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


J Union ~ bride 1t the altar to which q
not hidden, of course she had no night, q
J ciple, to come in. And even II she pss
herself as bride, who had been invited
nuptials, It would certainly be under ma
traordinary circumstances that che should
without her wedding garments upon
Even our fair countrywomen Outsjde Of
Senate would decide that IL bride pres,
!. herself at the altar, under such circumsts
without being hidden to the nuptials, and
out having on her wedding garments. she
not to be admitted. Then, sir, ! take it
the objections Of my late colleague to the
misson OF California, must have been fu
mental and to the principle on which t,at 81
was organized. ! could 90 further and ell
what were his opinions in reference to the
plication of New Mexico for admission al
State; but it is not necessary to proceed fu|
ther with these authorities. And | wish
state to the Sernte that do not use these g
p'esslons spoken by my late colleague, for 4
purpose Of bringing them in contrast with ad
opinions which he may recently have advance
or be now disposed to advocate; but a. he
the author of the resolution tefore the Sena
wish TO use them as authorities In support
the position which maintain, and to mainta
my position with the people of Mississipp q
his authority, in vindicating my action upo
this question 50. \,
| did Design Mr.. President, to refer TO twd
remarks made by the Senator from Aabamal
| lMr. CLEMENS, in his speech on this resolution
in one Of which he says:
Il thought it wrong to admit California, ar,
! voted against it,"
| And the other
II did not vote for the abolition of the sla,
trade in the District of Columbia. thought
wrong for Congress to NEEDLE with it. th1
it wrong now; but would not to-day vote
repeal it,"
| l wished to refer to these remarks simp
with the view of saying that supposed tn
Senator of Alabama, in his opposition TO the ad
mission of California aid to the bill abolishinI
the slave trade in the District of columbia, wa
OPP osed to them on principle, and that his OBJ
lection to them was Fundamental But as tbe|
Senator from Alabama is not in his seat--
| Mr. CLEMENS. Yes, sir, am here.
| Mr.. McRAE. | ask the Senator's pardon.
tie 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 no
conceived it to be--that it did not require us to
express an opinion in reference to the measures
ofcompromise, so far as the principles on which
they are based are concerned, but merely our
acquiescence in them as laws Of the Unit. d
States that do not assent to the principle on
which these measures were based and that un.
derstood him from his former speeches, as &C.
cupying the same position, especially in regard
to tho admission Of California and the abolition
of the slave trade in he 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 1t, which is in these words:
Ought to be adhered to by Congress until
time and experience shall demonstrate the M.
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 la'e
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 Ian
guage of the original resolution implied that
these acts we're irrepealable. If that was an OBJ
lection to the resolution in its original form.
stronger objection exists to it now, for the very
opposite reason, that it not only implies, but an.
tcipates, that these laws may be repealed and
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
olntion by Congress, | take it that those who
pass it consider that it is a law intended to nc.
complish certain purpose, wtich>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 thy
say that they anticipate that it shall be altered
or amended. That is for the consideration of
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
fOrnia is admitted. She is State. Nobody
asks that she shall be excluded and as the hon.
orabe Senator from Massachusetts Mr. DAvrsl
said yesterday, even if you we're to repeal the
act 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 settled it'll the United
States, and nobody proposes to interfere 10 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 a slaveowner
who brings 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.
say that act is in that respect Objectionable.
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 ia the law which is
given to the South 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 it is lin.
BILE to be repealed? believe that, if this reso-
luton were amended in this particular, simply
enunciating the opinion of the measures. It il