They thought that slavery should not be permitted in the territories, which belonged to the people of the United States as a whole. 他们认为在属于全体美国人民的那些土地上不应该容许有奴隶制。

They argued that if the territories could be kept free, the people of those territories, 他们还坚持认为，如果保证这些土地上没有奴隶，

when they came to form state constitutions, would forbid slavery as the people of California had just done. 当创建州的法律时，这里的人将像加利福尼亚人已经做过的那样禁止奴隶制。

They were probably right, and for this very reason the Southerners wished to have slavery in the territories. 他们可能是正确的，也正是因为这个原因，南方人希望在这些土地上拥有奴隶制。

So strong was the feeling over these points that it seemed as if the Union would split into pieces. 人们针锋相对，似乎整个联邦将四分五裂。

345. President Taylor's Policy. 345．总统泰勒的政策

General Taylor was now President. He was alarmed by the growing excitement. 泰勒将军现在是总统，这日益激愤的情形给他敲响了警钟，

He determined to settle the matter at once before people could get any more excited. 他决定立刻着手解决这个问题，以免矛盾进一步激化。

So he sent agents to California and to New Mexico to urge the people to demand admission to the Union at once. 泰勒派出代表去加利福尼亚和新墨西哥呼吁人们立刻申请加入联邦，

When Congress met in 1850, he stated that California demanded admission as a free state. 当1850年召开国会的时候他要求加利福尼亚作为一个自由的州加入联邦。

The Southerners were angry. For they had thought that California would surely be a slave state. 南方人非常生气，他们觉得加利福尼亚毫无疑问应该是一个有奴隶的州。

346. Clay's Compromise Plan. 346．克雷的折中计划

Henry Clay now stepped forward to bring about a "union of hearts." 此时亨利o克雷出现了，他带来一个"心灵的联邦"。

His plan was to end all disputes between Northerners and Southerners by having the people of each section give way to the people of the other section. 他计划通过让各个地区的人们彼此让步来结束所有的争端。