30 deration or any contract, would not be so strong as it now stands on the face of the resolution. Now I know no way, I candidly confess, in which this Government, acting in good faith, as I trust it always will, can relieve itself from that stipulation and pledge, by any honest course of legislation whatever. And, therefore, I say again that, so far as Texas is concerned, in the whole of Texas south of 36° 30', which, I suppose, embraces all the territory capable of slave cultivation, there is no land, not an acre, the character of which is not established by law, a law which cannot be repealed without the violation of a contract, and plain disregard of the public faith. I hope, sir, it is now apparent that my proposition, so far as it respects Texas, has been maintained; and that the provision in this article is clear and absolute; and it has been well suggested by my friend from Rhode Island that that part of Texas which lies north of thirty-four degrees of north latitude and which may be formed into free States, is dependent, in like manner, upon the consent of Texas, herself a slave State. Well, now, sir, how came this? How came it to pass, that within these walls, where it is said by the honorable member from South Carolina that the free States have always had a majority, this resolution of annexation, such* as I have described it, found a majority in both Houses of Congress ? Why, sir, it found that majority by the great number of Northern votes added to the entire Southern vote, or at least nearly the whole of the Southern votes. The aggregate was made up of Northern, and Southern votes. In the House of
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