Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-05-01


iustment We must, however, call public atten-
ton to the extraordinary effulgence of light which
the Governors speech throws on the errors of his
tory and the blunders of politics in which this coun
try has been groping for the last seventy wears
The principle on which the Compromise was
based, as the Governor tells u.s. is the .great prin
cple that every people has the undoubted right to
decide for itself what institutions it will have this
Is the principle we told not only of the Com
promise, but of the CONSTITUTIONAL only of De-
mocracy, but ''of our revolutionary fathers
This IS the principle on which California was
admitted, contrary both to the Wimot proviso and
the Missouri line. This shows us, for the first time
the gross blunder which has been committed in the
history of our revolutionary fathers, which informs
us that they passed two ordinances for the govern
ment of the territory of the United States-one
for the portion north west of the Ohio which pro-
hibited slavery, the other for that southwest of
the river, expressly excluding that anti sla-
very proviso. We also learn from the Governor
contrary to that romantic production, Mr.. Rives'
Debates of Congress, that there-were no Demo
crat who voted for the extension of the Missouri
Compromise line through Texas, in the resolutions
of annexation in 1845, and, of course, there were
no Democrats who voted for thatsline originally in
1921, and of course, none who voted for the pro-
hibition of slavery in the Oregon territorial bill
of 1843. So far there was total disappearance of
Democracy in all the Northern States in 847 and
1848, when their legislature unanimously adopted
the Wilmot >proyiso, and Gen. Cass also disap-
peared as a Democrat when he declared in the
Senate in the debate on the three million BILL that
although he would not vote for the Wilmot provi-
so as ap amendment to that BILL he would vote for
it in the territorial bills, Hence, we learn that
the first faint glimmerings ofths great Democratic
principle in the change that went on in the pub
lie, and in Gen. Cass' mind, when he wrote the
Nicholson letter.
But the progress of this great revolutionary,
constitutional, Democratic Compromise principle
was slow. Let US consider how it stood on the
Compromise measures themselves. The bill ad
mitting California State was by far the most
important of those measures, and the most signal
affirmation of that principle. 1t passed the Sen
ate by vote of 81 to 18--and that thirty four
were the following, viz: Baldwin, Bell, Benton,
Bradbury Bright, Cass, Chase Cooper, Davis, of
Massachusetts, Dickinson, Dodge, of Wis, Dodge,
of Iowa, Douglas, Ewing, Felch, Green, Hale,
Hamlin, Houston, Jones, Miller, Norris, Phelps.
Seward, Shields, Smith, Sturgeon, Underwood,
Upham, Wells, Walker, Winthrop and Whit
comb. 4 minority of those who thus supported
this great principle were Democrats, and they were
also a minority of the Democrats in the Senate
but all tie Wigs IN tie Senate, except three, and
all the FreesOilers and AbolitionstS, without any
exception, voted far it Those who opposed it
were the following Atchison, Barnwell, Berrien
Butler, Clemens, Davis, of Mississippi, Dawson,
Foote, Hunter, King, Mason, Morton, Pratt, Rusk
! Sebastin, Soule, Turney, and Yulee, comprehend
1 ing dj0Tlty Of the Democrats an tie Senate
and all the Democrats Of tie South, except Benton
and Houston. Even Gov. Foote and Senator
| Clemens were faithless to Governor Cobb's great
constitutional, revolutionary Compromise, Demo-
crat principle adopted in that greatest of the Com
promise measures.
! When the same measure was before the House,
the vote equally disastrous either to its Democracy
or the Democracy of the Democrats. There were
Eonly tifty-eght Democrats in It's favor but there
were niaety-tego Wigs, Including all The Freesoa-
era Of both parties, and unless Freesoiers be coun-
ted as good Northern Democrats, there was not a
majority Of Democrats Tor the bill in the House
The vote against it fifty-six of whom forty Sa
agere Democrats all from the South, including all
from Georgia. So that the principal plan, which
the profound and original genius of the Georgia
governor proposes for the next Democrat platform
is already occupied by nearly all the Wigs, ana
quite all tie FreesoIers end AboltioniSts. Let us
now come to the next measure of the Compromise
in the scale of Importance, viz; the Texas boun
Diary and New Mexico territorial bill Let US con
slider for a moment the position of the question: -
Texas had been annexed with constitution, pre-
yiously adopted, fixing her limits from the moutl
of the Rio Grande, away up beyond Santa Fe
and on the sole condition, to the limits OF the
adjustment UtM AfctCO Dy tnlS SofeInIehG'-
! They had been adjusted by treaty, with MAJ
annexed, fixing them as she had fixed them. Th'
inhabitants of California had held illegal con
vehtion, and had declared themselves State
with limits extending along the Pacific coast dow
to 80 degrees. Both thus claimed a large terrific
ry-but the claim of Texas had been settled by th
: resolutions of annextion, and by the treaty witt
Mexico. The claim of the Californians had no va
t lidty whatever, and could have none without tn
: assent of Congress- But Texas was saveholding
: and although, as to her. the Missouri line had bee
agreed on, which excluded slavery north of So SO
d it was determined that portion of her territor
e down to 80 degrees should be taken by purchase
/ with threat of federal compusion hanging owe
: her. But as to California, she had excluded sla
IS very and therefore it decided that her utterl
n illegal, unacknowledged and extrayagant clair
IS down to 80 degrees should be ratified by Congress
e So large portion of the territory of Texas wa
J thus transferred by the Texas boundary and Ne
Mexican territorial bill to New Mexico eClich Ia
p just before declared for the exclusion Of slavers
/ Thus the principle established of anti SLAYER
7, people to fix their own limits and of the right
d the federal government to bully and buy out fro
pro-slavery people right to territory alread
i acknowledged and confirmed. And hence it r
suits in case of future acquisition ofterrtory, Il
r occupants may claim or may own what they Wi
s. if they are anti-slavery. Congress will comp
OF with their demands, however extravagant-ltp pr
ne slavery Congress will dispute their rights, no,
ad ever clear, and draw the combined powers of Il
e federal sword and purse against them But this
a III n a. II II. trn