The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-24
eslifafnia ahi aiatery.

The. bill which has passed the California legis.
lature, IN relation to fugitive slaves, provides fot
the surrender. to their original masters, of oil
colored people in California, who were slaves
before they were brought into California, thus
virtually repudiating the doctrine that California
wa as free territory by virtue ofits old MEXICAN
law, and that slaves could not be held there to
service after the conquest. Mr. Van Buren,, q
member of the Legislature, who figured in New
York at the last Presidential election, as free
soer, voted for It; while Mr.. Broderick, for.
merly New York bunker, bitterly opposed its
passage. 1t is said there are no slaves in Cali
fornia to which the bill will be applicable.
The San Francisco correspondent of the N
as follows:
The intelligence which this steamer will con-
vey, will be two weeks later provided the
Vanderbilt line do not anticipate it but within
the two weeks that have elapsed, since last
wrote, nothing of striking Importance has oc-
Cured, although much has transpred which nf-
fords room for thought and consideration. In
this connection may refer to the final passage
of the slave bill in this State This is not as
might be supposed, an endorsement Of the
fugitive slave bill, or of the compromise measures
generally, but an act referring to slaves which,
were brought into the country by their masters
before the adoption OF the present constitution
and at time when it was undetermined whether
slavery would be tolerated in California. This
law provides that within one year after its pass
age the owners Of slaves shall have the privilege
- ~,
do so within that time, the slaves to be free
This measure WAS violently opposed by the abol-
tionists, of whom there are a great many in
California, butt passed nevertheless, and is now
the law Of the State.
This leads to the necessity of referring to the
slavery question in another form Every steam.
or that arrives here, brings to California more
or less slaves from the Southern States; and If
the importation of this species of property
should continue in the same way for few
months TO come, large addition will be made
to the slaveholding interest of California, suffi-
cient, perhaps, to counterbaance the anti slavery
interest If this should be the case. the State
isunionists--those persons who are in favor Of
division of the State into Northern and South
ern California---wil succeed in their enterprise;
but not until then. There is no agitation on
the subject rs intense, and marked bv as much
acerbity and bitterness az any agitation on the
same subject that ever took place in the United
States As it is, there are two parties on this
question of slavery here elsewhere; but no
contest has yet taken place between them. The
time however, is not far distant when this sub
ject will, of itself, be the dividing line between
political parties. The result will be division
of the State, and the incorporation of Southern
California as slave territory. Now is the time
for philosopher Greeley to blow the trumpet
The Philisnes will soon be upon him, and he
is expected to, at all events, make an effort to
avert the calamity with which California is
threatened. He might, perhaps, make some
capital for his friend Seward out of the matter.
The SEWARD organ snuf, danger in this
movement, and thus alludes to it:
CALIFORNIA SLAVE STATE.-The article
which we publish TO day under this head, forms
strange chapter in the history of the times
The action of the Legislature practically rtcog-
nzes the existence of slavery anterior to the
adoption of the State constitution. The discus
sion will be found of unusual interest.