New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-16
The Facts in The Case.


1t is gravely put forth in high quar-
ters, that if certain set of measures,
termed the adjustment or settlement mea-
sures, passed by Congress in the year Of
grace 1851, should ever be hereafter dis
turbed, by alteration, modification or repeal,
then this Union is to come down about our
ears in a iify And it is so threatened be-
cause these measures are alleged to be in
separable parts of scheme of "ComPro-
mise" between hostile interests in the Re-
public, the whole of which must stand or
/ fall together. Now we say that any threat
of disunion by anybody, because of law
| enacted. or a law repealed, by the proper
authorities, is to be utterly disregarded and
! condemned. And those who make the
threat, or who use it at second hand, to in
fuence others in the exercise of their pro-
per functions of judgment or action, are
guilty of infdelity TO the Constitution, and
of treason to the principles of Democratic
Government. Our purpose now, however,
is not to dwell upon this point, but to show
the emptiness of the disunion threats, with
which the country has been veXed for two
or three years and to show further that
there is no ground for assuming certain re-
pealable and irrepealable acts of Congress
denominated adjustment" measures, to be
of that Siamese twin character that they
are often represented to be- and further
more to expose to derisiOn the insignia
canoe of the post to which the puny heroes
of dissolution have at length retreated, and
and where they still brandish their lillipu-
tian weapons swearing to their invincibility.
The bursting of a beer barrel would have
as much effect upon the diurnal rotation of
this planet, as their most valorous demon
stration would have upon the stability of
the Government, yet the distinction of some
of the hackers of this immortal body is such
as to enforce our criticism.
Originally, we were to have disunion for
something tangible and important 1t was
first threatened, if the South was to be ex-
cluded from any territory zee might acquire
from Mexico As long ago as lS47, in the
famous debate arising in the Senate, on the
proposition to clog an appropriation Of three
millions to carry on the war, with the Pro-
viso," South Carolina flew into a mania of
rage at the "audacity" of the proposal,
and threatened dissolution instanter Geor-
gia, on that occasion, threatened that the
South would resist the exclusion of Slavery
from the Territories, that it had then become
probable we should acquire from Mexico,
by the amiable process of cutting the throats
Of the Northern legislators in their seats,
who should dare to vote on IT, Florida
joined in the chorus, and declared that in any
territory we might acquire, the South would
! hold Slaves therein, "ln Defiance Of the
/ National Government-and that any attempt
/ TO exclude them would be met by open war.
Mississippi and other States followed suit
After we had got the Territories, the claims
of the South to the share in them for Slav-
/ VINs NtIU Stk lOItH Win ItucWtu Nl8OE anu
more abundant wrath 4 magnificent
Southern Address" was issued by South
1 ern Members of Congress in Washington.
Mississippi moved for grand Southern Con
ventiOn to assert Southern rights ia the Ter
rltories. Other States seconded the motion,
and the Nashville Convention, in time, follow
ed,threatening secession, dissolution and 9TH
er Hartford Convention terrors, all onaccount
of Slavery being excluded from the Terri
tories. Georgia famed out with the reso-
/ luuons of her State Legislature, declaring
herself ready for dissolution, and ordering
her Senators home from Congress, in the
event Of the happening of certain contin-
gencies-One of which was the admission
Of California as a free State For such a
cause as this did Georgia declare she would
dissolve the Union. In the Senate, JEFF.
Davis, Clemens, Judge Butler, and sundry
others, declared that the only settlement the
South would submit to was partition of the
Territory, giving to Slavery all below $50 80.
Senator Davis declared he spoke from book
whenhe announced that the PEOPLE of the
| South were far ahead of the politicians, or