The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-02


subriIssiotl cf tfe Soulh ID ths adlGissiga Of
California the South would take thu former !
and argues, that in this event, it ill be the
North, not the South, which will dissolve the
Union by destroying the Constitution.
A.. On the 2Oth of February, in his speech dc
livered on the Presidents message transmitting
to the Senate the constitution of California, he
denounces Mr.. Clay's resolutions argues at
length against the constitutionaty OF admitting
California into the Union; denounces her admis-
sion as the consummation OF drama OF fraud and
trickery; contends that the North gets every
thing by Mr.. Clay's proposed compromise and
the South loses all /; prefers the Wilmot proyiso
direct; denounces all compromises upon the
subject, and replies to the pictures OF war and
blood drawn by Messrs. Clay and Cass, denying
that they have any foundation in the probable
course Of things but if realized, the South is
not responsible, and should not yield on that
account; distinctly indicates disunion as I" the
sharp and severe remedy" descants on Wash
ington's Farewell Address, and contends that he
would, if alive, sanction his course, and 60 with
the South in resistance.
5. On the 9Th of May he attacks the report of
the committee Of thirteen, and assails Mr.. Man
gum; contends that there is no room for liber-
atty in the construction OF the Constitutions and
that il cannot be compromised away.
7. On the 10th of May he arragns Mr. Foote
for inconsistency in supporting the report of
the committee Of thirteen, which he said was
only an Embodiment Of Mr.. Clay's resolutions !;
denounces the compromise as "a shameless sur
render }" descants upon the "outrage" OF the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Texas and treats with dis
respect and contempt the counsel that we should
take the compromise as g the best we could
get"
8. On the 2lst Of May he replies to Mr.. Foote's
charge of being in association with Abolition
lists, and shows that their opposition to the bill
is for contrary r -ons.
8. On the 18TH or August, he protests against
the passage of the bill admitting California; re.
peats his position, as being against the constitu-
tionality of the bill declares that the States
are sovereign advocates secession, and declares
his allegiance to Alabama, ntimating that those
who support the bill are traitors to the South,
and would sell their souls to Satan, and betray
the Saviour himself, if he were to come again on
earth, for half the money which Judas obtained
Such were the positions taken by Mr. JERRY
CLEMENS, Senator from Alabama, in the SEN
ate of the United States, in the year of our Lord
1850 But, in the year 1851, in the month of
December, Mr.. JERRY CLEMENS, according to the
speech he lately delivered, is an entirely different
man, and exhibits an entirely new character. In
the former year, he is a State Rights, resistance
man-in the latter, he is consolidation sub.
missionist; in the former year, he denounces the
compromise rs unconstitutional and unendura-
bic by the South-in the latter, he defends it as
constitutional and the source of great blessing
to the country; in the former year, he denounces
the submissionists to the compromise ms trait
ors--in the latter, he becomes one HIMSELF and
denounces the resistance men as traitors; in
the former year, he descants on dissolution of
the Union, rs the sharp and severe remedy p
in the latter, he praises the Union, just as Mr.
CAss and Mr.. CLAY had done before him (; in the
former year, he treated with Just scorn and con-
tempt the pictures of blood and woe which were
then portrayed as the consequences of the dis
union policy--n the next year, he becomes
picture maker in the same line himself; in the
former year, he declares the States sovereign
in the latter, that they are not sovereign; in the
former year, he declares that his allegiance is
due to Alabama-in the latter, that no allegiance
Of his is due to her, for she CANNOT punish treason
in the former year, he supports secession-in the
latter he denounces il and crowns the whole
by the assertion that Jefferson, the Virginia re-.
port and resolutions of 1898 and 1899, with
Calhoun and McDuffie also, all denied the right
of secession.
Now, the Senate is in possession of what ]
proposed to prove. This is but synopsis OF
the positions Of the Senator from Alabama, and
a very imperfect synopsis. II the Senate viii
attend to the language | shall read, used by the
Senator from Alabama, think they will find in
the sequel, that | have not only not overstated
them, but that have not stated his inconsist-
ency in the full force which his own words
would portray. And if ] make all this to appear,
as think shall, viii he not prove 10 be very
proper specimen Of morality and honor standing
up in the Senate Of the United States 10 arraign
the conduct or principles of other senators
Now, Mr. President, for the extracts to which
have alluded. On the goth Of December
(you see, sir, he began very early, he could not
wait till other senators began he began him.
self; foremost IN his zeal for the interests and
honor Of the South)-on the Goth Of December,
before Mr. Clay offered his resolutions, he
came out in the Senate and offered series of
resolutions calling upon the President for in.
formation upon the following subjects: First,
whether he had appointed a civil and military
governor fer California, since March last !;
second, whether any agent had been sent out
10 California TO assist in the formation of
State government; third, how the persons call
ing themselves delegates TO the convention were
elected, who fixed the qualifications of voters,
and what those qualifications were; fourth,
whether any census Of the inhabitants Of Cali
fornia had been taken, and by what law; and,
fifth, the instructions which were given by the
government TO the civil and military governor
On the 9Th Of January, these resolutions came
up for consideration in the Senate, and the Sena.
Tor, in his remarks supporting their passage, said
"My attention was called 10 the subject by
the governor Of the State Of Alabama. The
people Of that State believe that fraud had
been practiced, and they called for information
What farce il IS TO say, you oppose, and still
do the same things which the Wimot proviso
proposes 70 accomplish. Are we to be treated
ike sick children, who are induced TO take the
medicine offered them, by giving the pill coat
OF sugar." &c.
See, sir, what beautifully fine figure he uses
for putting Che Wilmot proviso upon the South,
by the admission Of California with her consti.
tuition prohibiting slqverv instead nj n,ss;oo a