Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-15
lion Then the Convention adjourned.
Letter from NSui, II, King, ESQ.

, , PISE llIL1s, Dallas CcuSTy, JrHE Is, lSal.
W! Dear Sir very much regret That MY absc.nrt 40
''e deprived me ol the pleasure UE receiving your ic'
- ir'er al an earlier day. hasten answer
. doubtless attach 10 opinons much geaer Important
= 'ah they deserve but, of Senators IN II
cvnhcis vi the Nntion you have right tn demand them
Il" poitica questions aDd especially "se affecting yo
personal security and rights Of property shall proceed
lay them before yuu with Tho frankness that becomes
Concealnents of opinions deliberately formed ha
ana trust never WILL constitute any par Of my carace
pubic or private. shall be deferred from giving
cface irnn the apprehension that They may not be in az
coroincc with those which Others rnettan that by maxim
lhcfa KNOWN may affect niuously my standing publ
man. This s we'll understood bv those who have know
me longest and Know me best. Ii tall into crron whc
every man is liable-wien convinced Ul promptly ADM
and ctrart it, but much as desire ohtan the app:obato
81 the people have hono- represent should feel tina
was unworthy OF I'll. position which il has please
them TO place me- if, 10 gain II, were 1" trim my sails
every popular bre, Zr and .ol r the blrat;.y owe m
common country. condemn for honestly dllltrln
with me in opinion, but have much sellrcspect, and,
lrns Independence 10 surrender mine own 10 please an
man or any set of men.
had supposed ny action the sc.caIled c"mpro
mise bill M the last Congress- together with the whic
governed IL had brtn plainly marked ~ my nahc icca
ratoIS and vors as 10 preclude The possibility Of nsappc
hension From the of your letter. this nDt II
be The case brief statement will, trust, put end Il
all doubt cav fur the future. was as you know,
me committee OF thirteen, which reported the compounds
BILL Without going n" detail will only it did not re-
ccVc my sanction IN cnmmllicr nor moud under any CIR
cnmstaRce hare Supp0yl reporsa The Il
which principally objected were, the admission Of Callof-
MIA as State with territory extensive tIn any Three
States in the Union, and The clause which canc parS
slaves Drought INTO lhe District or sale could not all u
see that most IF those wh" advocated the admission OF Cali
orna with her rXrravagInt limits would bur for III. prot-
otlon oi slavery contained in her constitution have been HE
most violent in opposition 10 her reception into the Unon-
she owed her adm!ssJi tlcl 10 the lct that the people ol
The sateodlns States were deprived o an equal plrlcl-
pa"n in territory which, OF right, equally belonged TO 'he
citizens OF all the States. Finding that here fixed ma
JoTy determined 10 perpere this act Of Injustice brought
TO the direct VOTE made ciJr curai the limits OF the
Salc that territorial government might be established
y
fair thar my pr"poson proper in ITSELF would succccd ii
however, failed and California became State with hous
and miles n No could have felt more indig
nant than did al this par and unjust egis1tion but
free TO declare that have been able lo in the
measure violation OF the Constitution as contsnsa tor
by many; did 81 consider it. neither could nor would have
expressed the opinion that the people Of the South coud
with honor and under the circumstances Should acqneSce
in what had been done. The Constitution simply gives 10
Congress the power TO admit States, and the only
srclun upon the o.! this power is that the State
Constitution shall be republican, No territorial training is
required, Of Congress 10 the formation ot the Con-
suiton previously given, is be found The whole mat
ter rests Congress exercise sound discretion.
As respect. the Bill for ahoshing the slave trade in the
District Of Columbia which you particularly call my al
tenti1n wish tu he distinctly understood. Al an early pc
rod ." the first session of the last Congress, dccarc! in
my place in the Senate, that stood ready al Iiinc 10
authorize the breaking Of those 81 ave arts in the midst
of the cityocnssc as they were 10 decency pr'ndcal 10
health AID in many respects shocking IN humanity ~ was
my desire cl1hc the corporate authorities OF the city with
the power abate them uisanccs wenavcrry conceV-
ed proper do and for sucha bill would unhesatlns
" have given my votehavin no fears That by such inca
sure slavery the District wuuli b. affected njhousy-
The people directly interested enter ned No aPpfehen-
sion of the kind-and think sly with certainly that
nine euhs of the ci,iZcns desired those slave br
suppressed h,ever voe against the bill as il passed
because the penalty for Violating HE law vas me ""ancph
ton OF the slave and lroud not under any cirru Stances
hare gren sanction 10 paon in The DissrH oum
5a rhe<r penalty for nc rioaton qfa tam or in any
other should feel bonnden duty 10 roe jo'
The repeat tic emancipafiag clause ftenerer proposed
Permit me advert the Otncf provisions
o The b reported by the COMMITTEE and or WHICH, ateI
Undergoing several notifications gave my vote-nnd lirs
a. 10 the boundary of Texas. fully satisfied that in
irving my support tie line agreed on although hal
,onrendc1 for different boundary was p:om"ting the true
interest of Texas and Of the whole South The camor
which has been raised against the nasure 'ha slave ter
forv had been surrendered lrccsul has no foundation
IN fact. Many, however, without giving 10 the sIec;
thorough examination, have been made TO believe t't me
boundary of Texas had bcen established at the time I" her
on,yation and that right the whole territory cast ol
me Rio Girande, from lis mouth Ia It's source, was nnqueS
toned ything be erroneous When MI calhoun
AZ Secretary of State ncgoin,cd treaty win me ir%as
commissioners he openly declared that he considered her
,re Western boundary 10 be line 10 bc drawn tho"sh
hat was known the desert lying between the NueceS
and Rio Gmrie. That treaty was rejected by TIE Senate
A. subsequent session. the resolution which passed. au-
nozng the admission oil Texas expressly reserved me right
If this government IL hX, by ncgotiI2n WIN !icA.'
