The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-10
Address OF Mr.. johnson, OF Kentucky,
To the Voters Of the Second Congregational Distriet Of


AZ Hse ote's " He SeCoHu SO"STesst0"ob DroHptV
Kentucky.
GENTLEMEN; Having long since formed my de-
termination not to become candidate for Con-
gress again at the election take this method of
announcing the fact to the district had intend
ed to advise you of this at earlier date, not,
however, because the fact in itself is matter OF
much consideration, but because, as general
thing, every member of Congress is regarded a
candidate for re election until il Is known from
reliable source that he is not.
The circumstances with which the late session of
Congress marked all fresh in your rccollee.
ton; 1t Is, therefore, useless for 70 recaptuate
them. 1t may suffice to state that on the 80 day Of
December, 1919, when the members composing the
first session OF the thirty first Congress met to de-
hberate on the affairs of the nation, grave fears
were INDUCED and expressed, among the most dis
tinguished experienced, and patriotic politicians,
both In and out OF Congress- that the peace Of the
American people might not be secured and their
Union preserved. These fears were not confined
10 narrow circle OF umid friends OF the Union, as
some ultra politicians, both North and South,
tend, but were the theme OF conversation in
every circle. mention this "a fact of no impor-
lance at this time except 30 far as it tends to
Ifest the state OF excitement and public anxiety
then existing in every portion of our country. The
difficulties which led to this state Of public feeling
are known to have grown out of our territorial
QUESTIONS from Mexico, by the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo.
At the period of the meeting of the fret session of
the thirty first Congress there in both houses
the National Legislature two great parties, formed
those with which we have been hitherto familiar the
one was known as the Northern party, composed of
Abolitionists and Free soilers (wth very hon.
orable and prominent exceptions among the mem
beers OF Congress from the free States,) and the
other was known as the Southern party, composed
OF members of Congress from the saveholding
States. For time the North contended, through
their representatives, that the territory which
had acquired from Mexico should be free; and the
South contended with equal pertinacity that, ac
cording to the genius and spirit of our Constitution
portion of it legitimately belonged to the south
ern or slaveholding States. OF this latter party
lcds one. The people of California having formed
constitution for themselves, in which they pro-
hibited SLAVERY, knocked for admission into the
Union as State The people of the non -slavehoid-
ing States, through their Senators and Representa-
tives in Congress, were in favor of her admission
separately, as distinct proposition. Many mem
bers OF Congress, myself among the number,
contended that there were valid objections to the
immediate admission of that Territory as u State
lst, that her territory was too large; I'd, that
the number of her bona tide inhabitants had not
been ascertained; and Sd, that she had not under
gone the ordinary term of territorial pupiage
to which the other States of our Union had been
subjected. California embraced only portion of
the territory We acquired from Mexlco-Utah and
New Mexico being still unprovided for.
In addition TO this, there was an unsettled boun-
dairy question between the State Of Texas and the
Territory of New Mexico, which was likely to pro.
duce collision of arms between the authorities of
Texas and those of the United States Texas hav-
ing asserted her title to and jurisdiction the
disputed territory, and her immutable determine
non to maintain the same and the President of the
United States having asserted his constitutional
obligation and inflexible determination, while the
question OF boundary was left open by Congress, to
maintain the authority and jurisdiction Of the
United States over the same territory, there was
no ground left for diplomancy-the casuist was
left without reason to doubt the result, and the
conflict Of arms was the sole arbter by which the
difficulty was likely to be settled.
In this latter event, there could have been no
olh hat hc IF no frat al
would have summoned to the field thousands of our
fellow citizens from the South and from the North,
whose hearts now beat high for the Union.
very large proportion of the South, prompted
as well by interest by sympathy, would have
rallied for the support OF Texas, while the legions
of the North would have gathered themselves to-
gether for the support of the Executive. While it
Is not for you myself to say what would have
been the result of such collision, it seems to me
that it does not require the exercise of much thought
to see what must have been the end. In addition
to these distraeting and annoying considerations,
there was yet another subectin which the savehold
ing States were vitality interested.
refer to the very lame and imperfect provisions
OF the law of 1898 called the Fugitive Slave law.
While this law Of Congress gave the owner of
slave the right to pursue him into free State,
when he escaped from labor, yet it's general provi
sious were SO loose, and the means of enforcing
them 80 difficult and uncertain, that the law it.
self had become dead letter the statute book,
and it was, as you know, almost impossible for the
owner OF a slave to pursue and recapture him when
he escaped into free State To remedy this evil,
we'll to settle the other difficult questions to
which have referred, and restore peace to the
country, it was proposed in the Senate of the Uni
ted States that committee Of thirteen should be
appointed, composed of able and distinguished
Senators, whose duty it should be to report
a scheme of compromise by which these various
questions of dispute might be honoraby settled Of
this committee MIR. Clay was the chairman. The
committee, after mature elaboration, reported to
the Senate, through their chairman, scheme of
compromise, by which it proposed, in sub
stance to settle the question of boundary between
the State Of Texas and New Mexico, by giving to
the former ten millions of dollars. Ii was further
proposed to organize suitable form of territorial
government for the Territories of New Mexico and
Utah. leaving the question of slavery slavery
to be settled by the people Of those Territories when
they come to form constitutions, and ask for adj
mission into the Union States And it was fur
Their proposed to give to the people of the slavehold
ing Staes more efficient remedy for the recap
ture of heir fugtives from labor; and to admit Cal
ifornia nto the Union a State. 1t was proposed
to unite all these several questions together in
single bill, but that bill, when introduced into
the Seatc with all these measures embraced
In 1T, vas defeated in that branch of the Ma |
tonal legislature, not, however, because the |
Senate vas opposed TO the several measures of
compromise in detail, but because majority of |
Senatortwere averse to union of all these mea- |
sures OF compromise in single bill This is GER !
tainy tr,e from the fact that afterwards the Sen
ate. as veil as the House of Representatives, sup
ported al of these several compromise in
supsetnC' dS sley were reported 10 the senate |
by Mr.. Clay, but in separate form sup |
ported mot cordially all of these measures of com
promise, hcause their passage thought to be |
the suresmcthod OF settling an angry controversy, |
the continuation of which would most likely have |
Terminate in consequences most detrimental to our
Union he passage of these bills has secured the |
peace OF tie country in a great measure already; |
and II the are sustained, as hope they will be,
by the meal sense of the country at large, our
Union asStates, and high destiny nation, |
must continue to make America the envy of all |
other natios, and our land the place of refuge |
for the DON'T rodden and oppressed of all the
world. Dotted as | am now, and have been, |
TO the Unn, shall affiliate with any par !
ty or iactn whose object shall be it's dissolu-
ton. Wit the faithful observance of the prov- |
sons Of he Fugitive Slave law as it now
stands, as ell as the other compromise measures
to which ave referred, Government must |
stand at hieoment on frmer basis if possible than
when our fabers first established it. Our Union as
II as, our tioi at IL has been, Union foreper.
am gratlfi at the evidences have received that
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