The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-28


tuition as well as the rest of it? | suppose there
are before me here members of Congress-
suppose there are members Of the State legisla
ture, or executive officers, under the State gov
eminent. Isuprose there are judicial magistrates
| Of New York, executive officers, assessors super
vlsors, Justices of the peace, and constables, be-
fore me. Allow me to say, gentlemen, that there
is not, that there cannot be any one OF these OH
GERS in this assemblage, or elsewhere, who has
not, according to the form of his obligations
bound himself by solemn oath, before his God
to support the Constitution. They have taken
their oaths on the Holy Evangelists Of Almighty
God, or by uplifted hand as the case may be, OF
by solemn asseveration, as is the practice il
| some cases. But one and all of them, there'is
not man who holds. nor is there any man who
can hold any Office ia the gift of the United
States, or in this State, or in any other State
who does not become bound, by the solemn OBJ
legation of an oath before God, that he will sup
port the Constitution of the United States
Well is he to tamper with that Is he to fater
GenNmen, our political duties are as much mat
tess Of conscience as any other duties--our sa-
cred domestic ties, our most endearing several
relations, are no more the subject for conscien-
tious consideration and conscientious discharge,
than the duties we enter into under the Consti-
1
teal brotherhood are the bonds which hold us
together from Maine to Georgia. Now, gentle.
men, that is the main story of the Constitution
OF the United States on the question of slavery
Gentlemen, contend, and have always contend
ed, that after the adoption of the Constitution
any measure OF the government calculated to
bring slave territory into the United States, was
beyond the power of the Constitution, and against
its provision. That is my opinion, and it al
ways has been my opinion. II was very consis
tent, or thought to be so, for the same purpose
in Jctferson's time, to attach Louisiana to the
United States. A treaty with France was made
for that purpose. But Jefferson's opinion al
that moment was that an alteration of the Con
stitution was necessary to enable it to be done
In considering what will not now repeat thai
opinion was abandoned aud Louisiana was ad
mtted by law, without any provision or altera.
ton in the Constitution. At that time was too
young to hold any office or take any share in the
! political Affairs of the country Louisiana was
admitted as a slave State, and became entitled
to Der representation in Congress on the prin-
ciple of mixed basis. Florida was afterwards
admitted. Then, too, was out of Congress
had been in it once; but had nothing to do
with the Florida treaty or the admission of Flori.
da.
MY oPuiiou Ienaiiis uHc"aHReu, tHdt IL was
not in the original scope or design Of the Con.
stltution to admit new States 9pt of the foreign
territory, and that for one, never would con.
sept, and no matter what may be said at the Sy-
racuse convention, or any other assemblage Of
insane persons, 1 neper you'd consent that there
should be one foot Of slaUs territory beyond ichaf
The old thirteen States had al ihai Tins Of The or.
NATION of The Union. Nerer, neuer The nss,,
cant 81 10 his face 70 mo 6nf say q can 1r0tf
that eUer departed from hal s',etr'vs ne '0onid
sneak array, and sank dicay or hare dnercendry
heep Thai ne n,gh say iohaf q D'errenefy dposfaie
from liberty DANIEL Webster has tecoH,e' laugh
ter and cheers lie knows harasslf ~ e 2 hypo-
cr'te and taisiher, But, gentlemen, Twas IN
/ public life when the proPosltionsto annex Texas
to the United States was brought forward 1ou
know the revolution ~ Texas, which divided
That country from Mexico, was " the year 1888
or sc. saw then-and don't know thai II
required any particular foresight--that u would
be the very next thing TO bring Iexass which
was designed to be aslaveboiding State INTO
this Union. l did not wait. sought an occA-
sion to proclaim my utter 0pefsiop "A any such
measure, and determined 10 resiSl ~ sfh al my
strength 70 the last. Now gent{Pmen, ie1s not
for your edIficatlon, am suFqs tnat l now revive
what have before spoken In the presence OF
this assembly. was IN this city IN the year
lS37,tnnd Tong before lleif New York on that
excursion, IN the course OF which went 70 the
South and returned here, my friends IN New
York were kind enough to offer me apubc
dinner as testimony OF their public regard for
me. ,cent Out Of my ray on H'dt Occasion, fov
the purpose o. sho,c'ng ichdf Idnf'ctpdted m he
atiempt 10 amer Ieras as a siare ferrifory and
SAID should De opposed oy me 70 the ldst erfre'-
uy. And Nioio.s Garden, IN March, lS51,
made speech. We'll, there wasthe press all
around me, the Wing press andthe Democratic
press. Some spoke conmendatory enough OF
my speech, but all agreed that took pans 10
step out Of my ray 10 dspounce IN Advance The
ANNEXATION 81 Ierds as stare territory 70 me
United States. said on that occasion lien
tlem'en, we all see that by whomsoever posses
sed, Texas is likely to be slaveholding conn-
try; and | frankly avow my entire unwilling
ness to do anything that shall extend the slave
ry of The African on this continents or add other
slaveholding States to the Uniou.. When said
that regarded slavery as great moral and pc-
! litical evil, only used language that has been