bar western Notwithstanding! said about the kio
randc- Texas came into tie uninn er western
nmnd,rv unsettled The CilDrt 20 settle Il by negotiation
nvnn failed Gen Taylor directed 10 take position or
~, e 81 nuk of the Tycrhe removed i1n f"in lsa"cl
md rncampcd opposite Matamoras The battles ol Pdo
Rrsaca de Ia Paln1 lriJwel rlht WIS uth ;" IA
nv Mr. Calhoun the bold fearless and nnconprpmisln a-
, and defender Of Southern rights and Southern ine-
e.ts He denounced, in most Indignant TERMS he au'h-
aton OF COL Polk for having involved the country IN an
nst and unnecessary war, by the invasion OF Mexican
,,rr Texas then State of the Unon had mol, IN tn'
!o of thn distinguished man, any wcl-founded claim
p ,srrory bordering on the Rio Graude ana in that
nnioJn he sustained by many VINO no" oehouhcg Us
hcs to the South all those whn aided IN Securing 10 eN
s ,c undsputcd possession OF territory large enough o
% states the right 10 which they had strongly denied "
hr No territory has been surrendered 10 ree.so ues
ha neope Of Utah and New Mexico, when tcy ior CON
s,n,ion and apply for admission ns States thlhA pfoe
h,t slaycrY-an for the unrestricted exercise OF thls
.;nht we u the South hnvc always commended Govern
~. we're established or these territories IN stiics aGGor-
lance with all le territorial acts heretofore passed. VII" "s'
e,r.pun uf that for Oregon. There Is no leS,e,l 30
o,vrry; and the nbles statesmen, ana most aS'lneu
o tic South entertained no doubt mat ile o"hcS "
NAV With perfect security take Them 10 either OF These
,sT,i,rics regardless Of the Mexican law
IT I'd hr Southern Senators and Representatives entcr
cd nny doubt on this subject do suppose lhat tcy
- and ul would have voted for tho bill known az hc ga!
nn bill which the question as 10 the validity % m
MYirun law be- decided by The Supreme court
M I ,ver, that that decision could fail 10 slsiih the
uhs of The Soulh7 Yet then, noy the advocates o'
sstance contendcd that the aw {" hcHco eAeu'eu ,I
TL, hcy did not themselves believe what they ~ iou,
or,nJ ia apparen from the fact that they iotea hSa"s
he amendments the appropriation O!' ol ut a,.
sim which authorized the President TO Css'p''Hn
ovsrnmrnts SAYING nothing on The subject o s'a.t'! @
e, uroent were they for positive rcsrc'ion' tit s
yery near defeating The passage OF the ci'il anu M
appropriation BILL 10 which, alter tue r'Jsc''h u " '
ton bill we had attached the proslson ,;,;o, to 70
Mv nnv reason for voting in favor OF The proposition 70 a
ai ,he Neycan law, when made al the last session, @
,ht KNEW property be sensitive, and feared na ..ns
rn,s ,nyht be deferred from removing win "ir 7'' g
r hss territories even should the discovery oi 'at'i
Vines render their labor profitable after the opinions on ui;
@ 40 CIV and Webster given in favor "i .'e '"'u.
80 nS nn Mexican law aboiishnC slavery = o. "''' ~
md mat alone uouid again rotc for us repedt.
Sn, saw that am claimed by the Cnon-suomss'Di ,a' :
or vor county 1.-THE claim set up resis upon Tue
INN ,h,t am an for The formation ot o @
;,h.r sate or federal, it is most erroneous. "G '1'' @
td =, Washington during the last session. t",a n c m
rI t s hai no one contributed more 10 defeat i !'J
mp a did have always considered ae g'I, o
,,ic Marty as the true Union party ana lla h"'' nu
is required to put down sectional divisions anu p'ss
@ :, ,n h rmony Khan have the govern'n"h aa'',,s
peae ~ conformity with democratic principles. iaS
ever been STATES Rights Of the Jefferson M @ = 81 -
a ressIr appeal 10 ny whole public he !" poor % -
,,inn @ am moi howerer prepared 10 ai'::t '':t ~ =,
So, either the constitutional or inc e53'eu s.
aoost from the Union consider il 10 DC palahlou
right Inherent every people 10 Tse al,,es ,e
ESSENTIAL rah,s and becomes tou grevouS 10 DC oolne ~
b, for, ihe nature OF ledefalIve sEs'en i hoa
a M nS, ,r" iEcua n,ud3 TO accomplish that o9Jec' :,
have heretofore given ruaic'iy TO my ste%s - si, ~ ~
,"hich conceive the alasehoiins States Ei!ca.-
r in refsrencc 10 the action OF the las Lhg'es, an"
iEl