Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-12
'WILMOT PROYISO.


n ! very unfair and partisan article in
tho September No. of that magazine
o. the admission OF California. The
recital here given Of tho congressional
struggle over the wiImot proviso up TO the
close OF tho Thirtieth Congress can be
verified by the record. The writer was q
spectstor Of the closing scenes OF the night
u March 5. 1870. and as 10 events OF that
night vouches his own personal opssrva-
lion and hearing. u. Is. W.''H.
THE ApT1cfx.
The difficulty In the organization OF
civil government for tho territories ac-
auired from Mexico ante-dAted the aoqui-
alton Of the territory. During the pro-
ercss of the war, in August. 1915, IN anti
Sipstion OF such accusation, Mr.. David VIII
mot, OF Pennsylvania, offered as an amend
ment 10 bill pending before tho House
Of REPRESENTATIVES, his celebrated proviso.
declaring that in all territory which might
be acquired from Mexico slavery should
be forever interdioted. This amendment
wss adopted by the House. but the bill
failed TO become law BY reason. OK the
oon-concurrence of the Senate Again, IN
February, 1Sa7. Mr.. Wilmot submitted the
Same motion, when what YVES known as
the three-million bill was under considera-
kion and again IL was adopted by tine
House. but rejected by the Senate.
The article In the Century OF September.
1890. Ia very inaccurate and partisan IN i.s
narration OF the action OF Congress nponf
che territorial questions and especialiy VI
tho closing scenes of the Tbirtietn CON
Nress. The actors in those eventfui tunes
Of neither section nor party. can nope 70
e,scape the verdict of posterity, but they
have right 70 be tried by the facts OF the
history they made. Certainly the time mas
come when the men of the North ana o.
the South should be OF one mipo "a ue-
handing that when the role OF tho histo-
riau Is assumed, either in grave folios or
In popular magazines. the narration shouiu
be truthful recital OF facts.
There were then fifteen slaveholding
and fifteen non-slavehoiding States, ana
\ few of the Democratic senators from the
North concurred with the southern sena-
ss1s 5ssnsh 81 Congress ss reotng
septiment of the North seemed fixed IN It's
determination. In view OF tins, ana 10
avert the impending sectional struggle,
there was strong sentiment IN the South.
not merely among the southern wings
who had steadily opposed the policy OF tne
Government which lea 10 Ine war. Du n, aaso
among some Democrats adverse to the &C.
ouisition of any Mexican territory. This
Continent found expression in Q series OF
resolutions offered by Mr.. Isaac II.
Holmes. the representative OF the Charles
ton Is. O. district. entitled O prolet Tor
peace and free trade with Mexico,
agreeing to recede all the territory taken
from Mexico beyond the Rio Grande IN
consideration of free ingresS ana egress
for our citizens in New Mexico and Upper
california and Of carrying on trade as
fuIlv as any of the Mexican citizens OF
These resolutions offered pende',le betlo are
probably the basis for the very remarkass
BILE statement that after the treaty Oh
neece and acouis,tion of the territory the
tommittee of the Whole adopted propose;
tiop for the recession of New Mexico and
California to Mexico.
MEXICAN TREATY.
The treaty of peace with Mexico was
ratified In the early summer OF lSlS during
the first session of the Thirtieth Congress,
and with that ratification came the impe-
rious obligation upon Congress TO PROVIDE
some form of civil government Tor New
Mexico and California. In addition
TO this was the obligation to PROVIDE
government for Oregon, the treaty with
Great Britain ratified in 1916 having settled
ali questions of dispute as TO boundary
Enes The insistence Of the House OF Rep
rasentatiyes upon the Wilmot proviso and
lis reiectiou by the Senate blocked legis-
lation. Every suggestion of compromise
proyed failure. On the motion OF MT.
John nj. Clayton. Of Delaware, a committee
had been appointed by the senate com.
nosed OF eicht-two Democrats from the
North and two Wings from the. North,
two Wings from the South and
two Democrats from the South.
This COMMITTEES earnestly strove to
devise some acceptable compromises
The southern members proposed the ex-
tension OF the Missouri compromise nne
10 the Pacific. This would have gwen 10
the North one million SIX hundred tnou-
sand square miles OF territory anu ien. 70
the South only two hundred and sixty
two thousand square miles, and that con"
f;ngant upon the vote OF the people
when the Territories were ready for ad-
mission ne States. This was rejected 10y
the united vote of the northern members
of the committee.
The Mexican territory had been under
the laws of Mexico non-siavehoiding ana
the contention of northern statesmen
was that the aforetime law continued In
force until changed by legislation OF Con,
eress. Thesouthern statesmen contended
that under the Constitution of the United
States the territory had become the CON-
mon property of al the States and that the
citizens of the slaveholding States could
carry and hold their slaves in the territory
untii forbidden by State governments
tention was purely a question OF constitu-
tional law and Mr.. Clayton's committee
finally agreed on report 20 submit tins
question to the Supreme Court OF the
United States upon appeal III any
case of hdbeds corpus, or any other
case involving the question or personal
freedom and to establish the territorial
governments without the Wiimot provlso.
This suggested compromise was promptly
adopted by the Senate, Mr.. Calhoun, DIR.
Jefferson Davis, aud all the southernsena.
tors except Badger Of North Carolina, Bell
Of Tennessee. and Metcalfe and Under.
wood of Kentucky voting for 1t. 1t was,
however, defeated in the House by the de-
lection Of eight southern Wings under the
leadership of Alexander Ii. Stephens,
whose votes turned the scale.
THE OREGON QUESTION.
After the defeat of this compromise q
bill for the organization of the Territory OF
Oregon came up for consideration; As the
whole Of this Territory was north OF the line
of $3.50, it was recognized py an parties as
members were not willing to accept
territorial government for Oregon, even as
a -slayeholding Territory, on any other
terms than the principle of the Wilmot
proyiso. The Senate inserted an amend
ment to the bill extending the missouri
compromise line to the Pacific every
southern Notwithstanding Mr.. Calhoun
and Mr.. jefferson Davis--voting for it.
The House rejected this amendment. every
southern member. except Mr. John w.
,.Houston, of Delaware, voting TO concur
Nh the Senate. Tie House insisted upon
~ original bill, and the Senate finally con-
CURED; Mr. Benton, General Sam; Hous-
ton, and Mr.. Spruance. of Delaware,
uniting with the northern senators TO
mako the majority. The President (Mr:
folk) approved the bill. but accompanied
his approval with message 70 the House
stating that he had approved it only be
cause the whole Territory was geographic
cally north Of the Missouri-compromise
line.
The second session Of the Thirtieth Con-
gress began with a stormy outlook. The
result Of the presidential election In the
triumph OF the Wings and the choice Of
General Taylor had to be accepted by the
Administration as a pronounced expires
sion of popular want Of confidence. The
revelations Of the mineral wealth OF Cali
forpia had occasioned the widest excite