The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-06-19

on this, and on all public occasions, in the I
most emphaticand clear manner to declare
that hold some of these laws--and especial
! ly that which provided for the adjustment Of /
the controversy with Texas-to have been
essential to the preservation of the public
peace. | will not argue that point, nor lay
before you the circumstances which existed |
az that time at any length--the peculiar stu
ationsof things in so many of the Southern
States, or the fact that many of those States
had adopted measures for the separation of the
Union--the fact thatTexas was preparing to
assert herrights to territory which New Mex
leo thought was hers by right, and that hun
dreds and thousands of men, tired of the or
binary pursuits Of private life, were ready
to rise and unite in any enterprise thatmightI
open to them, even at the risk of direct
conflict with the authority Of this govern
ment.
| say, therefore, without going into the
argument with any details, that in March of
1850, when | found it my duty to address
congresson these important topics, it was my
conscientious belief-still unshaken-ever
since confrmed-that if the controversy
with Texas had not been amicably adjusted
Il there must have been civil war and blood
shed and in the contemplation of such pros
f pect it was not a farthing's consequence to
! me on which standard victory should perch.
In such a contest we take it for granted
that no opposition could arise to the author
ity of the United States, that would not be sup
: pressed But what of that? did not care
: for the military consequences of things-I
looked to the civil and political state Of things
a and inquired what would be the condition
| ofthe country, if, in this agitated state of
things-if, in this vastly extended, but not
e generally peryading feelings at the South,
S war should break out and blood-shed should
ensue in that extreme of the Union? This
!, was enough for me. And if the chances had
been but one in thousand that such would
: have been the result, should still have felt
, that one thousandth chance should be guar
t ded againt by any reasonable sacrafce; be-
cause, gentlemen, sanguine as | am for the
!, future prosperity of the country-strOngly
y as | believe now, after what has passed, and
: especially after those measures, that it is
} likely to hold together yet believe firmly
7. that this Union once broken, is utterly inca.
It pable, according to all human experience
$ of being reunited-of being reconstructed
Of by any chemistry or art, or effort, or skill o.
e. man. Then, gentlemen, passing from those
IS measures, which are now accomplished anC
Sc settled, California is in the Union and cam
m be got out, the Texas boundary is settled anc
n, can't be disturbed; Utah and New Mexico art
W territories, under provisions of law according
d. to accustomed usage in former cases-anC
I'd these things may be regarded as settled
N But thensthere was another subject, equall
agitating and equally irritating, which, in ii
IN nature, must always be subject to consider
lis alton, and that is the fugitive slave law {
to 1850, passed at the same session of Congress
d. ALLOW me to advert very shortly to what
W consider the ground of that law. You kno'
he and | know, that it was very much oppose
"a IN the Northern States-sometime with a
ny gument, not unfair, often by mere ebulitiO
y, Of party, and often by those whirlwinds
'as fanaticism that raise a dust and blind til
tai eyes, but produce nothing else Now, GEL
ost tlemcn, this question of the propriety of tt
elf Fugitive Slave law, or the enactment of son
&C. such law, is a question that must be met
On Its enemies will not let it sleep or slumbe
| They will "giye neither sleep to their eye
to nor slumber to their eyelids' so long as the
the can agitate it before the people. 1t is vii
ri them topic-a desirable topic-and {
ate know, who have much experience in poll
ex cal affairs, that for party men and par
of times there is hardly anything SO desirah
ere as topic. Laughter
nal Now, gentlemen I am ready to meet Il
ma question. | am ready to meet i'll am re
dy to say thatit was right, proper, expedieI
age just, that proper law should be passed
to the restoration of fugitive slaves, found
ion free States, back to their owners in the sla
as States. l am ready to say that, because
say, only repeat the words of the constitution
MIS- self, and am not afraid of being consider
Ems, plagiarist, nor feeble imitator of 9th
dis mems language and sentiments, when /
ents peat and announce to every part of the col
try. try-to you here, and at all times, the /;
be- 1gglage of the constitution of my country.
in Loud cheers.] Gentlemen, before the re
ere, luton, slavery existed in the Southern Stat
lich and hadexisted there for more than hui
ces, red years..
- We of the North we're not guilty of
heir introduction. The generation of men e.
land in the South were not guilty of it. It
9 af- been introduced according to the policy
lnge the mother country, before there was any
ARA dependence IN the United States-inde
that before there Was any authorities in the c.
and MES to resist it, Why, gentlemen, me
hat opinions have so changed on this subject,
properly-the world has come to so m
N Of iuster sentiment-that we can hardly
ry- lieve that which is certainly true-that
ether the peace of Utrecht, in 1877, the Eng
the government insisted on compensation f
hing Che Spanish government for having viol'
nes contract by which theSpanish goYernn
TO had established the unqualified and exclu
real 7? privilege to the British government for
enter porting slaves into her West India colon
ms That was not then repugnant to public 81
{ the lment, butt is now. allude to it to 5
eayor that the introduction Of slavery into the
these thern States is not to be visited upon
5cien- generation that achieved the indepcnd
hole. of this country. On the contrary all
assed eminent men of that day regretted it
ettle- you, my young friends Of Albany, if you
It an take the pains to 90 back to the debate
ersies the period from the meeting of thefrst
laws gress, in II Il mean the Congress Of
itY Of confedera ion ID the adoption Of the pr,
ID the Constitution and the enactment Of the
Presi- law under Che existing Constitution
nd bodyWho viii make that necessary rese
i'll of viii find that Southern men and s.
4 and ern Ststes, as represented ia Cong
oassed lamenfed the existence 0f slavery II