The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-04
ORLEANS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE

excitement Of the public mind. Cenuemen, these ,
things went on at the commencement OF the year
1850. There were Two great questions before the
public. There was the question - the Texan
boundary, and Of a government for utah and New
Mexico, which | consider as one question and
there was the question of making provision for
the restoration of fugitive slaves. 1ehtemen, 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 had anticipated, from The move
ment, that she would ask to come INTO the Union
as a slave State. We admitted her IN lS45, and
we admitted her as slave State. We admitted
her in l845, and we admitted her with her own
oundaries-remember that She claimed by con.
qles all that territory which was commonly called
New Mexico, east of the Rio Grande. she claimed
also by these limits what her constitution had de-
cared and established 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 l say "we," but did not always
remember that Now, in this state of things, let
us go hack to 1850. What was the state Of things
in 19507 There was Texas claiming all that, or a
great part of that which the United States had ac-
quired from Mexico, as New Mexico She stated
that it belonged to her by conquest and by her ad-
mission into the United States, and she was ready
lect that is not all. A man must be Ignorant Of the
history of the country who does not know that at
the commencement of 1850, there was great agi-
tation throughout the whole South. Who does not
know that SIX seven of the largest States OF the
South had already taken measures for separation
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 Souh were dIsaffected to-
wards the Union, or were desirous for breaking it
up, or were ready to join Texas-to j,in her ranks
and see what they could make in 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. all the ex'
treme South al this time was disaffected towards
the Union. These very men were in a condition
to fall into any course Of things that should be vo
lent and destructive. Wei, then, gentlemen, wha,
was 10 be done again, far Texas was con
cerned Allow me to say, gentlemen, there are
two sorts of foresight. There is military fore
sight, which sees what will be the result of du,
appeal to arms and there is also a statesman.k,
foresight, which looks not at the result Of ba',le
and carnage, but through the results of politica
disturbances, the violence of faction carried int
military operations, and the horrors attendant OF
civil war.
Inever had doubt, gentlemen, that if the ad
mnstration of General Taylor had gone to wal
and had sent troops into New Mexico, that h
would have whipped them in week. The powe
on one side was far superior 10 all the power o.
| The other. But what then! What if Texa
troops, assisted by thousands Of volunteers fron
| 'he dlsa fected States, had gone to New Mexico
| and had been defeated and turned back, wou
| that have settled the boundary question! Now
| gentlemen, l wish l had ten thousand voices
| wish could draw around me the whole people {
| the United States-and wish could make ther
| all hear what now declare in my own conscience
haf,. h. ,v,tz I'll ,tr.
1udge you and me hereafter, my solemn belle
that if this Texas controversy had not been settle
1 by Congress in the manner called the adju 'mer
measures, civil war would have ensued-bloo,
American blood, would have been shed ; and wi
l can tell what else would have been Ihe cons
quence! Gentlemen, in an honorable war, if
foreign foe invade us-if our rights were thre,
| eDed-lf 1t were necessary 10 defend them
arms-I am not afraid of blood And if am t
me who are young, and willing to defend the
country to the last drop of their blood. [Sens
iion.J But cannot express the horror feel at tt
shedding of blood in controversy between one
! these States and the Government of the Unite
States, because see in it, in the sight of Heavel
disruption of all those ties that make us grei
and happy people.
| Gentlemen, that was the great question, the lea,
ing question, at the commencement of the ye,
1850. Then there was the other, and that was Il
| matter of the Fugitive Slave Law. Let me say
word about that. Under the provisions of the Coz
stilution, in General Washington's administratio
| in the year, 1893, there was passed law for Il
restoration of fugitive slaves, by general consen
No one opposed it at that period; it was thoug
TO be necessary, to carry the Constitution into e
| feet. The great men of New England and Ne
York all concurred init. 1t passed, and answert
all the purposes expected from it, till about the yes
1S4l or l842, when the States interfered to NAL
enactmenis in opposition to it. The law of Coz
gress said that State magistrates might execute Il
duties of the law; some of the States passed pen
| eDactments, involving a penalty on any who exc
csed such authority under the law others Of the
denied the Use of their jails to carry the law in
a. effect and generally, at the commencement of Il
, year 1850, it was absoutey--I say it was abs
i | lutely-indispensabl that Congress should pa
some law for the execution of this provision of 4
Constitution, or else give up that institution e
! tirely. That was the question.
was in Congress when the law was propose
, l was for proper law (; had, indeed, proposed
different law. was of opinion that summa
trial by a jury might be had, which should salts
the prejudices of The people; but left the Sena
: and went to another station before the law "
passed. The law of 1850 passed. Now, l u
; dertake, as a lawyer, and on my prof
slonal character, to say to you and to a
that the law of 1850 is decidedly more favorable
e the fugitive than General Washingion's law
| l793 and tell you why. In the first place,
u present law places the power in much high
l. hands-independen of Judges of the Supreme a
r Circuit Courts and District Courts, aud Comm
i sioners who are appointed to Office for their Ii
: learning Every fugitive is brought before I
n bnnal OF high character, of eminent ability, OF
II spectacle station. Well, then. in The first pla
n when claimant comes from Virginia TO NewYt
d 10 say that one A or one B has ran away, or is
e fugitive from service or labor he brings th hin
v record OF the county from which he comes, a
d that record must be sworn to before magistra
and certified by the county clerk as to its CORE
"a af}p 10 tbn fa,
}, case may bel had departed under such and su
o circumstances, and had come here; and that
d cord, under seal, is, by the Constitution of
United States, entitled to full credit in every oil
II State. Well, the claimant or his agent con
here, and he presents TO you the seal of the cou
,e OF Virginia, that A or had escaped from servi
He must prove that he is here. He brings a "
~ ness, aud asks if this is the man, and he proves
"a | or IN ten cases out OF eleven, the answer WOl
ID be, Yes, massa, am your slave; did esc'
- from your services" Such is the present law /; a
=, So much opposed and maligned as it is, it is III
:" favorable law to the fugitive than the law
:, Washington's, of 1898, whic h created no dlstu
ance at the time it was passed, and which '
III sanctioned by The North as well as by the Sol
As But this opposition is sentiment of modern tin
y From whom does this clamor come! Why, Il
In at the proceedings ol the Anti.slavery Convent
look al Their resolutions. Do you find anne
as all those persons who oppose this Fugitive Sls
l Law any admission whatever that any law gu
I'D 10 be passed to carry into effect the solemn stpu
IT tlons Of The Constitution Tell me any such ca
tn Tell me II any resolution was passed by the C
e venuon a! Syracuse favoring the carrying out
s. the Constitution! Not one
E. The fact is, gentlemen, they oppose the who'll
ot they oppose the whole Not man OF them
d. mits that there ought to be any law on the 5
t. Ject. They deny altogether that the provisions
20. the Constitution ought to be carried into ell
ne Well, what do they say? Look at the proc.
ed ngs OF the Anti-Slavery conventions in .