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

ciple, to. come in. And even If she presented
herself as bride. who had been invited to the
nuptials, II would certainly be under most ex-
traordinary circumstances that she should como
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 circums tapces.
without being hidden TO the nuptials. ana win
out having on her wedding garments, she ought
not TO be admitted. Then, Dir, 1 take II that
the objections Of my late colleague to the adj
mission Of CaIiforna,' must have been fnnda-
mental and to the principle on which that State
was organized. could 90 further and show
what were his opinions in reference to The. no.
plication of New Mexico for admission az a
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-
pressions 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 il
the author Of the resolution tefore 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 vndicating my action upon
this question
Ibid design, Mr., President, to refer to two
remarks made by the Senator from Alabama,
[Mr. CLEMENs,] in his speech on this resolution,
! in one of which he says:
Il thought itwrolg to admit California, and
voted against it,
And the other: @stH
Il did not vote for tho abolition Of the slave
trade in the District of Coumba. thought it
wrong for Congress to NEEDLE with it. think
it wrong now; but would not today 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 adj
mission of California ard to the bill abolishng
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
Mr.. 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 Sem
ator from, Alabama, only wished to say that
this resolution differs from what suppose he
conceived il to bc--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 eur
acquescence in them as laws of the United
States that do not assent to the principle on
which these measures were based, and that un.
derstood him from his former speeches, as cc-
cupying the same position, especially in regard
to the admission Of California and the abolition
of the slave trade in he District of Columbia
i 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 OF 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 lac
colleague to accept it, the chair informed him
that he 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 were irrepeaable. III 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.
ticipates, that these laws may be repealed; and
the resolution is Objectionable, in its present
form, for this very opposite reason TO that given
by the honorable Senator for the adoption Of his
amendment. In the passage OF law or res
olation by Congress, | take it that those who
pass it consider that il is law intended to &c.
comPlish a certain purpose, which is intended 10
stand, and which ought to stand, and there il nd
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 a
future Congress.
/ consider it, therefore, an objection TO thi.
resolution that Il seems 10 anticipate that The
law will be abused, and. therefore, that il Is 10
be repealed. There is bat 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.
orable Senator from Massachusetts fMr. DAvrsl
said yesterday, even II you were to repeal the
act by which California was admitted she would
still be here as n member of this Union, aud
would send her Representatives here, As she his
done Bills have been passed providing terrific
rial governments for Utah and New Mexico, aud
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 10 interfere, 30 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 81 IL, espe.
cialy to the penalty which causes a ssveowner
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 isin that respect objectionable.
Still no one proposes TO repeal it, Then the oEy
question upon which abuse is anticipated, or
where the law is liable TO repeal, Is the fugitive
slave act. And il is said this Is The law which 10
given to the South as a compensation for all the
wrongs she had received in the other measures
of compromise. Are we 10 imply not only, bat
ant cipac, 10 the passage of this resolution, that
there will be abuse Of that law, aud that Il Is La
BILE TO be repealed ] believe that, IL this reso-
luton were amended in this particular, simply
enunciating The opinion Of the measures, il is