Litchfield enquirer., 1842-05-05
MR.. ADAMS vs.. MR.. WISE.


"Let my position be answered let me be
told, let my constituents be told, the people
of my State be t0ld-a State whose soil toll
crates not the foot Of u slave-that they are
bound by the Constitution to n long and
toilsome march under burning summer suns
and a deadly Southern cline for the sup
preston of q servile war; that they are
bourd to leave their bodies to rot upon the
land of Carolina-to leave their wives wild
ows and their children orphans; that those
who cannot march are bound to pour out
their treasures while their sons or brothers
are pouring out their blood to suppress
servilo, combined with civil or foreign
war, and yet that there exists no power be-
! yond the limits of the slave State where
! such war is raging to emancipate the
slaves! I say let this be proved-I am
open to conviction, but till that conviction
comes put it forth not as dictate of feel
| ing, but as a settled maxim of the laws of
nations that in this case the military SUPER
sedes the civil power; and on this account
should have been obliged to vote, as have
said, against one of the resolutions of my
excellent friend from Ohio, mr. Giddings,)
or should at least have required that it be
amended in conformity with the Constitu-
ton of the United States.
In the mean time, this is a reason with me
! for not desiring the annexation Of Texas to
this Union, because, if we go to war for that
annexation, | entertain serious apprehen-
sions that this will become a practical ques-
ton. five shall go to war with Mexico,
and, which necessarily follows, go to war
it'll Great Britain, to annex Texas to this
/ Union, the day is not remote when, in one
of the slave States, an invading army from
abroad may be combined with an insurrec-
ton of the sla> es and with civil war, and
tn danger still further heightened, by an
Eruption Of that whole body of Indians,
whom you have accumulated and compress
ed togethor as if for the very purpose OF or
ganizing them for hostile movement upon
our frontier. put this possibility to the
Representatives of the Southern States as
presenting a most serious and painful con-
sideration to my mind. The gentleman
from Virginia makes very light OF this. He
talks to us about the star Of Texas, which
he calls the clone star of liberty" Liberty
and Texas! The star of Liberty illumined
by the radiance of slavery restored! Yes,
that is the star which is to lead us on to VIC
tory. So, l suppose, if war shall come, we
shall not only acquire this solitary brilliant
star Of Texas, but we shall have all Mexico
added to the United States Sir, the Isthmus
of Panama will scarcely stop our victorious
arms, and l really wonder the gentleman
uIu IlOl CdIIy US OIl AAOI "A
The gentleman in his dreams, (shall call
them y told us that President Houston was
to plant this same star of Texas on the walls
of the city Of Mexico, and that if President
Houston did not do it, the gentleman himself
would. Loud laughter.[ And he means,
in this heroic enterprise, to lead on the brave
spirits of thousands from the great valley of
the Mississippi, inspirited by the robbing of
churches and priests! So it is to be reli-
gious as we'll as a civil eXpetition-a sort
of crusade, in which the gentleman from
Virginia is likely far to transcend the ex-
ploits of Tamcrlane and Ghengis Khan
The gentlemen is soon to plant the lone
star Of Texas and slavery on tine walls Of
Mexico and then what is TO become of the |
liberties of these United States! A laugh
Is it conformable to the history of the
world that the leader of such an army after
conquests not reaching to one-tenth the ex-
tent Of those which the gentleman will
achieve, should remain content with the
station Of an humble private citizen! No.
No. The experience Of all mankind has
given US warning that if that is to be the
course of our public affairs, and such are to
be the brilliant fortunes Of the gentleman
from Virginia, our liberties will stand as
little chance in after times rs those of the
nine millions of the people of Mexico after
he shall have conquered them. |
But | am inclined to consider all this rath.
err as approaching to what is sometimes
called rodomontade, than thing in the Sc
rious contemplation of the gentleman from
Virginia: and look forward to the time
when, in the records of history, the gentle !
mans name shall be placed side by side, not
with the names of Ghengis Khan or Tanner
lane, but with that of-Thomas Thumb
Roars of laughter long and loud.
But it is growing late; and as the time has
been fixed when this debate is to close, and
as the time I have already occupied bears
upon my conscience, will close by repeat
ing my request that the House will pardon
the imperfect and desultory manner in
which have endeavored to furnish some
reply to the war trumpets OF the gentlemen
from Virginia and Pennsylvania. l will
now yield the floor to some other member
who may desire to occupy it.
HoRR1D MURDEH.-It is our painful duty
to announce one of the most shocking muir
ders, in the neighboring town of East Had
dam, that has ever been perpetrated, in this
part of Connecticut.
The facts, as nearly as we have been able
to ascertain them, are as follows:
= man by the name of Halsey Coon, went
on Sabp,,, tn evening last, to the house of one
of his neighSors and informed the family
that his wife was e.ithcr dead or dying from
a dreadful accident, and begged them to ac-
company him back to his some, which they
did. Upon their arrival they found the wo-
man still living, but burned in meet shock-
ing manner. A physician was Immediately
sent for, and when he saw her situation he i,