The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-10-25

the Senate bill? Mr.. Morse here said
he would have voted against it Mr..
Ogden then said, we come now to the
measures known as the Compromise,
afterwards adopted by Congress seria-
tim. While the government was en-
barrassed with the delicate and difficult
questions he had mentioned, California,
with her mines rivaliing the golden
ores of Ophir-California, whose Sacra-
mento was another Pactolus and whose
mineral wealth, soil, climate and pro-
ductions were pictured in colors more
exaggerated than those of the tabled
Ell Dorado of the early American adj
venturers, had attracted thousands OF.
emigrants from the United States. aud
from all parts of the world. Cities
had sprung up everywhere, fiourishlng
towns and settlements were scattered
throughout the whole region, while the
gold hunters swarmed in the mines,
and every shipment of the dust to this
favored country tempted new hosts OF
emigrants to journey to this favored
land. The leaven of Americanism that
was there leavened the whole mass
Americans cannot live without gov
eminent and laws These people want
ed government. and they made one.
They presented themselves to Congress
with Republican Constitution, land
very democratic onet and demanded
admission into the Union. Could it or
should it have been refused them? The
Consultation of the United States con-
tains no provision which required them
to go through the state OF pupilage as
territory, to which, the gentleman says,
Louisiana was condemned for nine long
years They had the requisite popula-
tion--they had territory enough, tit was
objected that they had too much) and
the form of government they had adopt
ed complied fully with the requirements
of The Federal Constitution. But south
ern ultraists objected TO their having
excluded slavery by their organic law.
This they had perfect right TO do
Non-ntervention by Congress in regard
TO the domestic institutions OF the States
has always been the southern doctrine,
and is indeed our only safeguard. Mr..
Calhoun, who had dedicated his trans
cendant talents during the greater por-
ton of his illustrious career to the SER
vice of the South and the maintenance
of her rights and honor, declared in
1s47 "That people in framing a con-
stitution have the unconditional right
to form and adopt the government
which they may think best calculated
to secure their liberty, prosperity and
happiness" This principle has always
been held by the great expounders OF
our Constitution. Let US hold on to it as
the ark of our political salvation. Let
us hold on to the Union, and insist on
the ship OF State being navigated strict
ly by the chart of the Constitution. Let
ns do this and she will avoid all break
ers and ride in safety over all the waves
of agitation that politicians can raise,
had they the wand of Prospero with
which to conjure them up. Is it not
obvious that it we concede to Congress
the right to refuse admission to
State because its constitution prohibits
that we, who are in a minority
in the government, yield to them at
the same time an equal right to reject
a State because its constitution recog-
nises that institution? This cannot be
disputed. In uon-intervention is our
secnrity-depart from this principle and
we are lost. California was admitted,
and with the constitution her people
had chosen for themselves. But terri
torial governments had TO be provided
for Utah and New Mexico, and the
between the latter and Texas
to be settled Bills were passed effect
ing these objects. The bill abolishing
the slave trade in the District of Coll
umbia and the Fugitive Slave bill were
also passed. He knew not if he had
them in the order of their
passage, but this was immaterial, as it
was understood that all these measures
were TO be adopted as Compromise
and adjustment of the matters about
which the North and South were at
issue.
He considered it unnecessary to say
more at this time about the admission
of California. The extent of her terri
tory afforded the only ground of objec-
ton that had any semblance of being
tenable. But she was not as large as
Texas, and as the curtailment Of her
limits would have originated new
subject for contention, it was better, he
to take her as she had present.
ed herself for admission. Now as to
Utah and New Mexico. He asked
from the great outcry which
The gentleman had made about the
whole country having been given up
to the North and to free-soilism, any
one not conyersant with The facts would
not have supposed that the odious Will
mot Proviso had been applied to these
territories And yet in the bills estab-
fishing them, there was not solitary
vestige of the Provisoi 1t is some-
what remarkable that. Notwithstanding
all the gentleman has said on this SUBJ
ect the only bill in which the Proviso
is to be found is the Oregon bill, passed
by democratic Congress. of which he
was a member. and sanctioned by a
President the late Mr.. Polk.
Away, then. with all this defamation
full of sound and fury-signifying no
the North getting all the
territories won by the common blood
and treasure. If southern people choose