Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-05-29

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or THOMAS p.
CLINGMAN. slsssssss
70 tho Ireemsn Of tas Eighth ceagrsssional Diss
trict Of North Car0kin4 $ sss.7
Fellow Crr1zEss: vacancy having occurred in
the Senate Of the United States. BY reason Of the
resignation of the Honorable Asa Biggr, his Excel
lency Governor Bragg rendered me the appointment
of Senator The acceptance of this position rem.
,dered it necessary that should resign the unex.
PRED term held as q member of the House of
Representatives. This step should have hesitated
to take had not understood that it was your gen.
era desire that should occupy the place of Sena-
tor. Though in this new position l shall still rep
resent you in with the other citizens Of the
State, yet l will no longer be the immediate guar
dian Of your interests in the popular branch Of our
national legislature. In the act therefore. OF ter
minatng a relation which has existed between us
for more than twelve years. you will indulge we in
taking brief retrospect of the past.
During the greater part of my service in the pub
lie councils, the slavery question in some OF its
forms has been prominent and engrossng. What
changes have occurred, and what has been the re-
suit Of this controversy? Ten years ago there was
on the statue-book, an act of Congress formerly
called the Missouri Conn romse Or restriction and
la,terly designated as the Wimot Proviso, which
prohibited slavery in all the territories of the United
States north of the line of latitude of SO degrees
repres. nted by majority of the members on the
floor OF the House or Representatives likewise de-
clared that slavery shoud never be permitted IN any
of the future territories of the Unteo States, and
that more slave holding States should come into
the Union. Though the measures to carry oat this
view, after passing the House, were repeatedly de-
feated in the Senate, the policy ncve, theless
earnestly and zealously pressed with the hope of ul
innate victory. They also took ground for the abo-
liton of slavey in the District of Columbia, and
e A.
jurisdiction. So fierce and formidable the war
domestic institutions that Southern represen-
tatives considering the propriety of cedng
back to Virginia and Maryland this District, to
cape the attacks Of the aboiitonists and OF refus
ing to accept Mexican or other new territory.
So indefensible, too, our position regarded,
that many in the South condemned those from our
own section who in the debates of Congress, at
tempted defence Of institutions. You will re-
member that and others were denounced as agta-
tors, for ende av"rng to show by argument that the
right was side. Believing. nevertheless. that
with free discussion, truth would in the end prevail
entered the contest, with many from our
section against US. The result of the investigation
and tho, ough argument to enlighten the public
mind. The policy of aholishing slavery in the Dis
trict was abandoned. The Wimot Proviso in Feb
ruary. 1850, was defeated on direct vote, for the
first time, in the House of Representatives, and has
never since been able to pass that body.
In 1854 the old Missouri restriction was repealed
and expelled from the federal statute. book and the
people Of the territories north of sc 80 were left
free to adopt or reject slavery at their own pleasure
Though all the anti slavery elements struggled
hercey against this policy, it has nevertheless pre-
vailed, and the people of Kansas Territory north
of this line, have, during the present session, by act
of Congress- been pei, mted to come into the Union
with constitution recognising slavery, if they will
it. 1t is q remarkable fact, that this proposition
has, in of two forms. received the sanction of
every single member of the present House of Rep
resentatves. There never was presented a more
striking example of the great truth, tina, sound prn
ciples, If zealously maintained, will, in the end, be
triumphant. In addition to all this, the Supreme
Court of the United States has decided that Con-
gress has authority to restrict slavery in the Ter
ritories of the United States and. by consequence
that all such the old Missouri restriction
utterly void and of no effect. They have further
held that, under the Constitution Of the United
States negro is not the equal Of white man, and
cannot he citizen.
With the result then. Of this controversy, fellow
citizens. you and ought to have every reason to be
satisfied 1t involves no triumph over our North
ern brethren. We have in the whole contest claim
ed no advantage over them, but merely to stand as
their equals throughout the length and breadth of
this free republic For the first time since 1920,
gentlemen. you and your institutions have. in all
spects, the same recognition and the rights I'M
der the Federal Government those of any section
Of the Union. l cannot however, give you the as
that all the danger IS passed. If the reo-
Pile of the North willing to acqnicsce Gas hope
they are in this state of things and to recognise
as their equals in the eyes of our common Govern
men then all will be WELL But it. on the contra
ry majority of them are in their feelings hostile
to u.s. they will find the means Of renewing the war
on us. A few years will enable us to know wheth-
er not such is to be the result.
The vehement struggle which has just passed.
produced great changes in party organizations. The
old Wing party because most Of its members in the
northe n States had adopted anti slavery views was
completely destroyed. For a similar reason the
American party persisted in its birth, rather fail
ed even for moment, to attain the form OF a =
tonal organization.
The Democratic party alone survived the shock Of
the struggle. 1t conld not have done so, but for the
fact that many patriotic citizens previously outside
of its organization went to its aid and ncor-
porated in its ranks say patriotic fellow.citizens,
because we 50 often the public interest sacrificed
to mere party ends, that man deserves to be com.
mended, who. to advance the interest Of his coun
try. disregards party prcjndces and the selfish
promptngS Of pride Of opinion and consistency
The expenses of the General Government have
in the last ten years, considerably increased This
is mainly due to two causes. The actual bounds Of
the republic have been nearly doubled in extent
while from the sparseness Of the population Of the
possessions and the cost Of the transportation
Of troops to defend them, large addition to ouI
annual appropriations is unavoidable. second
cause of the increased expenses is to be fonnd ir
the fact that the slavery agitation, for the last ter
years, has so occupied the public mind that it has
overlooked and lost sight. to extent Of princi
pies of economy and therefore abuses have grown nE
more rapidly than formerly 1t is to be hoped that this
cause may cease to exist, in view of the probable
settlement Of the slavery question. 1t is due Il
truth, perhaps, that should add, that though fo
the latter portion of this period the Democratic par
ty have been in power yet the responsibility of THU
extravaganza cannot be solely even mainly charg
ed to it. An examination of the Journals of Con
gress will show that most of the Objectionable ex
pendtures have been made by the votes Of tn