Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-10-27

high at,ainmcnis, to need our culogy, 1t is enough
that he isa Nirginian and one among the greatest
Of her noble sons. Such is the banner under which
we propose to rally for the next campaign.
Gen. Houston on, the Compromise.
We find in the Washington Union, CO.
piedfromth the Texas Presbyterian, a sketch
of a speech lately delivered by Gen. Sam
Houston, to the citizens of Walker coun-
", in defence of his Senatorial course,
and chiefly with regard TO his support Of
the Compromise measures of the last
session. His opinions and statements,
concerning the W measures, generally
esteemed most prcjudicial 10 the South,
are important, as confirming the positions
which the defenders of the Compromise
in Virginia have always maintained-we
refer to the admission of California as a
State into the Union, and the settlement
of the Texas boundary question. Upon
these subjects, Gen. Houston is reported
to have said:
Ito voted. also, for the admission Of California.
L or tlis ne ndd hrcn denounced. CIlliornla WIS
admitted as other States have been admitited.-
The people adopted u republican form Of govern
ment; they had prohibited slavery themselves
There was nothing in this rcpugnant to the cor>ti-
tuition of the United States. Ii was the very princi-
pie that the democratic party had always contend
ed for--tie principle that he had always contendcd
for, and that he would always coniend fnr-tLa: the
people have the right to make their own domestic
and municipal regulations and laws. Ii was ncces-
sary for California to have II State government; the
cmergency--the extraordinary state of things-le-
nanded it absolutely; the salvation of The people de-
pended upon it; the peace of the Union itself-pcr-
haps it, very cxistencc-dcpcnded upon it. Cali
ifornia was II remote TERRITORY; it was rapidly popula-
ting; the character ofthe population was anomalous.
A great minority Of the people were good people,
but there was a large intermixtirc Of bal men IT,
mong ttem-recklcss and abandoned and lawlcss
characters, whom it was necessary to intimilatc and
restrain by the strong arm of the law. The people
needed protection against such men, and protection
could only be afforded by u well-rcgu!ated State
government. lf that Ind been denied them. they
would not have been treated as American citizens.
They would have felt il; and would il not have w-a-
kcncd their attachment To this government Nay,
who will say that such an act ofinjnstice IN our part
such a disregard Of tlIcir interests and their rights
nigh, not have resulted in IA a remuneration of
their allegiance TO this government, What. then,
would have been the RESULT Could we have
forced them into subjection1 Could we have CON
qucred thrmi Even admitting that this were pos
sible. !; was not the way to preserve the Union: it
would have endangered lis existence. We record
the people of California as our equals, entitled to
all the benefits and privileges and blessings that We
enjoy.
He had been abused and denounced for these
and for many other things that he had done for
Texas but really he did not expect to meet abuse
for his asenry in the settlement ofihe TrNas-boun-
Diary question: measure so traugl,t with benefits
To Texas and blessings to the Union. This rprt Of
General Hcusion's speech was very interesting
He reviewed the history of the boundary question,
1t was a clcpr c;ucidation of the whole subject. and
was the ,nure interesting as it disclosed much of
his own private history in this connection tlut had
not before been published.
Ard all this had been acquired without a
single sacrifice Of principle or honor on our part,
and without leopardins in tho least the interests Of
our sister States of the South. On the contrary.
Texas, while r~cgardlul Of her own interests, gave
peace to the country. 1t was upon the acceptance
ofthe proposition made to her that the whole sys-
ten ct compromise turned. She had il in her pow
CT. by rejecting that offer, to oTen afrcsh the fearful
agitation of the slavery question between the North
and South She acted as became her, conscious Of
her duty to herself and the Onion. 1t was urged
that Texas, in accepting the ten million proposition,
would devote a portion of her territory to free soil.
Tins, ss far from being the cnsc, had the effect To
take OF the slavery restriction that already applied
to n large portion of her territory. BY the JOINT re-
solutions Of annexation. the Missouri line Of 80 30
was extended through Texas. No State could
have been admitted above that line as a slave State.
That restriction is now removed. and New Mexico
can come IN as a slave State, if the pcople desire to
do so; nor Is there anything now to prevent the
stakeholder from carrying his slaves into any part Of
the cedcd territory.
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