Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-04-13

LOFTY, DtioHSlnS ~ all lHe Sldtes lis equais,
and held by Congress as trustee to admins.
ter it for them, the Constitution of the Uni.
ted States, proprio rigore, extended over
the Territories, whether we carried it there
expressly or not; and that it had not only a
controlling, bet a repeating operation upon
the laws Of the conquered country. lap.
peal to my friend from Delaware Mr.. Clay.
ton if am not rirht in this?
Then that bill with even the Mexican law.
then existing, was so shaped that we were
willing To abide by the decision of the courts.
Sir, will here state what | have never said
before: In the councils which had upon
the subject, said. that whatever might be
Mr.. Calhnun's opinions upon these subjects
and concurrcd with limit was a haz.
ardous experiment to leave to the courts so
important a question. | recolect his reply
well. He said:
1t will give rise to the greatest debate
that has ever been conducted in America !;
let that issue be made before the Federal
Courts of this Union, aud there never has
been such debate as will then arise {; the
American mind has never been engaged in
such a debate rs will take place upon that
ISSUE.
he added:
"lf, sir, it is decided that the common
territory, won by the common blood and
common treasure of the South AS well as
the North, shall be appropriated to one class
in preference tn another, the sooner tile
South know their fate the bester, aud then
let them look out either to acsuiesce or to
take the position which free people have Il
right to take when they think their rights
have been invaded"
Those were his views.
Now this bill is iuintel better than that;
because we use this bill rs sponge to wipe
out the Missouri line. AS long us the Mis-.
souri, Compromise line remains, it Isl a certain.
tv that southern men will not carry their
slaves over the line There is that certain.
~ before YOU il you draw tie line and let it
exist But say to southern gentlemen, who
are prying into this matter with something
like legal .ubtleiy, and letting the great
question of southern rights will not say
Southern rights, but the common rights of
the counry-rest upon a mere aper juris, a
mere point Of law-those who are looking
about endeavoring to find a flaw here and
there, with a view, in some measure to dis
satisfy the South, let them take this alterna-
tive which now present. Let any sonth.
erll man take this alternative; Will you
take this bill, with its legal provisions and
certain legal import, by which the southern
slaveholders may bave-l do not say by
which they uiN have, but by which they
may have-a potential capacity to enjoy
the common territory of the country, or will
you reject the bill upon your responsibility
as Il public man, and hug the Missouri Com.
promise, and keep that odious geographical
line in force! Under one. it is certain we
can have no rights; under the other, We may
have some.
Now. Mr. President, is it not something
for Il Southern man TO fight for his border?
If Missouri is to be exposed to the invasion
of Northern !anaicism. is there anything
wrong in her Southern sisters coming To her
rescue! do not say that | would wish
Missouri to carry slavery over into Nebraska
or Kansas. We wish no such thing But
when the certainty is before US, that if that
line continues, and the waves of agitation
are poured ont upon it, Missouri may be
swept from the map Of Southern States, is it
not something for a Southern man to go to
the rescue of that border sister of ours!
do not say that will he the fact; but ! am
very mlch inclined to think that the opera.
ton of this bill, if it shall become law, will
be such that the territorial government will
pass no statute upon the subject of slavery,
one way or the other. think it will con.
tinue to be neutral territory-neither slave
ry pouring into it, nor free.soilism and fana-
ticism rolling their waves upon Missouri |
am inclined to think it will retain its true
posi,ion if it maintains any thing like dis
creion-neutrality being neither one way
or the other: lam satisfied that the Terri
torial Legislature, after we have sponged out
this line, will not pass any law upon the
subject. Do you suppose that any Terrific
rial Legislature will pass law to exclude or
expressly to admit slavery9 1t would lie Il
suicidal act on the part of tine Legislature,
and they are not going TO commit such an
act of folly. No, sir, they will leave it to he
settled by American citizens, without regard
TO whether they own or do not own slaves
That will be the operation of the bill, in my
opinion; aud say that to my Southern
associates who are disposed to act with US
upon this subject.
Now, sir, is there not something due from
the South Ought they not cordially to
give up much in order to concur in the de.
liberate Judgment of portion Of our north
western aud northern friends. who have
come forward amidst perils among which
we have never trod, to do US justice! Sir, I
would 90 very far to stand by them. l
will be the last to desert them. will stand
by them because believe they are right. |
will stand by them because they have intre.
pidly assumed the position of justice, with
the prescription of an uncalculating fanati.
cism over their heads. Something is due to
them, and will stand by them.
But there is another remark which wish
to make. was not in the Chamber at the
time when the honorable Senator from Mich.
igan claimed the passage Of this bill as a
triumph of what is called the inherent right
of the people of Territory to invest them
selves with government. He claims this,
| understand, upon the broad ground that
they can assume upon themselves such rights
whenever they may think that proper case
to do SO arises.