The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-27


Again: We have just quoted his opinion Of
the "bill Of surrender" and, shortly after, Mr..
| CLINGMAN says:
| al do not pretend that this exclusion could be
claimed a. apolitical victory by the Free soil or
Abolition party"
Why not, we beg to be informed, if slave
holders are excluded from the territory? And
though these are bills of surrender, Mr. CLING
MAN says:
"The Abolition party had staked itself on the
passage of positive act of exclusion, viz: The
Wimot proviso or Jefiersonian ordinance. After
few weeks discussion, it was driven from this
ground, being defeated on a direct vote.''
| What bundle of contradictions! BY the
bills Of surrender" slavery is excluded from
the Territory, in the opinion Of northern men;
and yet the Wilmot proviso was defeated, and
the Aboltionists not only "staked," but
frustrated and foiled" in the plan Of admitting
the Territories as free States but still, Mr..
CLINGMAK says:
passed did, in the end, practically give them the
exclusion of slavery, which they desired! !!'
Does not all this sound like the cross readings
OF newspaper, OF some Of the editorials of the
Southern Press? The Abolitionists in these
measures were " staked," and then. frustrated
and defeated, they had no victory yet they
got what they desired
And again; by limiting slavery they will
benefit the South by driving them to manufac-
turing, although " limiting slavery to the area
itnow occupies, is the greatest injury with refer
ence to that interest which Government could
possibly inflct on us, until it shall have attacked
the institution in the States themselves
Again, we are told, that by giving up all this
territory, &c., "we have put it in their power
to call to their aid, at future day, twenty or
thirty additional free States" And how is this
to be done2 A little further on in the same
speech we are informed, and we beg attention to
those words, as illustrating the " future policy
of the Government" as follows:
"When Texas is filled up by our emigrants, they
cannot be prevented, from passing the Rio Grandc
and revolutonizing the neighboring provinces.
They are destined TO be occupied by our slave
holding populations; (what is to become of the
thirty additional free States?') "It will fill up
all the country around the Gulf. including the
peninsula Of Yucatan, and, perhaps, the northern
portion of the South American continent. This
state Of things will be likely to even before
our interest requires it. That, whether it be de-
sirable not, there il power on this continent
to prevent it. Mexico il altogether too feeble.
This Government itself cannot do it. II had as
well attempt to curb the waves of the ocean.
say. boldly, that if the Government makes the
effort, it will itself perish in the attempt"
Are we not dealing mildly with this speech,
when we forbear to speak of this policy as it
deserves2 But surely there never were as
many palpable, gross, enormous contradictions
in any speech before of the same length. Hear
this:
"No car imagine that we need have So
rious fears of attack from either the northern
States or any foreign power"
And this:
"Ihere Is reason to fear (what no sane man can
'imagine') that the additional strength given the
free States may at a future day embolden them
to make an attempt upon which will result in
the overthrow Of the Government"
Well may one who thus speaks say also that
" our people no longer rest on the Union as the
solid rock of safety. rejoice that it is So"
One more singularly absurd inconsistency of
assertion, and we leave this part Of the matter.
We are told that the southern people need
have no fear of an attack from the northern
States; that they are to have Yucatan and the
northern portion of the South American CONT
nent as slave States that it cannot be pre-
vented that the slave States are able to take
care of themselves, and will be getting stronger
for some time to come; that the next decade
will show large increase in our southern popu
lation; that ssno body of people upon earth is
better able to defend itself against attack -
that whoever lives longest among us, whether
the Union lasts or not, will see tho southern
States
"Still free and beautiful, and far
Aloof from desolation."
All this Mr.. CLINeMAN tells us in his speech;
and yet shortly after he gravely asserts that if
the s'anti-slavery party should get the entire
control of the Government, as they are la
boring to do, and have prospect of accom-
plishing, when they have brought in suffi-
cient number Of free States, may at their will
make the Constitution, possibly in form, GER
tainly in practice, what they desire it to be.
As our system Of society is radically different
from theirs, they might so shape their legisla-
ton as to isolate us and take away our sub
stance entirely, and leave the southern States
little better than dead body fastened to a
living one. This condition of things is what
we have most to apprehend."
We have heard Of waggish fellow who re-
marked of sermon he heard in New England,
that there was no connexion between the text
and the sermon, and, if the text had the small
pox, the sermon would not have caught it. Mr..
CLINeMAN's speech is very like this sermon.
1t will hardly be believed, that with all this
rage for conquering Yucatan, Mexico, and South
American spite Of all treaty obligations-that
Mr.. CLINcMAN voted against the annexation Of
Texas.
Wetender Mr.. CLINaMAr our thanks for this, |
at least; he has declared in this speech, crowd
ed as it is with glaring contradictions and in
correct statements, filled with antI-American, |