The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-30

| them 10 the KIND notice OF the lrlenus Ol nu'
mainly and religion in Canada.
London 9th mo. 3, (Scpt,) 1852"
THE PRosLAvyRY CoNsPIaAT0Rs AT WORK
IN CALIFORNIA.
After all, the exclusion of Slavery from the
Pacific coast was the great grievance com
planned of by the Pro-Savery Party. A Slave
Empire from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast
with provision for its expansion Southwardy
was the scheme of that Party. 1t was bafiled
Under the pressure of Public Opinion, brought
to bear by the agencies of ls48, Freedom was
established in California, and a limit set to the
extension Of Slave Empire on the West From
that time, the Pro-Slavery Party has been
working to regain the ground it lost. Its EN-
got the control of its press and its politics
Northern men, and the opponents of Slavery
from the South, have turned their attention to
mining or trading, caring as usual, more for
wealth than political power. The Pro-Slavery
demagogues, meanwhile, though greatly in the
minority have either silenced or seduced the
press, with one or two exceptions, and filed the
Legislature with men ready to advance their
purposes. The passage Of the Infamous and
unconstitutional Law, to re-enslave free negroes
in the State, was tAeir act, and an indication of
their power and policy. The attempt to pass a
bill submitting the question of a revision of the
Constitution to the People, with view of get
ting rid of the Anti-Slavery clause, or of dividing
the State, so as to throw open the southern half
to Slavery was their work. The bill passed
the House, but failed in the Senate, for want
of the requisite two-thirds ma jority. The Con-
spirators have been busy since, and the attempt
will be renewed
The Press is faithless, with the exception Of
the Pacific, and one or two other papers--and
even these seem to be slumbering The Pro-
Slavery Party already talks as if the State were
a Slave State. The attempt to form Hale and
Julian ticket was denounced by the newspapers
as incendiary, and they wondered at the au-
dacity Of the few Democrats who sought to
carry out true Democratic principles in Cali
fornia.
A writer in the New York Evening Post, in
a letter from San Francisco, November 14th
says
@ In this State, the counties inhabited by the
native Californians, being those lying south of
this city, conceivlng themselves aggrieved by
the details of the State Government-especially
by the heavy taxaton-are deeply discomfort
ed and strenuous for reform. This they hope
to obtain, through the medium Of a convention
TO revise the Constitution, either by division
Of the State, or some alteration of the obnoxious
constitutional provisions. These counties are,
almost to a man. opposed to enslaving the
State vet, such is their dissatisfaction, that
hey will join the Pro-Slavery men for a con.
7ention
add to this the defects, more fancied than
.eal, inseparable from a Constitution framed as
,urs was, and you can imagine that, notwth-
standing strong Anti-Slayery sentiment in the
State, bill may be forced through the Legs-
ature, submitting to the people the question of
/ Convention.
"Thcn the question will not be submitted at
the general election in September, 1883 (for
fear of full vote and defeat to the scheme)
but at a special election called in few weeks
after the passage of the bill, and before the
people at large can have half understood the
question Thus it may be that second time,
in spite Of the majority of the voters of the
State, a vote will be extOrted in favor of a con-
vention.'
The Conspirators organized, vigilant, with
the means at their command, will probably
succeed in returning large body of delegates
Should the judgment of the State, however, be
against them, they will resort to stratagem
"Slavery is to be excluded from the mines,
and admitted into the agricultural portions of
the State AS though law should be passed
combining a conhagraton or the cholera to the
valleys and plains, and forbidding it in the
mountains Then some few specious provis-
ions are to be thrown in, for the benefit of the
native Californian counties on the subject of
taxation, &c and the whole instrument, thus
hocus-pocuscd, is to be presented in lump, to
be voted for at another special election, in the
hope that, taking the good with the bad, and
by another concerted movement among the
Pro. Slavery men, the amended Constitution
may slip through, and California be reduced
to the level of Arkansas, Texas and Missis
sppi. ct -
"This is, in few words, the imperfect out
line of the whole scheme for abolishing freedom
in California, and degrading it into slave
State. And such is the servility and cowardice
of Northern men, and the indifference of the
rest, that there is much danger the plot may
succeed. With scarce press sure for Free
dom-two of the three Democratic papers dead
against us-the Wing papers either hostile or
silent-hardly any Of the leading men, in either
party, who is nota fanatic for Slavery, or i'm
bis heart false to Freedom and the State-there
seems little room for hope. There is, in truth
no hope but in the masses, the miners and la
boring men of the State, whose votes must save
the State, if it is to be saved in the coming
contest
Tho writer goes on TO say
:" In the absence of press here, well.reason-
ed, temperate articles in Atlantic papers, ad-
dressed to the working people of the State,
would have much effect. The sound opinion of
the nation should be aroused and the South
should be made to understand that California
free was part and parcel Of the Compromises
and that if the Compromises are disturbed the
responsibility is on her, and not on the North,
for all results which mas. follow
" But something too much of this never
was so heartily sick Of politics as just at this
moment, For my own part, will make what
money can, so as to be ready TO act aud run
at the first necessity"
That is not the spirit in which man who
sees the danger should act. He ought to con
front it. with all the means God has put in hi,
power. Let him appeal to those around him
let him write, speak, print work day and night
to battle the devilish scheme There are goo'
men enough in the State to save it if they vii
but act Let them organize-let them sccur
good press, and assure it Of support if it vii