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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1848
54
objections that have been urged against it. The section will then read thus: Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of the said territory shall be entitled to all the rights, privileges, and immunities heretofore granted and secured to the Territory of Iowa and to its inhabitants; and the existing laws now in force in the Territory of Oregon, under the authority of the provisional government established by the people thereof, shall continue to be valid and operative therein, so far as the same be not incom- patible with the provisions of this act, or in violation of any rights by the law or Constitution of the United States vested or secured to the citizens of the United States, or any of them; subject, nevertheless, to be altered, modified, or repealed, by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the said Territory of Oregon; and the laws of the United States are hereby extended over and declared to be in force in said Territory, so far as the same, or any provision thereof, may be applicable. The amendment was agreed to The question recurring ~n the motion to strike out the section- Mr. Calhoun. I would be very glad if the honorable Senator would inform us whether, under the provision as it now stands, the people of the South emigrating to that Territory would be permitted the enjoyment of their property as in the States where they now reside. l\fr. Houston. I can say to the gentleman that my object is to have protection extended to the people of Oregon. They re- quire an organization to protect them against the surrounding tribes of Indians, and for the purpose of establishing such an organization as the Constitution of the United States guarantees to them without reference to the subject of slavery; for I con- sider that a matter with which Congress has nothing to do. So far as the Constitution has guaranteed the right to them, so far they will be in possession and enjoyment of it. It is a question to be determined by the Judiciary of the United States; and any law enacted by Congress that would be incompatible with the Constitution, would be utterly void. I am for extending to the people of Oregon all the privileges that are accorded to the people of that part of the country from which I come. I will premise that I have no idea that slavery will ever be extended to that portion of the United States; nor have I any idea that any person from the South-any person from that part of the United States lying south of latitude 36° 30', would desire to emigrate with his
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