Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1851-12-04
FIRES ~ I-saetsa.g TlrgiEias Mr. GA
COL. JOHNSON AND THE WILMOT
PRQvIS0.

1sf ReCAt VII
Remember that towards the efnse OF Mr. Polks Adj
saiaiStrasion-Ehen the bill lot organizing terri-
satias Governmen, for 0regol Eas under consiae-
ratiaa the Wimot Provisq ieti6em rsY6is.< was
wspt1nly adixed 10 il The Missouri Cemprosnise
lipe had only extended 10 The Rocky Meauiains-
besend which, this territory Law An effort was
made IS Southern members TO procure an acknowl-
edgmens from the representatives OF the Free Siaes
asAas shs Pfosiso was applied u the bill. because
Tie territory lay north ii The line. which woaid
have been drawn, THE Missouri Compromise had
been extended to the Pacific hut this they posi-
sfrey refused &c ACCORD, and raised the simple -
she IL right 10 enact fhe Wimot ProyiSo For
fas bid in this shape--lr fdl isslge disactbs sRas
GU Joseph johnson. nowthP Democratic candidate
f1s the {SoveFnorshin Of Virgiaia-rate4 Mr. Polk.
signing The Sill deerped j, necessary 10 make an
exp'ansior, and enter protest against this action
ot Coassess, But even under these circumstances
aud notwithstanding the necessities which be al.
ieged 10 exiss-his Southern friends warmth con
aemped his eour.e in signing The bill. Col. Johs-
son s-toie was vauntary-ana withou, proteS, Or
kxpsanaiion. What shadow tof excuse could he
have had What possible apology can his sup
ipslsr~--the pat ereslissee Southern Rights Party
.--msRe for him
TEe.facts relating TO the whole transactieu> are
Summed up in the article from the Richmond
Times
BY this history from the records Tsee
Congressional Globe, page l9s,l iAppears
tiat Cot JdsspA Johnson he D.stocraiic aoas
siiaee fiojr Goreraer GoTEDFOR THEoR,
ECON BILL WITH THE WILM0T
jPROXISO ENGRAFTED UPON IT:
5a9tte,thst6Hding The tfistntct arstruis Of the
:Hoabera mIoftfy Dlit il scaS not iatehoea
! as fztcastoa of Tie Missouri COMPROMISE
gad16a ne same PbrlSo aroati4 b. applied
E9a any Territory aeqpiref ftom AZ qico
/ New let the cavillers at Mr. Summers o.
Diuidns held twenty years ago, and now re-
puaiated, apologize bestthey may for sup
porting candidate, who is recorded upon
.lhe recent records of Congress. as voting for
the greatest aggression which the South has
eyer yet suffered from the North Let
ton and Houston for perpetrating the same
:afente in tile Senate. or if they are forgot.
Fpn, they can bereadly revived And let
.Ae people Of Virginia heed tile facts We
l,ave disclosed, aud judge whether JOSEPH
johnson is entitled to fheir support
To show the effect of tile passage Of the
Oregon Bill, and the purpose for which ii
WAS introduced into. and forced through,
Congress by reckless NnrtEcrn majority,
aided IN the vote Of Col ,Iohuson. we intro
:lnce TIE testimony Of three great leaders Of
lhe Democratic Party {Souttern, Western
ind Northern) Calhoun, Benton and Van
aSuron
In the celebrated Z Southern address, as
written by Mr. Calhoun, the following pas,
sage occurred :: /" At the late session they
passed. bin to establish territorial govern
nient f5r Oregon, <contaiuing q precision Ia.
ftad5a5 siars,g unaccompapied by cQmpro-
mise or Ivy making any concession or equiv,
atent whatever to the South h qraS 50
paSssi protdsSlf}y 10 ass 10 the unlimited
tnntf@ o. Congress orer the satieect II rcas
FIX frst Til Of tbe kind erer passed, anil marks
i'll mppfdpt. stdg r "a me ptogrlsS Of aggyes-
.iaas ant eagroaehmntS IN r,tpsencc 10 stare
~ II ihe texriLoriai aspect 81 HE Sniiect II
}tas E;re, a Rele anil Patccrtpl impulse 70 NE
pboiatonltsts, 1nstead of resting satisfied
with Sc great step ia tthp;r, progress, they
are gov urging with greater zeal than ever
towards tie accomplishment of tile object
they la in view, Ofthe truth of this
We have ample evidence in what has occarr.
al already in the House Of Representatives
where lhe popular feelings arc soonest and
most intensely felt =
In aspoeeh made by him at Lexington,
aIissaufi, the 7th day Of July, 1919, sena-
ter Benton 9Fc9=ttc following language = :
:, The clause in the Oregon act eas ne
sttaagtst erpir$si2ao Of Congress upoHthe sub,
t-c' 4bqs bad Err en- mute; and this Mr.
Calhoun told them, in order to iufaipe them
up to the attaching point He told thcm.it
vas thG frat Hill of the kind that ever passed,
because il contained no compromise. no con
cession.. no equivalent to the South He
told them it wasfpassed to asserKthe url,m.
slavery in the territories ANDIN THAT
He WAS RIGHT for he, Mr. B., tired n
scelag ne PaoFie ot organ 2,e4hoM lar. b
oot ,$a-la- dad detsrmaied 70 fclifce thai
from ttat deJlrabic condition, aazi ii. an,
ha@afd i3htHa.if aa3 alorci he aaeadaeRi
a The SeAq'c, lefieh passef he tin aeih ne
Gat'.sitfEcfV ProriSot H. TT WAS ANA
KED, ABSOLUTE. UNCQNDiTION-
AL EXERCISE OF THEUNI.IMITED
POWER OF CONGRESS OVER TEEI,
WHOLE SUBJECT AND AS SUCH.
HAD PASSED BOTH HOUSES OF
00NGtR ESS
The broader will bear in mind that the
great issue between the North and South
was as 10, the constitutional power of Con.
gress II pass the Proviso IN any form. or leg.
isIate al all on the sui ject of Slavery In tie
TERRITORIES. BY the passage of the Oregon
Bill tEispower was conceded to Con.ress
aud its4exereise in that case was claimed by
Mr. Van Buren, as 4 final disposition Of the
matter and precedent for ali time to come.
IL bis litter accepting the nomination of the
! Free Soil Party. dated i" Lindenwald. An
gust %, i84s,4 he deseanted at length upon
the subject. and took care to hold up the en-
actment Of the Proviso In the Oregon bill as
. iaal settlement Of the question Us to the
power pf Congress. and complete jqstifca.
ton of5tae separate organization of the Free
Soil Party for the purpose of carrying this
msaSufe.
CONSISTENCY OF DEMOCRACY.
fhe foliowing petition was sigred in 1882, by