The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-10-28

1855 mum e"oh Oehalor Denton, is TOO ABSURD
to deserve refutation. 1t is true, it will add
to the security of that particular section of the
country which is nom our frontier, but only at
the expense of another, which becomes the new
frontier. Hhs process is not entitled even to
SO much credit as that of the old woman, whose
apron was too short at the bottom, to remedy
which, she cut piece from the top, with which
to piece out the bottom. She made the case
but little, if any, worse by the operation but,
! by the purchase of the Texas, ace should rem
der our frontier more exposed than at present.
That province is now almost entirely uninhab-
tied, and will, probably, long remain SO, if left
under the dominion of Mexico. The interpos-
ton of such an extent of uninhabited country,
between us and our neighbors, is the best secu-
rity which our frontier can have But if Texas
is purchased, it will be rapidly settled from our
old States, and thus the frontier settlements of
the two countries will soon be brought in con-
tact with each other; so that the security of
our frontier will be diminished, rather than in
creased.
That the possession of this territory will af.
ford an outlet to the surplus slave population of
the southern States, instead of being, as some
writers have attempted to make it, an argument
in favor of the purchase, Is, in our minds, one OF
the strongest that can be urged against it. By
the institutions of the Mexican Government,
! slavery is not allowed in that country But if
Texas should be transferred to us, it will add to
the countries, in which that great curse to the
human race is allowed, an extent of territory as
large as some of the most important nations of
Europe territory, capable of sustaining a
population of from thirty to fifty millions of
souls. BY opening new and extensive mar
ket for slaves, it would take away some of the
strongest motives which the people of the south
now have, to emancipate the blacks, and to col
onize them out of the country ; and would in
crease the danger, already great, of the subju-
CATION of the whole southern section of the
Union, at some future day, perhaps not far dis
tant, to the dominion of the blacks, and the mas
sacre or expulsion of the whites
To the proposed purchase, strong objection
is, that it greatly endangers the permanency of
the Union of the States. The province of Tex
as is twice as large in extent as the whole of
New England, New York, and Pennsylvania,
united. Our territory is already more extended
than is compatible with its safety, and the har-
monious action of the whole, under one system,
such as ours. The more extended it is. the
more discordant will be the views of different
sections, as to their relative interests, and of
the course of policy best adapted to promote
the welfare of each. The slave-holding States
have ever considered that they have distinct
and peculiar interest, which serves as bond of
union among them, and insured a concert of
action. The Northern States have no such
common bond to produce unity of action, and,
consequently, the Southern ever have maintain.
ed and ever will, degree of political influence,
dlsproportIoned to their relative magnitude and
population. Their extent and influence have
been greatly increased by the purchase of Lou
lsiana To add still more to it, by the acquisi.
ton of the Texas, would diminish the FEELING
OF mutual dependence between the several
parts, which now constitutes the strongest bond
of our Union. Two slave States, Louisiana and
Missouri, have already been erected beyond the
ancient limits of the Union. Two more. Ar.
kansas and Florida will soon be admitted. and
others, in few years, will follow them. To
! these, the free States have no offset. and if
would be an act of madness in them, to consent
to have their relative influence in the Union
further diminished, and the public debt increas-
ed, by purchase of additional territory, from
which, to erect new slave-holdng States.
Itwould be inconsistent with the nature of our
institutions, to add to our territory on any other
conditions than that of the admission of new
States from it into the Union, as fast as the
population becomes sufficiently large. Indeed,
we presume no other plan would be entertained
If, therefore, the effect of the proposition is
virtually to change the original conditions of
the compact between the States to take away
a portion of the power and influence of the
States in one section, and transfer it to those in
another, the party injuriously affected, not only
has the right to refuse its sanction to the pro-
cedure, but is bound in justice to itself to ex.
ercise it.
Another objection to the purchase of the
Texas arises from the fact, that the quantity of
public lands now in the market, is so great, that
the price has become next to nominal, the best
selling for only one dollar and twenty FIVE cents
per acre, while, for those of an inferior quality.
there is no sale. Were the Texas purchased.
at a cost to the country of fifteen or twenty
millions of dollars, the effect would be to dimn-
ish, rather than increase, the revenue from the
sale of public lands; because, the number of
purchasers would remain the same, no more
land would be wanted, while, by the opening of
new land offices, additional expenses would be
incurred, to be deducted from the amount of