The southern press., 1851-12-13

them, as still do; the reason given me for de-
laying the reporting Of this bill-that if the
question inuolred therein should be satisfactorily
adjusted at that Time, Il might prope impossible
thereafter TO rouse the border States 10 energetic
action in co operation ,oith The other Southern
| States, for the pindication of their essential
rights, never having been considered by me to
be of character sufficiently solid to entite it to
operate potentially upon the deliberations of
Congress.
! repeat, Mr.. President, that cannot suppose
that the honorable senator from South Carolina
could have seen anything in this particular law
to demand that exhibition of his powers of par
liamentary objuration which we have witness ed
this morning To be sure, i was aware that
when the President Of the United States, in the
course Of the last winter, called our attention to
| the riotous proceedings in Boston in opposition
to this lava painful remembrance Of which |
suppose all now present to bear in mind-there
were Southern senators here--yea, sir, Southern
senator's too, who assume to be the peculiar and
exclusive guardians of the South-Who did not
hesitate to avow the opinion that any attempt on
the part of the Executive TO put down by mill.
tary force such an armed opposition to the law
as was known to have been set on foot, would
be most outrageous usurpation of authority,
and serious violation of the rights of the SOW
eregn State of Massachusetts. Mr.. President,
this doctrine was at the time most Justly de-
nounced in this body, and its upholders mostly
deservedly chastised; and the same doctrine has
been regularly adjudged by all intelligent men
in the South to have been in its inception little
better than sheer nonsense.
Now, sir, | shall state proposition to the
| honorable senator from South Carolina, to
which invoke his special attention. There is
no part of the plan of compromise that is re-
pealabe in its character except the fugitive-slave
bill and the District Of Columbia bill. The
latter / have shown to be unworthy of mo-
ment's consideration. California is already in
the Union, and there is no remedy known to the
Constitution by means or which she can be ex-
PEELED therefrom and restored to the territorial
state. The territorial governments are estab-
lished, and on such principles as Southern men
have always advocated +, and suppose that the
honorable senator would hardly contend that
Congress could, otherwise than by palpable
uslrpaton of power and a most shameless vio-
aton of vested rights, deprive the people of
Utah and New Mexico, so long cut off from the
blessings Of regular government, of the protec-
ton now afforded to them by the governments
under which they live. Texas is understood to
have VIRTUALLY, at least) received her ten mil
lions of dollars, or large portion thereof, and
all sensible men know that there are no const-
tutional means of getting it back without her
consent whilst no one possessed of a particle
of sanity would conjecture that she wonld ever
willingly restore the benefits Of contract so
manifestly advantageous to her. The great
practical question ut last upon my resolution is,
shall the fugitive. slare lao be faithfully enforced!
In other words, will our brethren of the North
through their representatives. " the two houses
of Congress, now declare, in some formal legis-
lative mode, that they will hereafter exert them
selves faithfully and theoretically TO give full
effect 10 this law, and thus evince their deter
mination to see perfect justice done to their
fellow-ctizens of the South! | repeat, this 10
the only important question now before the
Senate; and must be permitted to declare my
profound regret at finding that every senator
from the South is not found willing to cooper.
ate in a movement upon the success of which
the security and repose of that section of the
Union are undeniably staked.
The honorable gentleman from South Carolina
has been pleased TO complain specially, and with
an emphasis not little imposing, that the time
seems to have gone by for amendments Of the
Constitution Of the United States; without
which, | suppose, the honorable gentleman
would have US TO understand the Southern
States Of the Union cannot remain safe in the
.onfcderacy. This is not the first time that ]
have heard this proposition stated in this cham.
Der. w hen heard il first was not little
startled by it's enunciation. protested against
il the next day, as Of character highly DANGER
Gus 10 the peace OF the country. meet il again
now in the same spirit; for consider the honor
able senator from South Carolina as clearly
intimating that some constitutional amendment
is at this moment Indispensable to the peace and
happiness Of the Union. Sir, the only constitu-
lional amendment that ] have heard Of lately,
Is that extraordinary one recommended in GER
tain posthumous political volume, with which |
hope every man in America will shortly make
himself cquainted. The amendment suggested
in this volume proposes, that instead Of choos-
ing one President of the United States, we
should hereafter have tive Sected-one from
the North, by Northern vo, zone from the
South, by Southern votes. Essd Of these Presi-
dents is, believe, 10 have the command of the
army and the navy OF the Union, and double
veto power is TO be exercised by them. Such
an amendment would, as every man Of practi-
cal good sense in the world will readily decide,
break up the Union in about four or FIVE weeks.
Vow, it il is such fIntastical amendment as
this, or anything like it, that the honorable geo.
ileman FROM South Carolina wishes Incorporated
into that sacred instrument would counsel him
most seriously to let the Constitution of our
fathers alone for the present, or at least to be
certain that he has some scheme Of emendation
already matured, more worthy Of approval than
the one just specified, before he ventures either
to oblrude IL on the attention Of his country
men, or 10 complain that this nobest production
Of the humin understanding has lost all those
high capacities, which the wise men Of the land
once supposed It to possess Of securing the free
dom and happiness of the millions living under
its protection, as long as civilization and social
virtue shall continue to dwell in this favored
hemisphere.
The honorable gentleman complains some
what vehemently Of the want Of union in the
south, and declares that the Southern States
will be- inevitably ruined, unless there is more of
concord and united action among them. There
are two answers to this part Of the honorable
gentleman's speech. FvsL am Of opinion that
the South is really already in quite a united
condition-every Southern State, except South
Carolina, having clearly and undeniably decided
in favor Of scquiescence in the acts Of adjust
ment: and Secondlu III there is a want of abso-