The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-02

| Union as a bride at the altar to which she was
not hidden, of course she had no right on prin-
cpe, to come in. And even if she presented
herself as bride, who had been invited to the
nuptials it would certainly be under most ex-
! traordiDary circumstances that she should come
without her wedding garments upon her.
Even our fair countrywomen outside Of the
Senate would decide that if bride presented
herself at the altar, under such circumstances,
without being hidden to the nuptials and with
out having on her wedding garments, che ought
not to be admitted. Then, sir, take it that
the objections of my late colleague to the adj
mission of California, must have been funda-
mental and to the principle on which that State
was organized. | could 90 further and show
what were his opinions in reference to the APP
plicaton of New Mexico for admission
State; but it is not necessary to proceed fur
Their with these authorities And | wish to
state to the Senate that | do not use these ex-
p esslons spoken by my late colleague, for the
purpose of bringing them in contrast with any
opinions which he may recently have advanced,
or be now disposed to advocate but as he is
the author of the resolution before the Senate,
wish TO use them as authorities in support Of
the position which maintain, and to maintain
my position with the people of Mississippi, on
his authority, in yndicating my action upon
this question
did design, Mr.. President, to refer to two
remarks made by the Senator from Alabama,
Mr. CLEMENs,l in his speech on this resolution,
in one of which he says;
IL thought it wrong to admit California, ard
voted against it,"
And the other:
II did not vote for the abolition of the slave
trade in the District of Columbia thought i'll
wrong for Congress TO NEEDLE with it. thirk
it wrong now; but | would not to day vote to
repeal it,"
| wished to refer to these remarks simply
with the view of saying that supposed the
Senator of Alabama in his opposition to the ad
mission Of California ard to the bill abolishing
the slave trade in the District of Columbia, was
OPP osed to them on principle, and that his OBJ
lection to them was Fundamental But as the
Senator from Alabama is not in his seat
MIR. CLEMENS Yes, sir, am here
Mr.. McRAE. | ask the Senator's pardon
He was not in his seat short time ago when
first alluded to this matter. BY the reference
have made to these two observations of the SEN
ator from Alabama, | only wished to say that
this resolution differs from what suppose he
conceived it to be-that it did not require us to
express an opinion in reference to the measures
of compromise, so far as the principles on which
they are based are concerned, but merely our
acquiescence in them as laws of the United
States; that do not assent to the principle on
which these measures were based, and that IN.
derstood him from his former speeches, as &C.
eupyng the same position, especially in regard
to the admission Of California and the abolition
of the slave trade in The District of Columbia
did not wish to attack his argument, nor to at
tack the argument of any other senator, in re-
gard to these questions. | wish simply to give
my own views, and the country will draw the
distinction between my opinions and those with
whom differ.
Another oil lection to this resolution is to the
last clause Of it, which is in these words:
"Ought TO be adhered to by Congress until
time and experience shall demonstrate the ne.
cessity of further legislation to guard against
evasion or abuse.'
When this amendment was offered to this
resolution, and when it was proposed by my lac
colleague to accept it, the chair informed him
that ne could not accept it, and it was adopted
by vote of the Senate. One of the reasons
given by the Senator from North Carolina when
he offered his amendment, was, that the lam
guage of the original resolution Implied that
these acts were irrepealable. If that was an OBJ
lection to the resolution in its original form, a
stronger objection exists to it now, for the very
opposite reason that it not only implies, but an.
the resolution is Objectionable, in its present
form, for this very opposite reason to that given
ny the honorable Senator for the adoption Of his
amendment. In the passage of a law or a res
olution by Congress, take it that those who
pass it consider that it is law intended to ac-
compsh Il certain purpose, which~is intended to
stand, and which ought to stand, and there is no
reason for saying, and they do not say, that it
shall never be altered or amended. Nor do thry
say that they anticipate that it shall be altered
or amended That is for the consideration of q
future Congress.
| consider it, therefore, an objection to this
resolution that it seems to anticipate that the
law will be abused, and, therefore, that it is to
be repealed. There is but one of the subjects
OF the compromise that can be repealed. Cali
forna is admitted She is a State. Nobody
asks that she shall be excluded and as the hon
orable Senator from Massachusetts r Mr.. DAvIsl
said yesterday, even if you were to repeal the
net by which California was admitted, she would
still be here as member Of this Union, and
would send her representatives here, as she has
done. Bills have been passed providing terrific
rial governments for Utah and New Mexico, and
they will only be repealed by the act of the peo-
pie in organizing themselves into State govern
ments, and asking admission into the Union.
The boundary of Texas is tied it'll the United
States, and nobody proposes TO interfere, SO that
that measure is final. The slave trade is abol
ished in the District Of Columbia, and nobody
proposes to repeal that act nobody expects to
repeal it, though many are opposed t, it, espe-
cially to the penalty which causes slaveowner
who brings a slave here for sale, to forfeit his
right to him, by declaring the slave liberated and
free, and thereby asserting the power of Con-
gress, on certain conditions to abolish slavery
| IL ls in thnt obi
Still no one proposes to repeal it, Then the only
question upon which abuse is anticipated or
where the law is liable to repeal is the fugitive
slave act. And it is said this is the law which is
given to the South as compensation for all tho
wrongs she had received in the other measures
of compromise. Are we to imply not only, but
anticipate in the passage of this resolution, that
there will be abuse of that law, and that il is a-
BILE TO be repealed? believe that, if this reso-
luton were amended in this particular simply
enunciating the opinion of the measures, it is