The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-28

gold. The whole of the territory ac-
CURED from Mexico CTexas excepted)
was inhabited by Mexicans, Spaniards
and Indians, none Of them capable
without long training of approaching
and accepting the principles of free
government as understood by Anglo
Saxons. see
Here were conditions to tax the
strength the wisdom and the vital as
similating force of the most powerful,
the most experienced and the most
united Of states. But the United States
was weakened by sectional divisions;
every problem of craftsmanship which
arose was now complicated by the in
evitable slavery question, and its dis
cussiOn embittered by the personal
feeling which every allusion to slavery
aroused Thoughtful patriots looked
anxiously into the future. Should the
new possessions be dedicated to free
dom or to slavery? Could north and
south agree upon a division2 Texas
was conceded to slavery, what should
be done with the rest?
The WiImot Proviso.
At the very outbreak of the Mexican
war it was fOTeseen that the result
would be an addition to the posses
sions of the United States and that
such accessiOns would unavOidably in
vOve divided opinions respecting the
extension Of slavery to the new SOIL
A bill was before the house in 1916 to
appropriate money for the purchase Of
territory from Mexico, when David
Wilmot, p Democratic member from
Pennsylvania and warm friend of the
administration moved 10 attach to the
bill a prOViSO forever excluding SlaV-
cry from any territory so gained. Won
Hoist likens the proposal of such
measure 10 the springing Of a mine
which shook both the Union and slav-
cry to their very foundations" The
amendment passed the house, but,
though repeatedly brought up, it never
passed the senate. Still the bare sug-
gestiOn was sufficient greatly to in
flame the south. while the principle
embodied in it was at first eagerly
adopted in the north by men Of all
aarties.
The settlement of the status of the
purchased territory in respect to slav-
cry was seen by north and south 10
be imperative, and southern Democrat
ic leaders determined to oppose the
principle of the WilmOt provisO. Many
northern Wing newspapers declared for
it. and. while seeking to avoid the I'M
tempered zeal and fsnaticism of the
Liberal party" strove to commit the
Wing to its support. Anti-slaVery
Wings hoped by supporting the VIII
mot DrOViso in the election OF 1913 TO
draw all the anti-slavery forces to
union within the Wing party. But, as
we have seen, the Wings were again
too timid to pTomulgate definite party
principles, and once more shlrked the
real issue, hoping to appear as the OPP
ponents of slavery extension while
~ reff laaf~ II OF q
name of a Louisiana sugar planter and
slave-owner who should attract south
ern votes.
The panacea for the national disor-
der proposed by the Democratic NOM
inee was the principle of Tsquatter SOW
ereignty." which would leave the peo-
pie of each territory to decide for
themselves the question Of freedom or
slavery. The Wings gained the cleo
ton through the detection OF the anti
slavery Democrats of New York, but
nothing was settled thereby and both
the abOIitionists and the slavery FAC
ton grew only the more determined.
Meantime anti-slavery sentiment had
been growing stronger in the Demo-
cratic party as we'll as among the
Wings. Various Democratic county
conventions held in the north during
the campaign of As passed resolutions
demanding the support OF the Wllnot
proviso. The revolt of the New York
charm burners" or free-sOn Democrats
seas followed by a similar party defec-
ton in Illinois and Wisconsin, while
several other northern states were
represented by Democratic delegates
in the New York state convention at
Utica and in the national convention
at Buffalo, which both nominated van
Buren, as the free-sOiI candidate Tor
the presidency. Throughout the cam
paign the anti-slavery Democrats pro-
tested loudly against the opinion an
nounced by Cass that congress had no
constitutional power to prohibit slaV-
+ cry
There were Wing anti-slavery bolt
ers'' also though in many states the
party maintained a gloomy and anx-
fous silence. At the same time certain
newspaper supporters of Taylor ceased
not to proclaim that 1.-The Wing party
north is the true anti-slaVeTy party
of the republic and that the WilmOt
! provisO is now and ever has been the
doctrine of the Wings of the free
/ states" Other northern newspapers
made frequent illusions to the Wing
principles of the Wilmot proviso. A
/ large number of the members of the
party solemnly pledged themselves to
vote for no man who was not de-
I clared opponent to the Introduction OF
/ slavery into the territories. True to
/ this pledge, the Wings of the western
reserve in Ohio formally repudiated
/ the party nominee and averred that the
Wing PARTY had been 'basely be-