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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1851
to dictate what the peculiar political faith of my constituents shall be, or to unite in saying what the faith and opinion of the whole party throughout the United States shall be. But I am willing to vote on the passage of laws that shall extend throughout the whole Union, and the infractions of which shall incur penalties. I am not competent to perform the former tasks, nor do I think they are designed for me to do. As the State to which I belong has been alluded to in this body in relation to the compromise measures, I will detain the Senate while I utter a few words on that subject. The com- promise, sir, was the work of able, patriotic, and renowned statesmen. Some of them are no longer in this body. It is with regret, Mr. President, that I witness the absence of one who bore an important and a conspicuous part in the accomplishment of that compromise. I allude to the venerable Senator from Kentucky [Mr. Clay], who is detained from the Chamber by sickness, with which he is deeply afflicted. I trust he will again resume his place in the Senate. The wisdom of his counsels, the brilliancy of his genius, the strength of his will, and the patriotism of his heart, never shown brighter than during their manifestation in this body in the achievement of that compromise. But my State has been arraigned by a portion of this Union, and of the Democratic party, too, for making a disposition of a portion of her territory to the detriment of Southern interests; and that I felt. It was not that she was disposed to abridge or impair any of the rights of the South. T'exas, no doubt, had a right to dispose of it. Did not Georgia dispose of her territory to the Federal Government? Did she not sell enough to make the States of Alabama and Mississippi? And have any complaints been made against her for it? And had. Texas, who came into this Union as free and independent as Georgia did, no right to dispose of her domain to the Federal Government? She did it, · sir; and I have this to remark, that had it been any obstacle to the compromise of the jarring interests of this country, and to their reconcilement, I would have been willing that every foot of the territory which she claimed, should become a lake of fire and brimstone rather than it should have thrown an impediment in the way of the peace and harmony of the Union. I voted also for the admission of California. I did it upon the acknowledged and avowed principle of the South: "Let us alone; let the people regulate their municipal and domestic institutions; let them alone." And I put it to the candor of honorable Senators
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