The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-27

rather ultra American. They were FAR from US,
and saw that they might lead to political dis
tnrbance, and voted against them ali--against
the treaty, and against the peace, and am glad
OF it. Seeing that il would be an occasion of
dispute; that by the controversy the whole
Union would DO agtated, Messrs Berrien.
Badger, aud other respectable and distinguished
men oil The South, voted against the acquisition
ana the treaty which secured it, and if the men
OF the North had voted the same way, we would
have been spared all the difficulties that have
grown out oft lApplause]
! Now, there is no sort of doubt pentlama,
that there were some persons in the South who
supposed that California if it came in at ali
would come in as slave State You know tbs
extraordinary events that arose there. Yon
know that California received rush from the
Northern people, and that an African slave cond
no more live there than he could on the ton Of
Mount Hecla. OF necessity it became free
State, AMI that no doubt was a source of much
disappointment TO the South And then there
was New Mexico and Utah; what was to be
done with them! Why, gentlemen, from the
best investigation have given the subject and
the reflection have devoted to it. I,cas of the
opinion that the mountains Of Neto Merico and
Utah could more sustain American siarery
than The snolcs Of Canada. saw it was impos-
sible thought SO then, and think 80 now
Therefore, gentlemen, mhen il toas proposed in
Congress 10 apply The Wiimot Prooiso 10 Neu
lHerico and Utah, il appeared 10 me just as aJ-
Surd as 10 apply IL here IN Western New York. |
saw that the snowy hills, the eternal mountains,
and the climate of those countries would never
support slavery No man could carry slave
there with any expectation of profit. II could
N n bp nd M ho AZ, L. "a
irritating and disrespectful, was not willing to
do it, and, therefore, | saw no occasion for ap
plying the Wilmot Proviso to New Mexico or
Utah. voted accordingly, and who doubts it
now! The Idw admitting those territories pas
sed aoiihoM any proris0. Is there slape, or is
IL likely there niH be one Meres WHY, there ia
not a man in the United States so stupid as not
to see at this moment, that such a thing was
wholly unnecessary, and that it was calculated to
irrtate aud offend. And am not one who is
disposed to create irritation, or give offense to
our brothers, or to break up fraternal friendship,
aoithom cause. The question was open whether
slavery should or should not 20 to New Mexico
or Utah. There is no slavery. There is not
the shining face of an African there 1t is ut
terly impracticable, and utterly ridiculous to sup
pose it, and no one, who does not mean to ani-
tate, will urge it. Well gentlemen, we have a
connected with the press some, am sorry to
say, connected with the learned professions.
They agitate-their livelihood consists in ari.
tating-their freehold, their copyhoId, their
capital, their all and ALL depends upon the excite.
ment of the public mind.
Gentlemen, these things went on at the COM
mencement of the year 1850 There were two
great questions before the public There was
the question Of the Texan boundary, and of
government for New Mexico which consider
as one question; and there was the question of
making provision for the restoration of fuci-
tive slaves. Gentlemen, on these subjects
have something to say. Texas, as you know,
established her independence of Mexico, by her
revolution and the battle of San Jacinto, which
made her sovereign power. | have already
stated to you what have anticipated from the
movement-that she would ask to come into
the Union as a slave State We admitted her
in l845, and we admitted her as slave State.
We admitted her in 1915, and we admitted her
with her own boundares-rememl er that. She
claimed by conquest all that territory which was
commonly called New Mexico, east of the Rio
Grande. She claimed also by these limits what
her Constitution had declared and established
as the proper limits of Texas This was her
claim, and when she was admitted into the
United States, the United States did not define
her territory. They admitted her as she was.
We took her as she defined her own limits, and
with the power Of making three additional slave
States. say "we," but did not always re-
member that. Now, in this state of things, let
us 90 back to 1850. What was the state of
things in 1850? There was Texas claiming all
that, or great part of that which the United
States had acquired from Mexico, as New Mex
leo. She stated that it belonged to her by con-
quest and by her admission into the United
States, and she was ready to enforce her claims
by the force Of arms Recoect that is not all.
A man must be ignorant of the history of the
country who does not know, that at the CON-
mencement Of 1850, there was great agitation
throughout the whole South. Who does not
know that six or seven of the largest States Of
the South had already taken measures for sepa-
ration--were preparing for disunion in some.
way! They concurred with Texas, for Texas
was prepared or preparing to enforce her rights
by force of arms. Troops were enlisted, and
don't you remember, gentlemen that at this state
of things how many thousand persons in the
South were disaffected towards the Union, or
were DESTROYS for. breaking it up, or were ready
to join Texas---to join her ranks, and see what
they could make in a war to establish the rights
Of Texas to New Mexico? The public mind was
disturbed There were thousands and thousands
ready to JOIN Texas. Now, al the extreme
South at this time disafected towards the
Union. These very men were in condition to
fall into any course Of things which should be
violent and destructive.
Well, then, gentlemen, what was to be done
again, as far as Texas concerned? Allow
me to say, gentlemen, there are two sorts of
foresight. There is military foresight, which
sees what will be the result of due appeal to
arms; and there is also a statesman like fore
sight, which looks not at the result of battles
and carnage, but through the results of political
Disturbances, the violence of faction carried into
military operations, and the horrors attendant
on civil war. ! never had doubt, gentlemen,
that if the administration of Gen TAYLOR had
gone TO war, and had sent troops into New
Mexico, that he aoouid haze Uhipped them in a
week. The power one side was far superior
to all the power on the other But what them
What if Texan troops, assisted by thousands Of
volunteers from the disafected States, Ind
zone TO New Meyico and had been defaatcd