美国学生历史 第158期:1850年的折中法案(1)

 Chapter 33 第33章

The compromise of 1850 1850年的折中法案

340. The Wilmot Proviso, 1846. 340．"韦幕特但书"（1846年）

What should be done with Oregon and with the immense territory received from Mexico? 怎样处理俄勒冈及从墨西哥获得的大量领土？

Should it be free soil or should it be slave soil? 这些土地是否允许有奴隶存在？

To understand the history of the dispute which arose out of this question we must go back a bit and study the Wilmot Proviso. 认识这些问题的历史需要再往回追溯一下，分析"韦幕特但书"。

Even before the Mexican War was fairly begun, this question came before Congress. 即使在墨西哥战争完全开始之前，国会就遇到过这个问题，

Every one admitted that Texas must be a slave state. 所有的人都承认得克萨斯必定为一个有奴隶存在的州，

Most people were agreed that Oregon would be free soil. 多数人都同意俄勒冈将是一个不允许有奴隶存在的州，

For it was too far north for negroes to thrive. 因为它在遥远的北方，不利于黑人茁壮成长。

But what should be done with California and with New Mexico? 但是，如何处理加利福尼亚和新墨西哥？

David Wilmot of Pennsylvania thought that they should be free soil. 宾夕法尼亚州的大卫o韦幕特但认为这两个地方应当只有自由民。

He was a member of the House of Representatives. 他是众议院的议员。

In 1846 he moved to add to a bill giving the President money to purchase land from Mexico a proviso that none of the territory to be acquired at the national expense should be open to slavery. 1846年他在一项给总统钱从墨西哥购买土地的法案上附上一个附件，这个附件要求，不在用国家的钱获得的领土上接受奴隶制。

This proviso was finally defeated. 这个附件最终被否决。

But the matter was one on which people held very strong opinions, and the question became the most important issue in the election of 1848. 但是，这是一个引起人民极大关注的问题，并且，这个问题成为1848年大选中最重要的问题。

341. Taylor elected President, 1848. 341．泰勒当选总统（1848年）

Three candidates contested the election of 1848. 1848年有三名候选人竞选总统，

First there was Lewis Cass of Michigan, the Democratic candidate. 第一个是密歇根的刘易斯o卡斯，民主党候选人；