The Compromise bill : speech of Hon. D.L. Yulee, of Florida, in the Senate of the United States, Tuesday, July 23, 1850 : the Senate having under consideration the Compromise bill. Page: 1 of 8
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THE COMPROMISE BILL.
SPEECH
OF
HON. ID. L. YULEE, OF FLORIDA,
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1850,
The Senate having under consideration the Compromise Bill.
Mr. DAUvs, of Mississippi, presented the fol- mailed in force, while no provision was made in
lowing as an amendment: it for their repeal.
" And that all laws and usages existing in said Territory Mr. FOOTE. You are mistaken, I think.
at the date of its acquisition by tie Unitcd States, whici Mr. YULEE. I have your speeeh before me.
deny or obstruct the right of any ciitizn of the United States It was delivered on the 25th of July, 1848-the
to remove to and reside in said Territory with any species
of property legally held in any of the States of this Union, Clayton Compromise being the subject of dis-
be and are hereby declared null and void." cussion.
Mr. YULEE. The Senator from Mississippi, Mr. FOOTE. I thought you said on a recent
who has just taken his seat, [Mr. FOOTE,] contin- occasion.
ues to charge that because some of us, on this side Mr. YULEE. It was certainly not a very re-
of the Chamber, believe that the Mexican laws mote occasion. It was the general scheme of
abolishing slavery were abrogated upon the with- compromise, next immediately preceding the one
drawal of Mexican jurisdiction, we act inconsist- now under consideration.
ently with that opinion in pressing amendments of Mr. FOOTE. It was, then, before those doubts
the nature offered by his colleague. Well, sir, I had been removed by the cogent reasoning of
consider it a sufficient justification for legislation gentlemen. One moment before you read it.
upon this point that a doubt exists in any quarter The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Sen-
as to the correctness of the opinion we entertain. ator from Florida yield the floor ?
Will the Senator deny that there is good ground Mr. YULEE. I prefer to read the extract first,
for doubt, when eminent statesmen and jurists, if the Senator will allow me. Here it is :
upon this floor and elsewhere, express an opinion He (Mr. FOOTE) referred to the argument of the Sena-
directly the reverse of our own, and when it is tor from South Carolina, [Mr. CALHoUN,J that the intro-
asserted by many of them, as it was once by him- auction of a new Territory, acquired by conquest, into
the Union, although slavery may have been abolished
self, that the Supreme Court stands committed to there previously, carried slavery with it. To this his heart
their view of the question? With this grave divers- assented, but his judgment could not yet assent to it. He
ity of opinion existing, conscious as we all are of was still in doubt. He feared that the argument of the
the fallibility of human judgment, we may well Senator from Vermont had not been answered, and that it
the fallibility of human judgment, we may well could not be met in the Senate, and that it could not be
hesitate upon a point so material to our section, met in the Supreme Court, and that the decision of that
and seek to resolve the doubt by the exercise of an court, as it is now constituted, would be against the South.
undisputed power to declare what shall be the state And then, (said he,) where are we ?i"
of the law. It is a very appropriate province of Mr. FOOTE. Will the Senator from Florida
legislation, to remove doubts which may affectthe do me the justice to send that report of my speech
security or enjoyment of a private or political to me?
right. Our reluctance to leave this point open to Mr. YULEE. I shall have occasion to use it fur-
further cavil, by omitting such legislation as would ther. Now, it is evident, the Senator did not con.
close the controversy upon it, is not relieved by sider the question to be without serious doubts at
the very positive opinions now expressed by the that time, and thought there was reason to fear the
Senator. II is too brief a time since his mind was Supreme Court, constituted as it was, " would be
disturbed, notonly by very serious doubts, but ap- against the South." The same materials com-
parently by a strong conviction that the Mexican pose the court now as then. And very pregnant
laws remained in force in the Territories, to justify was the question, when he asked, in the antici-
a peremptory reliance in his present judgment. pation of an adverse decision, " And, then sir,
Mr. FOOTE. How recent? where are we?" I repeat the question now. If
Mr. YULEE. When theClayton Compromise the result of the decision should be such as he
was under discussion. The Senator then not only feared, where would we be under this bill ? Where
doubted, but seemed strongly to apprehend, that would he, by his present course, have helped to
the Mexican laws abolishing slavery did remain place us? But to fortify the propriety of our act-
in force. ing in this matter with reference to the doubtful
Mr. FOOTE. How is that, sir? issue of the point, and not with a dogged confi-
Mr. YULEE. I will repeat for the benefit of dence in our own judgment, I beg to present a
the Senator. I said that so recently as the dis- striking example of the same course of action by
cussion upon the Clayton Compromise bill, the the Senator.
Senator founded one of his objections to that bill, The Senator is willing to accede in this bill to an
upon the apprehension that the Mexican laws re- adjustment of the Texas boundary which yields aC* --L-__---___-r~--.r*-------_ __
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Yulee, David Levy, 1810-1886. The Compromise bill : speech of Hon. D.L. Yulee, of Florida, in the Senate of the United States, Tuesday, July 23, 1850 : the Senate having under consideration the Compromise bill., pamphlet, July 23, 1850; [Washington]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth395257/m1/1/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Schreiner University.