The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-25

the policy of the Ordinance of 1887 made a
disqualification for political preferment con-
sented that the old party leaders at the North
should falsify their own professions on the sub
ject of Free Soil, make Free-Sosm standing
subject Of denunciation, and put under the
ban every movement or expression of opinion
against Slavery in their respective Parties.
Is it any wonder, that where the advocates
of Right grow timid and apathetic, the sup
porters Of Wrong become audacious and az
gressive! Our submissiveness has emboldened
Slavery to march on. cOnquerng and to con-
quer. That man is fool, or worse, who incul-
Gates the idea that there is Il limit to the de-
mands of Slavery. Give give! is its eternal
clamor. By the law of its being Injustice is
aggressive The man who steals, must lie to
conceal it. Things bad begun, make strong
themselves by ill., Despotism, from the fact
that it is against Humanity, against the cur
rent of Civilization, against the development of
Gods Providence, is of necessity sleepless, UNI
firing encroaching The moment it ceases to
advance, it must recedc: it cannot stand still ,
inactive, it must be swept away by the tide
ever running against it.
Read the report in another column, of pro-
ceedings in the California Legislature The
Compromise is intended to bind as hand and
foot to silence discussion on Slavery Cues
of Slavery Every Presidential aspirant is
pledged to 1.-THE old parties at the North are
laboring to secure acquiescence in 1.-THE
South insists upon the recognition of its final
ity-good citizens, really opposed to Slavery.
seem to shrink from the further agitation of
the snhinrt-Septbern p,Anbers nf. .ConsSees
are !q:;" ~~g"sed in SIS %" -1','.,castra-
ting the thoroughly pro-slavery character of
their respective organizations and favorte
candidates for the Presdency-the great ques-
ton between Wing and Democratic members
from the free States is, which of the two par
ties at the North has sinned more against Sla-
very which has made the more ample atone
ment, which may now be regarded as more
trustworthy in relation to its interests. which
is more ntolerant of the Free Soil heresy and
more disposed to tolerate the yoke of the Slave
Power Having succeeded SO far in subiecting
the public mind of the North. can we won
der at the mastery the Shareholders have ac-
quired in California 2 During the last two
years their emissares have been busy in the
new State; and as we have seen, formidable !
scheme has been set on foot for opening its
doors to slave labor The movement thus far |
has steadily advanced, without any check |
Fremont. supposed to sympathize with his ia
ther-in-law in his opposition to the extension
of Slavery, could not command the vote of his !
own party for the United States Senate The |
pro-slayery men organized their forces, and, as
the record proves, have obtained the control of |
the present Legislature. Its acts and debates
reveal its spirit and principles. First, the
Assembly passes bill for the surrender of fu-
gtive slaves, containing the most stringent pro-
visions. According to the decision of the Su-
preme Court in the Prigg case, any State legs-
latlon for such a purpose is unconstitutional.
The trainers of the California bill were not
ignorant Of this decision Besides, the measure |
was unnecessary, not only because Congress
had already legslated on the subject but be-
cause there were no fugitive slaves in the State
What was it's real object Not to restore fu-
gitive slaves but to reduce certain class of
men, formerly slaves again to the condition of
Slavery We insert an abstract of the bill
and of the debates upon it. These were even
worse than the measure ITSELF showing the
utter corruption of the Legislative body The
most ultra dogmas of the pro-slavery school
were continually enuncated without provo
king rebukc, or even exciting remark The
conclusion is forced upon us, that body
which could enact such law, and yindicate it
upon such grounds is capable of any pro-sla-
very enormity
The next movement is one for calling State
Convention to remodel the Constitution with a
view specially to the division of the State and
the establishment of Slavery A bill on the
subject having been introduced by Mr. Ora
ham, who voted for the infamous bill to re-im-
pose Slavery upon those whom the Constitution
had liberated was referred to the Committee
ON Federal Relations, which has reported ia
vorably on the subject.
The next movement is the presentation of
memorial from twelve hundred citizens of South
Carolina and of Florida, asking the privilege
of importing into the State some two thousand
slareS and establishing model slave planta-
tons
"SACRAMENTo EebruarD 10 1859
" Mr. Peachy presented most extraordinary
memorial in the House this mornng-a memo
rial of twelve hundred and eighteen citizens of
South Carolina and Florida, asking the Legis-
laturc of California to grant them as an essen
ta benefit to this State, the privilege of be-
coming citizens, of identifying themselves per-
manently with our interests, and of emgratng
to our rural districts with rdluabie and gor-
erndbIe population. an the relation of propertu
| by whose peculiar labor alone our valuable soils
may be rendered productive, and our wilder
ness may be made to blossom like the rose
They ask permission to colonze a rural district
| with population of not less than two thou
sand slaves.
"Upon the reading of this petition, rs you
will readily conceive, highly exciting discus
sion occurred A multitude of motions were
made respecting it but motion to send it to
the Committee on Federal Relations finally
prevailed. A debate on motion to print was
cut off by the previous question: and the sub
ject necessarily lies over till tomorrow
Had sound sentiment on the iect of Sla-
very peryaded the body, the memorial might
have excited ridicule or contempt but the pc
titioncrs would certainly have had permission
to withdraw their request The fact that it
occasioned warm debate and was Mt last re-
terred to the Committee on Federal Relations,
is only another evidence of the predominance