Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-13
NUMBER lOI.
THE KANSAS QUESTION
For the ENQUIRER.

THE KANSAS QUESTION.
49, hes:ts' Ea'tors:-Thsre are very many6 ya1,>
SUBSCRIBERS who are National Democrats. md. p.
suen, are po willing 70 abandon their prtciprs s,
oause 'ne rrTs'oent has unfortunately fsl nro All
eflor oa inc hansa- Question. We do mol atfNcaG
not believe it Democratic 10 forcs mon Ao,A M
thing against their will. We believe now \. " IN
W. r Ca,;.rnu was admitted, that the rgiif6s'ioN<
.ne o"n,u'.ou ::. ny ina people is an n6i-p-"-nt -
prerequisite according TO Democratic prirr,pl.- ,1
the admission as a State into the Tnion And uhi,.f
the politicians are with the presid.n, w. ss.u-, ,.,
the masses in the South Western mar. ~ Viroinl ~
overwhelmingly with Gov. Wise; and r,is yriN M
fully shown when the proper tms co,,s, S,na\f
Us have not forgotten the position taken hv nm. n-,\
tesi in the Senate of The United States b.; Me-
Mason, Hunter and Others. against the adni..i,r ~
California. And we AJAX you for the benei, os yorr
many subscribers TO publish that pror..tw. ,yea,,
the protest by Mason, Hunter and Others against the
admission Of California. BY doing which, you v!!i
much oblige, VERY May
SENATE OF THE UNITED STdTES,l
Ausua liR. 1850.
PROTEST OF SOUTHERN MEMBERS.
MIR. HUNTER. rise TO address motion 10 tn
courtesy OF the Senate motion which am avara
we have no right Ia make as a matter of right or
parliamentary privilege. II is TO AK that prOtrsr
prepared and signed by ten members Of this BODY
against the passage of the bill! for the admission
California, which was passed Yesterday. may h.
spread upon the journal Of the Senate. We ask L
important measure that has passed during our exp
rlence berei and We wish To give whatever emphs
sls we legitimately can Ia our opposition. We wiab
az far as we can, to weaken the force of the prec
dent which has been established against US by record
ing, in the most solemn aud imperishable form
known 10 us, our dissent from the measure.
ask that this protest may he read and entered M
on the journal Of the Senate.
Inc paper was read follows:
we, the undersigned senators, deeply impressed
lu1n nnr rfa nE ia A.
lemn sense of tho responsibility under which ",
are acting respeciuly submit The following prote,r
against Inc Dill admitting California as a STATE i!,"
this Union and request thar II may be entered upon
the journal OF the Senate. We ieel tha; il j. no.
enough TO have resistel in debate alone y biz so
fraught with mischief 10 he Union and the S:si,a
which We represent, with Sl the resources o arcr-
ment which possessed; but that it il also due ,n
ourselves, the people whose interests have been ~
trusted to our care, and 10 posterity, which,
most distant generations, may feel s CONSEQUENCE.
to leave, in whatever form may be most solemn snd
enduring, a memorial of the Opposition which
have made to this measure, and OF the reason hy
which We have been governed. Upon the pHg-- a.
aournal which the Constitution requires 70 b- ke.i
so long a, the Senate may have an existence, ", de-
sire 10 place the reasons, upon which wiliIng
10 be Judged by generations living and yet to
for your opposition to bill whose cOnsequencr-
may be 80 durable and portentous rs to make ii.u
object OF deep interest 10 all who may come af'-r
US.
We have dissented from thi. bill becsus. il Civ
the sanction OF law and thus impsrts validity to tho
unauthorized action Of portion of the Rhabirru'r
of California, by which odions discrimination "a
made against the property Of the fifteen slav.hod
ing States of the Union, who thus deprived tbs
position Of equality which the constitution man.
itestly designs, and which constitutes the only
and stable foundation on which the Union can ~
pose.
because the right OF the slavsholdng States 10 d,
pf fha tow & H..
