The southern press., 1851-06-28
Snessh Of senator Chase.
DELIVERED af Toledo, May 80. 1851, before Mos
conUention Of the Democracy ef .North-soesie'r

appear before you, fellow citizens, IN com
pliance with an invitation from the Democrats
OF Lucas county, TO state my views upon tne
great questions which agtate the country al
; this time. am glad to have an opportunity Of
expressing my views in the presence oil the De
mocracy Of Northwestern Ohio. There Is mt
ness in continuing the moral battle for freedom
in the vicinity of the closing scenes OF ouI
} fathers struggle for Independence Ii was IN
this vicinity that the gallant Wayne encountered
and overthrew the savage foe who was induced
by British arts and influence TO prolong, IN the
, Western wilderness, that contest Which the
treaty OF 1888 had terminated upon The Atan-
tic slope. His brilliant and rapid charges reused
and drove the savage foe from the "Fallen Tim
Der" which they made their covert Let us, too,
see il we cannot rouse and drive the enemies oil
freedom from their coyerts OF COMPROMISE
SONG two years since | was elected Sena-
tor of Ohio in the Congress ofthe United States.
| was elected by the votes OF Democrats who
concurred in the great cardinal doctrines OF the
Democratic faith; though they differed among
!. themselves as 70 the practical application OF
those doctrines TO certain questions OF public
concern. ] was elected as Democrat, recog-
nziDg and we'll known TO recognize the duty OF
carrying out Democratic principles in their prac-
teal application to every subject OF legislation.
Everybody who knew anything about me knew
that was not likely TO except slavery from the
universal and impartial application OF these
principles.
With these views and with these ideas Of
public duty, | took my seat in the Senate.
have not sweryed from my principles. have
gone straight on where Democratic principles
required me to go, turning neither to the right
4 hand nor to the left hand, no matter who was
pleased or who was dispeased
1t is well known that when | took my seat
the whole country was agita.ed about the slave
ry extension question, and especially in regard
to the Legislative prohibition of slavery in the
territories.
/ We had acquired vast accession to our ma
tional domain under the treaty with Mexico
4 stretching through ten degrees of latitude, and
: twenty-four of longitude This territory came
to us free as free as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
from the curse Of slavery. The people, and
you as n part Of the people, indicated your will
| through the votes of your representatives in
Congress, that this territory, made free by Mex
lean law, should remain free under American
law If principle had not required my concur
renee in this purpose, should have felt myself
bound to vote for the prohibition of territorial
slavery, as afaithfulrepresentative of the almost
universal sentiment of the people of Ohio.
you and desired to accomplish. Gentlemen of
the South claimed the right to carry slaves into
the territories under the protection and safe
guard of national law. They claimed this right
as one guaranteed o them by the Constitution.
It's existence was denied by the representatives
of the free States Hence protracted contest
arose, which was raging when ] entered Con-
gress.
Meanwhile California, peopled by vast and
sudden emigration-allured by her golden trea-
sures--had organized her State government,
and presented her application for admission into
| the Union She was met at the threshold, by
fierce denunciations of the action of her people,
and by the open declaration that her claims
should be contested, even at the hazard of dis
solving the Union. This was a strange and un-
wonted spectacle. Hitherto, since the admission
of Missouri, every State applying for admission
into the Union, had been received without ques-
ton, as to the character Of her in stitutions.
Now the admission Of Caiorniawas contested
with violence and pertinacity almost without
parallel because she had ventnred to prohibit the
introduction Of slavery where slavery had never
existed. The threats of dissolution uttered by
Southern gentlemen did not alarm me- They
seemed to me alike vain and impotent. thought
then and think now, that the duty of Congress
| in relation to the admission of California, was
plain and simple. She ought to have been ad-
mtted without hesitation, without delay, and
without conditions. In my judgment there was
no danger that the threats of dissolution would
be carried into effect If had even regarded
the danger as real, rather III IN imdgi ar1 still
would not submit TO be controlled in Legislative
action by menace of whatever character But
it was thought expedent--I wish j could i'm
press upon this audience how thoroughly de-
test that ord erpedient-to link the question
of admission of California with that series OF
measures constituting what was well known as
the Compromise" or "Omnibus Bill" There
was a clear majority in the House and in the
J Senate in favor of the admission of California.
But instead of admitting her at once and alone,
she was put into the omnibus and kept travelling
month after month, until that concern broke
down, and California was turned out, leaving
Utah in sole possession Of the vehicle. This
Utah--which needed no Legislative action
where the Mormons had already organized gov
ernment quite as good, and indeed rather better
than any which Congress was likely to organize
for them--was preferred in the regards of Con
gress TO California Ii was not until after the
territorial government Of Utah had been organ
lied upon principles acceptable 10 the senators
from the slave States that California received
the permission of the Senate to come into The
Union.
! ] ask your especial observation Of one feature
in this plan of territorial government. You will
remember that maioyity of the House of Rep
resentatives had been elected for the express
purpose of prohibiting slavery in the territories.
One half at least of the senators had been in
structed to vote for this prohibition. Vice
President, recommended to the suffrages Of the
people Of the free States, upon the ground Of
his known opposition TO the extention of slavery,
was the presiding officer of the Senate, and held,
in case of an equal division, the casting vote.
| Under these circumstances it might have been
well expected that the clause Of the ordinance Of
S7, prohibiting territorial slavery, would have
been engrafted upon any bill for the government
Of the territory, without hesitation. But not
only was no prohibition Of slavery engraf ed
upon the bill for the government of Utah, but
on the contrary clause was inserted, requiring
any future Congress TO admit into the Union
any State created out Of that territory with sla-
very, if the people Of the applying State should
desire it. This clause was doubtless intended