital must one day stand ''in
and the bb~ nj arts will.