Excerpt from Remarks of Mr. Clay, of Kentucky, on Introducing His Propositions to Compromise, on the Slavery Question: In the Senate of the United States, January 29, 1850 State of California, without the adoption of any restriction or con dition on the subject of slavery. This resolution, sir, proposes, in the first instance, a declaration of two truths - one of law and the other of fact. The truth of law which it declares is, that there does not exist, at this time, slavery within any portion of the territory acquired by the United States from Mexico. When I say, sir, that it is a truth, I speak my own solemn and deliberate conviction. I am aware that some gentlemen have held a different doctrine; but I persuade myself that they themselves, when they come to review the whole ground, vill see sufficient. Reasons for a change, or at least a modification of their opinions; but that, at all events, if they adhere to that doctrine, they will be found to compose a very small minority of the whole mass of the people of the United States. The next truth which the res'olution asserts is, that slavery is not likely to be introduced into any portion of that territory. That is a matter of fact and all the evidence upon which the fact rests is perhaps as accessible to other Senators as it is to me; but I must say that from all I have heard or read, from the testimony of all the witnesses I have seen and conversed with, from all that has transpired and is transpiring, I do believe that not within one foot of the territory acquired by us from Mexico will slavery ever be planted, and I believe it could not be done even by the force and power of public authority. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.