The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-08-17

exciting sensation. both for the reasons he gave
and the vots Of sos hiry-odd msmbers who eoncufred
with bin. esse
Mr. Monroe 10 General Jack son and MI Jefferson. As
they were c0NiempoIaDeous MAY, Is2o and also soule
sxpssssoas the letter General Jackson which svi-
dsntly referred TO Mr. Clsy's movement Inc fsunca-
zion al Spain was given October 1920. and being after
the lime limited. il became necessary to submit again
% the American Senate, WHICH was done az me session
OF lS2O-2i II was ratified again. and almost unanI-
mously. but not quite. four votes being gwen against IT.
and AZ BY western senators nsmeIy: Col NJ John
bic OF Ohio was then in Washington. and senator
elect though not ye, entitled 10 seat tn consequences OF
the DELAYED admission OF the new State oil Missouri into
he Union and 20 bad no opportunity 10 record my vote
against The treaty But The progress Of gave
opportunity to manifest my opposition. and to sp
case was this: While the treaty was still encountering
Spanish procras,ination in the delay Of exchanging rs
hcations Mexico TO whom the ampuiaed part Of Lou
isana and the whole Of Texas 10 be attached itself
ceased 10 belong Spain She established her indie
pendence. Tepused all Spanish Authority and remained
at war with the mother country The law for giving
etct to the treaty, by providing for commissioners 10 run
and mark the boundary, had been passed at the
time OF the ratification OF the treaty; II came up after
took my scat and il was opposed BY ME. opposed i,
not only upon the gro"nd OF original objections to the
treaty. but the further and obvious ground that the
revolution In Mexico-her actual ndependence-had su-
peEseded the Spanish treaty in the whole article OF the
We should now settle them. The act was passed. how
ever by sweeping majority, the administration being for
il. and senators holding themselves committed by previous
votes but the progress of events justified my OPP
position TO it, The country being 10 possession OF
Mexico. and she vi with Spain, no Spanish commits
sioners could 60 there TO join in executing il and
10 The act remained dead letter upon the statute book
Ito futilty was afterwards acknowledged by gov
eminent, and the mis- step corrected BY establishing the
boundary with Mexico herself &E
his done by treaty in the year 1885, adopting the
boundaries previously agreed upon with Spain, and
sequeny amputang rivers (he Red and the Arkan-
sas) and Remembering the valley Of the Mississippi 10
the same extent was done by the Spanish treaty OF
1910. opposed the ratification OF the treaty with Mex
leo for the same reason that opposed its original with
with me. namely; Judge William Smith, Of South Caro-
lima. end Mr.. fowhaian Ellis. Of Mississippi, Thus |
a bs valley Of hs 'd pacsd for
eGn dominion on The upper halves OF the Red river and the
Arkanas-paced a foreign power and wilderness be-
tween Missouri and New Mexico. and which brough,
empire 10 the boundary line OF the State
Of Louisiana, and almost to the southwest corner of
Missousi--saw this treaty three times ratified by the
American Senate, as good as unanimously every time,
and with the hearty concurrence OF the American pub
lie. and the full applause OF the American press Yet
remained in the Senate 10 see, within few years, a
~ that stood before il TO get back this very country
which this treaty had given away; and menacng the
Union itself with dissolution il il was not Immediately
done, and without regard 10 consequences But OF this
hereafter
The point 10 be noted OF this treaty Of lsl is.
that It completed very nearly the extinction Of slave
territory within the limits OF the United States and that
i was the work OF southern men, with the sanction OF
the South L extinguished off the slave territory
beyond the Mississippi below 80 degrees 80 minutes all
except the diagram in Arkansas which be-
come State. The Missouri compromise line had in
tcsdcted slavery in all the expanse OF Louisiana
north OF % degrees 80 minutes this treaty gave away
fret to Spain. and then to Mexico, nearly all the slave
territory south of that line and what ts was left by
the Spanish treaty. was assigned in perpeluy by laws
and by treaties to different Indian tribes These treaties
Ondian and Spanish together with the Missouri com
promise linc--a measure coniemporaneous with the
irsA,y-exunguished slave soil in all the United
States territory west OF the Mississippi except in the
diagram which was 10 constitute the State of Arkansas
and, including the extinction in Texas consequent upon
~ cession TO non-saveboding power. constructive
largest territorial abolition OF slavery that af
fected BY the political power of any nation The ord-
nance OF 1857 bad previously exngushed slavery 10 all
the Northwest Terrtory-aIl the country east of the
4sisspp above the Ohio and GU, TO the grea, lakes
% that at this momen-era OF the second election OF Mr.
Monroc-save soil, except in Arkansas and Florida,
was extinct in the territory of the United States
The growth OF slave States (excep OF Arkansas and
floF,da) was sopped-the increase OF free States was
permitted IN al the vast expanse from Lake Michigan
and the mississippi river TO the Rocky mountains and
10 Oregon and there ripple OF discomfort yis-
BILE on the surface OF the public mind this nigh trans
formation Of slave ino free territory. No talk, then,
about dissoving the Union If every citizen al
lowed 10 20 with all his .'properly"-iha, is, all his
siaves-to all The territory acquired by the common
blood and treasure" of all the Union But this belongs
TO the chapter OF 1874, whereof have the material 10
write the true and secret history, and hope use it with
fairness. with justice, and with moderation The out
side view of the slave question in The United States at
this time which any chroncler write is. that The
extension OF slavery was then arrested cIrcumscrbed
and confined within territorial limits, while free
MATES were permitted an almost unlimited expansion
That - the outside view the inside Is that ali this was
the work OF Southern men--canddaes for the presi-
denny. seme IN abeyance some 10 praen, and all yield
Ing to thai repugnance 10 territorial aggrandiz men and
slavery extension in the Southwest which MIR Monroe
mentioned his letter TO General Jackson az the inter
nal dmcn,y which oecas'oned the cesson OF Texas TO
Spain. This chapter is point in the history of the
umes which will reqare 10 be understood by all who
wish TO understand and appreciate the and actors
OF twenty years later.