Washington sentinel., 1854-03-05

pesl that I hare not. during nv lle, 70 nv
knowledge, uttered q sediment differing from
those which have advanced here today as Ia
| the anestion of power and the propriefy Of IL
exercise; bat add further, that III ever have
uttered sentiment or cniertainei N opinion.
at any time different from that which | have
nov expressed, was in error, and ] feel tho
fall conviction of my judgment, and the appro
baiion of my heart, that am right nov. And
for any error of the kind. IL | have ever com
miticd any, must humbly beg the pardon %
my counirymeh lor having tended, in the least,
TO delude or nisguidc them.
Mr. President, pass this ball. and. 10 NV
| opinion, We shah put a; rest forever this ex.
\ citing question of slavery. and bani-h |, from
these halls; and beqneaih TO our successors y
peace and tranquility which we have never
known here. and never, shall know until We pass
this bill. This 10 my eighth wear In one orihe
other Hvnse OF Congress and mo year have
| passed, no month have ] passed. in either
House, without seeing the exciting agitation To-
which this question has led. Pass this hill.
repeat, and you viii put Il at an cnd forever.
and Danish It's consideration from these halls.
| II yon pass she bill, the question will have been
settled upon Just and equitable principles. The
north and tlM south win be alike Mt libcrsy to
20 10 the Territories. and the majority viii es
,ablish such institutions as suit them. IL yoa
pass this measure, my word for H. hereafter
Won win not know. from the speech Of a man iu
either house Of Congress-, whether he halls
from the Rio Grande. the savannas of the south.
| or from the extreme north. You will only
know him as whig or a democrat; you viii
only know him because he advocates the tariff
and strong central government here, or mild
and benignant policy on the part Of the gen.
eral government, reserving 20 the States all
their just and harmonious powers Of action.
| Pass the bill, and nll slavery excitement will
| bo Mt an end there win be no foundation on
which to rear the fabric Of further discord and
| further contention. But, az brethren, we shall
meet here, relieved from all this turmoil and
excitement that and nv compeers have suf
ered for eight long years in these halls. Let
the agitation be abandoned, let brotheriy love
| be established, and let US 90 on advocating
| such measures, and such alone. as legitimately
| and properly belong to the administration OF
the powers and duties Of the general govern.
| ment 4f G
I will say to my northern brethren, some Of
whom are reputed TO have keen eve towards
money, that much would be saved BY banishing
the slavery agitation from the halls Of Congress.
Much would have been saved from the begin.
ming If it had never been introduced here.
! Danish it now, and you will save large amount
of money. More money has been spent in le-
gslating over this question than it cost the gov
ernment to buy Louisiana. In debating the
| question Of slavery pro and con, whether il
should extend north or south Of particular
line, more money has been spent than would
have bought several large tracts Of territory.
Danish the agitation, and you will save all such
expenditures in the future. More ill-blood and
! il-feeling has been engendered here; more
/ l,,-a 1an, nxol ktx1
north and the south, and more hatreds and dis.
likes, than the Territory in dispute was worth;
or at least, more than its purchase cost Pass
the bill, and peace and harmony will follow in
| its train, and all viii be quiet.
| Here let me say to gentlemen of the south,
that while regard this as mere shadow to
| them, it is removing the ban under which their
citizens have abored, but It is not giving them
| any substantial, tangible, lasting benefit; and
| there is, therefore, the more reason why we Of
the north should at this time remove this re-
striction. The equilibrium of power between
the north and the south has now passed away.
1t has vanished, never again to return. Once
the north and the south we're equalin political
power; and when two men are equal in power,
they watch each other very closely; but, when
the strong man has smaller one in his grasp
he is, not SO careful about watching his move
| ments. So it is with the north. The equilb-
rum of power has gone, / say. never to be re-
| stored. The admis ion of California DESTROYED
| it in this body, where for years the attempt was
| made to keep tup. In the other House il has
long been gone. The more dense population
Of the free States gives them a preponderance
of power in that house.
What is our condition now? So far from
the south being able to bring in slave State
Immediately to restore that balance of power
here are Minnesota, and Washington, and
Oregon Territories, all of whom are now pre-.
pairing almost to enter with their senators and
representatives in this chamber and the other,
and all of whom will come here with free con-
stitutions, beyond question. Idoubt not that
that will be the case with the people of Utah
and New Mexico also. The people living in
those regions, left te the control of that law to
which Daniel Webster referred law which
is above the repeal of Congress-, the eternal
iecrees of God, will come here as free States.
These two Territories, Nebraska and Kansas,
now in their incipient stage, just in their birth,
will, when they come to their manhood, be
free; for slavery will not prosper there.
Then, sir, with all this before u.s. with this
overbalancing, tremendous, and overwhelming
political power of the north over the south. ]
ask of reasonable men, is it not time now TO be
just, if you cannot be generous. Why is it
tnat you cannon De Justl Even II ~ were going
little beyond justice, to save the feelings of
the weaker portion of the Union, why not be
generous? Why not assure them now, at this !
time, that though they were reduced 10 a sim
gle slave State, and we we're advanced to a
hundred free States, the rights, privileges and
immunities of that slave State should be en-.
joyed by them. and should be as sacred to
them as though they had majority of slave |
States. Now is the time to give that assurance. |
for one am ready to give it. Let us reverse
our positions, and see how we shall stand.
Suppose the south had the numerical power in
the Senate and in the House, with certain |
onward accumulation Of it, and they should |
say that no State should hereafter come into this
Union, unless with slave constitution; would |
we, ask, as freemen, demanding an equality
of political rights in this Union submit to it 2 |