The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-08
THE PLOT DEVELOPING.

The secret is out. The thin DISCUSSES which
the enemies of our State Constitution have been
trying to draw over their designating schemes
are now perfectly transparent.
The talk is no longer about burdensome tax
alton, inequality OF representation, and the like,
and it comes to this: Shall a Contention be
held 10 strike out freedom from orr Constitution,
and insert sldrery ~ its places
That is the question, citizens of California
Ind, from present appearances, At riH be green
you TO dnswer 1t at The polls
With this we would be content. If the ques-
ton were about to be presented fairly, and IN its
true light We only wish to expose false is
sues and let it come home just as it ought,
upon its own merits, to the people The true
issue we are satisfied to meet there, if meet it
we must.
Let it then be known to the freemen of our
noble free State-in the Mountains, on the
Plains, in the Valleys, and in the Cities-that
the effort to get q convention to remodel the
Consultation is nothing more nor less than an
effort to strike out freedom from our Consttu-
ton, and insert slavery. That we have be-
leved to be true for long time. The readers
of the Pacific will remember that We have
maintained il for many months, ever since the
question of dividing the State was mooted. Not
word was said on the part Of the propaganda
lists, either Of admission or denial
But now, since the plot has become trans
parent and all the dark workings beneath the
surface are seem the suicidal measure is to be
forced upon us. upon its own merits. They
tell us sidrery as good thing! They tell us
that the present population of California did
not vote for our Constitution. Ind they inti-
mate that a majority Of our citizens desire Stare
ry!
| And some in our Legislature are disposed 70
entertain with some respect and favor the i'm
pudcnt petition sent to MS from certain slave
States, TO allow them to bring their slaves to
our free soil, and hold them here as property!
! Such petition is an insult to the good sense
of the citizens of California. We dare not trust
ourselves to speak Of it, II ought at least to
be returned, with such laconic replies as Vir-
GINA and South Carolina are wont to send
back with the unopened abolition documents
which they sometimes receive from Massachu-
setts or Vermont. One thing we wish. Ii is this
IL such petition must he entertained we would
that the whole question of slavery in California
were made to depend on it, Then send il to
the people, and let them say through the bal
lot box whether it should be granted, or spurn-
ed as dn insult Put the question in that true
and naked form, and right answer would be
inevitable.
We are pleased to see all the most respecta-
BILE journals in the State utter one united con-
demnation against this revolutionary move
ment We know that they speak the voice Of
the people of the State. But let us not be too
confident in the possession Of freedom. The
enemies Of the Constitution are many, vigilant
and active; and what is worse, they are main
ly out Of sight They are most uptiring in
their perseverance. Against such efforts too
much reliance must not be placed upon num-
bers.
Ii is false security. 1t has sealed the doom
of many a good cause Freedom is strong,
but to maintain it. freedom must be aetip
There ought to be uttered voice against this