The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-11

view to the division of the State, a fayorite
measure with the Pro-Slavery party. Govern
or Bsler, Just elected, sets his face against the
agitation of the question of Sayery-lwe know
what that means)-and is deyout in his admi-
ration of the Compromise measures Among
the candidates for the Senatorship, were ex-
Governor Smith of Virginia, rampant Sla-
very man, Robert McLane, who signalized his
short career in Congress, two years ago by his
hostility to anti-slayery men, and another citi-
zen of slave State J. B Weller, formerly of
Ohio, and one of the bitterest foes of the anti
slavery cause, was elected.
These facts show the character of the ruling
influences in the new State.
In addition to the disclosures recently made in
the Era, demonstrating the existence of for
midable plot for the introduction OF Slavery into
its Southern portion, there are several things to
which we would direct attention. The lower
half of California contains a very sparse popu-
lation, and without the nerve to oppose the OPP
erations of the large number OF emigrants
from the slave States pouring into that section.
In the State generally wages are very high, 50
that there is a strong motive to the introduc-
ton of Slave Labor.
The People of California are beginning to
open their eyes to the abominable scheme
ID. II. Wheeler, one of the masses, writes to the
True Wesleyan, The propagandsts of Slavery
are determined to force the question upon us.
There is faction here who have wealth
and influence busy at work, but we shall
watch and expose them at every turn. And
we are the People The coming of such large
numbers from the South to our shores just now
means more than digging gold"
Mr.. Gwin we observe, is suspected of favor
ing the scheme. "If" says MIR. Wheeler,
Senator Gwin entertains opinions of the kind
attributed to him in the Pacific, he would be
wise to refrain from giving them any form or
embodiment in Congress or he may find few
tnoasan6 oi ms constituents requestsA n,rn' W
retire to private life"
We notice the following significant items in
the proceedings of the Legislature, January
Goth and Gath
Mr.. Graham. of Solano, gave notice of a
bill to provide for an election of members to a
Convention to remodel the State Constitution"
Legislature, Jan. 81, 1882.
aMr Crabb of San Joaquin, introduced a
bill authorizing persons who have brought
slaves to California before her admission into
the Union, to take them out of the State, or
otherwise dispose of em."-Legisiat,ve, Jan.
"a 1852.
The Pacific, the Presbyterian newspaper pub
lished at San Francisco, thus comments on
these movements:
"These two measures have connection. 1t
is much closer than the public are aware of.
These measures are steps in advance of the
initiative taken by the late Governor. in his
recommendation of Convention. The osten-
sible object of that recommendation was devil
sing of a remedy for unequal taxation the
real object was to make room for new institu-
tons Revision was proposed, revolution in
tended This we have learned, as stated two
weeks ago, not only from many whisperings in
various quarters and statements made to lis
by interested parties familiar with the move
ment, but also in other ways; and we may in
fer il, also, from the facts of the case.
The assigned reasons for calling Conven-
ton are unsatisfactory, not to say trivial. Such
objects do not call for such measures. The means
are out of all proportion to the end. Such an
end cannot justify SO important proceeding.
Good sense does not allow so large an expendi-
ture of force for accomplishing 30 little. IL
husbands its resources, and wisely adjusts and
adapts means to ends. Ii follows, them that
with good share of common sense, the late
Governor and his sympathizers would not have
proposed so serious measure as a State Con-
vention for revising the Constitution unless
they had some great and serious change to
make in the instrument They hare such a
change to propose. 1t involves the division of
the State-the removal of obstacles, and the
increase of facilities, for introducing slavery
into portion Of California
The Southern Press rests its opposition to the
finality of the Compromise upon this, among
several reasons that the State of California
may yet be divided, with view to the estab-
lishment of Slavery in its lower half
"If California were now or hereafter to
propose division of her territory, so as that
the Southern portion would be opened to South.
ern colonization the Southern Democrats would
support it. although that would be an infrac.
ton of the Compromise"
Of course, they would for the very men
who are insisting upon the fnality of the Com
promise are laboring to subvert it by propaga.
ting Slavery to the shores of the Pacific, from
which it was excluded by that measure.
The Washington Union denies the deduction
of the Southern Press-the support of bill
for the division of California, for the purpose
specified, it regards as in perfect harmony with
the Compromise. 1t says
"The Southern Press refers to a possible
future division of the territory of California,
upon her own proposition and instance as con-
stituting a contingency in which the Compro-
mise would be infracted, and the doctrine OF
its fnality repudiated. We adopt no such
view. The position of California in the Union
is precisely that of New York or Virginia
Her proposition to divide her territory would
come before Congress as new question, to be
decided upon the same considerations which
would govern the decision in the case of any
other State. 1t is idle and absurd to say that
any man has regarded his position upon the
Compromise as controlling his course upon the
question of such division, if it shall hereafter be
presented, as the question of admission was
presented by California herself
The only part of the Compromise of any ad-
vantage to Freedom, that which alone made it
endurablc to the free States was the exclusion
Of Slavery from the Pacific coast If this pro.
hibition be ever removed, it will be through
the Vaccinations of Slavcholdng politicians,
now vocifcrous in insisting upon the Compro-
mise rs fnality And yet we are told by
them through their mouthpiece, the Washing
ton Union, that it will be no infraction of the
Compromise
We are glad that portion of the public
press in California is fully aroused to the danger