The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-25
both duty and patriorism. No comprcms. wa.

deemed edmisslbls by us, but the division Of the
country to the Pacific ocean, by he Missouri par
ael of 800 30 But, 10 the course OF events, the
North rejected all compromise, 50 as ia leave not
an inch Of the territory for the possession OF the
South, then that true and gallant band that fell
back upon their aud your constitutional rights,
and struck even I'LL they were coven down, were
denom,nated ultraists, extremists, and disunion-
ists. The cry was first raised IN the North, IL
was carried TO the South, and shamefuly repeated
there. These words were placed ia your mouths
What could have prompted the firm and noble
action of this band of patriots but fidelity TO you
snd fidelity TO the South All the rewards of am
bltiou lay along the path which betrayed you,
but corciiated your enemies. These men are tn
! be condemned for their zeal IN your defence
Pledges are circulated and signed by those IN high
places, that every man is 10 be driven from Offices
| of honor and trust unless he bows his proud
spirit and says he is satisfied with the late riea-
sures which passed Congress. See note al end.
Republics are said 10 be ungrptetul, but the South
can never be guilty Of an ingratlude which will
cover her with shame; and this viii he her sin
when she casts from her confidence those who
have been her truesl friends in he hour of greatest
need. Forget them, dlshonor discredit them,
| you cannot AS soon would expect you TO de-
spse a noble action of self sacrifice FOR your coun.
| try g good, or to spurn from your presence the
friend who had extinguished the torch with which
the incendlary had sought to fire your dwelling.
No, like the mother of the Gracchi, you will cher
ish and point to them your jewels. II will be
unnatural TO do otherwise. You may differ from
| them, and content yourself with less security for
| your rights than they demanded, yet your sym
patbies are with them, and you despise the an
t-s|avery ianalicsm which trurphed over them.
Should the want of union in the South force you
to submit to measures you abhor, it remains for
you to ''set your house IN Order not to die, but to
live" To that end you must begin by placing
faithful senneIs on the tower of your Liberties for
the future.
Let u.s. in a cursory manner, recur to those
measures of which we have right to complain.
| The area Of the territories acquired from Next
| co, lying between the Rio Grnnde and the Pacific
Ocean, is 52G,O7S square miles. This is nearly
twice as largs AS the area covered by the original
thirteen States, which is only 1927 ,053 square
miles Could the Missouri Compromise line hive
been extended over it, 1888 square miles lay
south, and 32l ,695 square miles north ofihat par
ale. The South proposed this division, but it
was rejected by the North The South next pro-
posed to give the people inhabitng the country
TERRITORIAL governments, with no protection for the
property OF their emigrants save the guarantees OF
the Constitution. This considered an eX-
IRENE concession. The North refused, unlc - the
South was wholly excluded from the country by
means of the Wilmot Proviso The North COZ :
troled the House of Representatives the South
then held a balance of power in the Senate, and
could efiecually check unjust legislation.
This was the position of tine question when Gen.
Taylor invested with the Presidential robes.
Honor and party success made it necessary for
hum to AVOID an exposure of his true opinion on
the Wilmot Provso. The idea was then con-
ceived at Washington fdoing by indirection what
could not be done diieitly--of sacrificing the
South, yet apparently adopting e doctrines.
| Southern politicians had admitted that people,
IN forming State government, had an unqualified
| right TO admit or to reject slavery. This doctrine
is correct but it is based on the supposition that
be WAS n cd tnto al
| munlty 10 form such government, and that they
were citizens of the United States, and that the
territory on which State was sought to be erect
ed, had been previously open to the immigration
OF the citizens of all the States with their property.
No one of these prerequisites existed in the case
of California.
| The President Of the United States in pursu-
ance of a scheme invented by the designing around
him, sent out his confidential agent, and advised
the adventures from all nations in California to
form Stale government In obedience to the
| proclamation cf an officer of cur own army, dele
gates were appointed, met in convention, and
formed a State constitution. Every delegate lv-
ing south If the parallel Of sc 80 was in favor of
Il territorial government. But majority Of Con-
gress was known to be in favor of excluding the
South from the whole territory; and in order to
concIliate that majority, and enlist their active
and efficient support, It WIS believed to he necessa
ry to exclude slavery from the whole Pacific
coast !, done, and IN Congress the spoa-
,ion .rss consunmated. California, embracing
| 1853, 90 square miles in her limits, an area nearly
equal to four such States as New York, covering
| LII 10 miles of coast, was adm tied State.
| because she excluded the South from ali that vast
country, and cut her off from all iugress ia that
direction into the vast interior
Here gross insulting fraud, in derogation
OF Southern rights, carried out in opposition to
the known expressed wishes of the people of the
territory residing south of the $3.50 latitude.
1t is no palliation to say Congress had the pow
to admit new States, and therefore the Const
tuition not violated. The concession might
be made, yet that fact rather eggrava,es the wrong
jus, as IT would be an aggravation to deprive me
OF my property by means of a judgment obtained
by fraud and perjury, instead of open robbery.
The injustice effected under the forms of law
would never reconcile me to its preparation
though forced to submit.
In the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Texas, the South was
wronged. To obtain the admission of Texas into
the Union, she required to agree that slavery
should be forever excluded from all her territory
lying north of the parallel of $500. This division
of sovereign State was in itself an outrage, de-
manded 10 appease the anti slavery f,uor OF the
North. But this was not enough; the valley OF
the Rio Grande was known TO command all the
country west and intermediate before reaching
California. And although this government had
been involved in a war with Mexico, because she
claimed for Texas the country to the Rio Grande
yet dispute raised as to her boundary aft er
Mexico had been sIlenced at the mouth Of the
cannon, and the first proposition of the compro-
misers was 10 buy out more than 81 900 square
miles OF her territory south of the parallel OF SO 80
The true friends of the South, after q gallant &C n
test defeated that surrender. 1t was zen pror ose1
to buy out $4,000 square miles at the price of
| slOOO0,0O0. This proposition prevailed in Con-
gress, and Texas has agreed to part with her ter
rtory. and the South will have TO pay the largest
share Of the consideration money
IL s true the country belonged to Texas but i
is also true that Texas bound in good faith
and honor to hold all the country, south OF 36 30,
subject 10 the settlement OF the people the South
who had been her earliest and truest friends. and
who were ready 30 make common cause with
her IN defending the integrity Of her territory. Ii
now seems that the faithful advocacy Of her rights
b the true spirit Of the South was used by our
brethren of Texss as mere means of extorting
large price for the country. The money of the
| United States is used to curtail the extent of
| Southern territory, to humiliae her pride and
! Texas essents. contemplate the whole proceed
ing with notifications; but it is all now matter of
| history. and can never he amended