The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-29

WaT tio counhOn property Oh all llo Otitte, dc-
CURED by their joint efforts, and bought with
their common treasure has been wrested from
the South and appropriated to the occupancy
and enjoyment Of the North by this .sscheme OF
adjustment" Its authors call it scheme II add
justment," but posterty will be more likely TO
call it a scheme of plumber.
A band of organized trespassers, a majority
| OF whom were foreigners and native Callfor-
mans, without the authority of law, without a
precedent in the history Of this Government, but
in violation of both law and precedent, We're
permitted under the fostering care Of the Cen
eral Government, to seize and appropriate the
larger and better portion of all this territory to
the uses and purposes Of the North The
South was excluded from it by a provision in
part at least by native Calfornians, upon whom
the rights of citizenship had not been conferred,
by foreigners who had not been Daturallzed. and
who could not vote anywhere within the United
States. a convention was called by militia y
chetain, ii not at the suggestion, ut least by the
permission and approval OF the General Govern
ment, which consummated the act Of inju tice
upon the rights of the South n convention Of
which half the inhabitants of the territory knew
nothing and in whose proceedings they felt and
took no interest; convention, the irregulari-
ties Of which, are seldom surpassed in the his
tory of the world. 1t was incumbent on the
| General Government AS the common guardian
and protector of all the States, to qua and
pre- tect the interests of the South in this con-
mon property. In failing to do so, it has failed
to discharge ut least some of the duties for
which it was formed
Territorial governments have been established
| for Utah and New Mexico without the Wilmot
Proviso. Why! Because the North says the
Mexican law excluding slavery is still in force
| in these territories Mr.. Clay, the author Of
this "scheme of compromise" holds the same
opinion. They did not deem the proviso neces-
sary or they would have inserted it in these
bills Is there any concession here! If the
| North intended to concede to you, this hunble
| privilege of carrying your slave property to
Utah and New Mexico, why did not they re-
move the distractions which they say exists and
exclude you as eflectually as the Wimot Pro-
viso could! They deny yonr right to carry
your slavcst TO hose territories; they voted down
every proposition asserting this right; and hold
up the Mexican law in terYorem over the South
ern stakeholder When the entire North, and
part Of the South too, hold this, opinion that
you are excluded by the Mexican law, Gan OPT
Mon which never held,) what will be the pTacti-
cal result! viii Southern men risk carrying
their slaves to the ~ territories the
hazard and expense of lawsuit to ascertain
whether they can hold them! They will not
Property is timid aud the whole of this vast
acquisition will be appropriated to the purposes
of free soil, ard come into the Union as free
States, unless some action shall be taken by
the South to break this current Of events
| y this adjustment Southern State has been
dismembered--a tax Of ten millions of dollars
imposed upon the people, two-ihirds of which
must be paid by the South. Why has this been
done? That territory, enough for one large
State-slave territory under the resolutions OF
annexation-mght be converted into free soil,
and come into the Union ns free State. Such
was the object and such will be the effect Of
Remembering Texas. No other consideration
could have secured the passage of the bill. By
the adoption Of this scheme of adjustment"
the South has been surrounded by free territory,
which will, if no counteracting influences are
brought to bear, come into the Union rs free
States. One great object for which Free-soicr-
have been contending for ears, is likely TO be
accomplished, to wit to surround the South
with Gordon Of free States.
4 Bv another feature of this scheme the slave
trade has been abolished in the District Of Co.
lumbia. This is but the entering wedge to the
assumption of jurisdiction over slavery, within
the District, and to general emancipation. The
next step will be 10 abolish it. The bill pro-
vides that if slaves shall be brought into the
District for sale, the owner shall forfeit his title
and the slaves shall become free. If Congress
possess the power to liberate the slave, because
he is brought here for sale, for what purpose
can they not declare him frcel The bill does
not stop here even--its operation is not con-
fined to the District Of Columbia alOe. II is
an interferencewith the slave trade between the
States The rights of both Maryland and Vir-
! 81, do
| Southern States are impaired by it. This right
| is not left, free and unincumbered as it existed
heretofore but is now clogged and DISTRACTED
| The citizens of these States can no longer coll
lect their slaves in depos for sale here or TO be
carried to other States. They are excluded
from this market and turned beyond the limits
of this District The South should demand the
repeal Of this law, unwarranted alike by the pro-
visions Of the Constitution, and common justice
to the Southern States.
The SoutI ern portion of this "Compromise"
is the Fugitive slave bill. That bill is intended
to give force and effect to an express provision
of the Constitution. The bill confers no right.
The right of the STAKEHOLDER to recapture his
slave was conferred by the trainers of the Con
stitution, and the bill is only designed to give
practical operation to that provision, which has
been imperative for sixty years, in half the non-
slaveholding States. II to enforce an express
provision of the Constitution, be a conce +sion,
then should be wiling to admit this conces-
sion, provided the Northern States would en-
force the law. This, however, has not been
done, and fear will not In one State it has
been rendered dead letter by Legislative enact
ments, (Vermont) and in the others the efforts
to enforce it, have been wholly Intellectual in
most cases.
Such beingyin my opinion, the character of the
acts passed at the late session, am for no tame
acquiescence or submiss sion. ] am fully aware.
however, that but little can be done by the
South in her present divided anddistracted con-
dtion to stay the hand of the aggrcssor. There
is too much division Of sentiment, fe ling and
opinion, in the Southern States If the South
had been united and spoken az one man through
her delegation in the last Congress, against the
adjustment" it would never in my opinion have
passed The divisions of her people at home
on this question have brought her to her pre-
sent amentable condition, and will continue, il
not healed to invite aggression till her fate shall