Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-05-23
SPEECH OF MIR. sLADE,
In House OF REPRESENTATIVES,, APRIL ID,
On The motion Of Mr.. Linn 10 strike out The appro
pridtion for The Minister 10 .Merico.

WI, DlUUb tultl ne WIS uWufc OF lilb lnlDulleUCb
OF The committee for the passage of the bill-und
he should not now 60 into the discussion us fully
us he desired to do. lie must render, however,
his thanks 10 the gentleman from N. Y. (Ar. Linn
for having brought the question of this Mexicah
mission to the notice OF tho committee and of the
country aud though Mr.. ;. could not vote in fa-
vor of the motion he had made, he reioiced that
it had been made, since il opened the subject Tor
debate. lie expressed his regret that the gentle
rnun bad, irotu mo ives of delicacy, confined him
sell to general outline of his argument, aud had
not filed it out more in detail il the gentleman
supposed he should IN the slightest degree, escape
censure III certain quarters by such course, he
would ind himself entirely mistaken. Ii was due
to himself, due to The House, and especially due
to the country, that the subject should be more
fully gone into, that the community might be rou
sed from The stupor which seemed To prevail in
regnrd 10 this whole subject of the annexation oil
Texas to this Union.
Mr. >. declared himself in favor ofthe appoint
ment Of full minister to Me xico in preference to
charge not only on account OF the direct rela-
tons which subSsted between us and that coun-
try but also of the collateral bearings of the sub
lect. Bul, while he was decidedly in favor OF the
mission, he did object to the individual who had
been appointed 10 fill H. and he thought there were
sufficient reasons why he ought not TO receive his
outfit and salary ut all events the committee had
u right Ia discuss that question. lhe individual
10 whom that important aud delicnic station was
entrusted ought, IN poiut Of talents and GOODNESS,
TO be second 10 no man on earth. But whether
he looked To the personal character or TO the pO
lllcal relations of him who had received the ap-
polntment, he thought there were valid objections
to his occupying that post. Indeed, he was near
ly the very last man who was, in these respects,
fit to manage the difficult and delicate questions
which already existed or were likely TO arise be
tween the two countries. Though possessed of
talents OF high order, these alone did not fit him
for the station. He ought to possess temper and
GOODNESS which exalted him 10 an elevation far a
bove the interests and feelings of any particular
section Of the community, and which did not re-
late to the country at large. Many of our ciii-
Zens had heavy claims upon that Government, and
there were others who had been seized and i'm
prisoned by its orders II there ever was time
which called for GOODNESS of head nhd extended
views of policy this was eminently that time. Be-
sides this, how would MIR. Thompson sIand in the
eye of the Mexican Government in relation to his
past course and avowed feelings as TO the indie
pendeuce of Texas its annexation to this Union :
These were we'll known, aud could not have d ve-
nv favorable influence at the court 10 which he
he'd been sent Mr. S. need not say how impor-
tant was that an envoy appointed 10 conduct dit
ficut and delicate negotiations should lie person.
ally acceptable to those who conducted the foreign
Government, for in the successful issue of such
negotiations it was not the mere force OF areu-
ment which usually prevailed. Ten thousand 9th
causes combined 10 produce the final issue, and
among these the belief that the minister was per-
soually friendly always exerted powerful lnfiu-
ence.
Mr. $. had, therefore, been greatly surprised at
the nomination IN Mexico of n uubllc man who
bod always ga,Iouslv odvocnted the cause of Tex.
ian indenepdence. Gentlemen in the South did
NOT nppreciate the feeling which perya1ed the
country in reference this Texan question. -
Throughout more than half the States of this Tn
ion, it was watched with the utmost jealousy, and
excited the deepest feeling because it was well
known that anxious efforts had long been going
on to effect the annexation Of Texas to the Uu-
ted States and it was as perfectly understood that
the entering wedge to the accomplishment of such
design was never applied in the open light OF
dav hut secretly. and for aught that appeared up.
on the surface. that wedge might not only be en-
tered. but driven M past all hope OF reracton be-
fore the fact was known at ALL And there were
those in this Union who looked the more sharply
at all such measures from their apprehension ms
to The connection between the annexation Of Tex
! as and the extension of slavery. Whether these
persons were imprudent or not, in the course they
Observation-Disclosures or not they adopted the best
means ,o nccomplisb their Objects, and whether
their abstract posons were sound or not, still they
were perpe,nally on the watch lower looking
with emile eyes at every movement bearing on the
Texian question, and but Tor their unsleeping vig-
lance. the so much desired union hetween that
country aud this would lave been effected long
| ago. Here Mr. $. referred to the vast number oil
petitions which ,hey had sent up against The an
nexation. That number was not sot great now
because an impression had begun TO prevail that
the danger was now over. But Mr. S. could as
sure them thew ware entirely mistaken. Ii was
not over; very far from il, and he again thanked
the gentleman from New York MR. LINN for rou-
sing the attention Of the country TO the subject.
| What had they seen during the last year? Not
! H. South
west come out openly tor annexation, but several
of The States had passed official resolutions to the
same effect; and when IN ought into the House OF
Representatives how were they treated! Not as
! The abolition resolutions even from Stale Legisla-
lures were. They were not only received but or
dered to be printed. that lhey might be consider.
ed and actet! upon. The same Thing had beer
done at the other end ofthe Capilol. An this was
done with the intent of forming public opinion
and. so far il was all fair. But if a Northern alb
olitionist should ATTEMPT any means TO counterAc
such opinion at the South, by arguments however