Union has been defeated by system of measur-.
which, without the authority of precedent OF law or
the constitution, was manit-atly contrived for th'
purpose, and which Congress must sanction and sdcp
should this bill become a law. In sunctoning To-.
sysem Of measures, this government will admit rha
the inhabitants of Its territories, whether perman-''
transient, whether lawfully or unlawfuiy occmr.
ing the same, may form State without the previou.
authority Of law, without even the partial security O."
territorial organization formed by Congress, wi,hou.
any legal census or other efficient evidence u H..
possessing the number OF citizens necessary 10 auth,
ize the representation which they may claim. nnG
without any Of those safeguards about the bsInt h,r
which can only be provided by law, and winch nfe
necessary to ascertain the true sense of the people
II will admit, too, that Congress having r-fussc ~
provide government except upon the CONDITION az
excluding slavery by law. the executive branch ol
this government may, al its own discretion, invi-
snch inhabitants to meet in convention, under such
rules it or ifs agents may prescribe, and Ia form
constitution affecting not only their rights, bGi
chose also of fifteen States of The coniedrracy BY H.
Guiding territory with the purpose of excludiIu, ID 3,
States from its enjoyment, and without regsrG ih
Natural fitness 9. boundary, or any OF the cour,i
tons which shoulc properly dst-rm the !irn.;- ,'
state. Ii will elso admit that The convention Tiu-
called into existence by the Executive may he a
hy him Ou, u the funds Of the United States. wLYI
the sanction oi Congress- in violation not "ny o! r
pain provisions OF the constitution, bur cf thD.- r'
ciples Of Obrious prop-irty which would f"rbiG asy
act calculated TO make that convention dsp-"fent IT,
Oh il. And ast bu; not least III The series If Ms
sures which this government, nust hGopt ana saEui,
10 passing this bill, is tbs release of the auinUri,
the United States by the Executive slon- TO 4 govern
ment thus formed, and no! presenting anfiri-'
evidence OF its having the assent OF majority OF
p6oDe for whom IL was designed. With visw ut 81
these considerations, the undersigned consrau.
to believe that this government could BE-
brought to admit State presenting ts-lf under sur
circumstances, If not 70. the purpose Of .Xc
ding the people Of the ssveholding States from =. y
porunty OF eettling with their property IN that tri
tory.
Because to vote for bll. passed under each cs.
cumstances would be to agree to principle winch
may exclude forever hereafter. az u ho-s now. 'I-
States which represent from all enjoyment Of o."
common territory Of the Union-a principle which d'.
sfroys the equal rights Of their constituents the eGua
ty OF their States in the confederscy, the equa dZn
~ of thoae whom they represent as men and c.''
zens in the eye Of the law. and their equal title I" m
protection of the government and the constitutou.
because all the propositions have been r')~cet
which have been made to obtain either recognition
of the right of the slavehodIng States TO cOmnoa
enjoyment of all the territory of the United Sta:es
to fair division OF that territory between the slave
holding and slsveholding States the Union go
every effort having fsed which has been made IL n'
tain fHlr dvsion of the territory propose! Ia I-
brought in "a the State Of California.
"But, lastly, we dissent from this bill, and s"i"rr
IL agsnst its passags, because in ssnctinnirg
snrrs contrary To former precedent, 10 obvi"u'
ppIcy TO the spirit and inteIt of the constron -
the United States for the purpose Of cxcludDs !''z
savsholding States from the territory thus 10 -
erected into State, this government in the effect d"
cInres that the exclusion of slavery from the terr;9
ry of the United States is All obect so high and nr
por.ant to justify disregard not only Of all 't5
principles OF sound policy. but also of the copstI'u
ton itself. Against this conclusion we must now ~ .
forever protest as il il destructive Of the safety srG
liberties of those whose rights have been commit, 4
to our care, fatal to tbs peace and equality of IL
States, which we represent, and must lead. 1t ~:
sisted in. to the dissolution of that confederscyS
which the sIaveholding States have never s"oghi
more than equality, and in which they will not ht
content to remain with lees
j. NJ MASON. Virginia,
K. NJ. T. HUNTER; -
A. p. BUTLER. South CaronH,
r. B. BARNWELL, :"
II. l. TURNEY. Tennessee,
PIERRE SOULE, Louisiana
JEFFERSON DAVIS, Mississippi
DAVID K ATCHISON. Missouri
JACKSON MORTON, Florids,
ID. l.. YULEE.
| "SEyArE CHAMBER. August l3 1850"
FELICE ORSINI.
Turin letter Gays Orsini's portrait is in al 'h'
printshop windows here and numerous groups s.s-rn