The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-24

ton, we must give activity and yigor Il
the elements of greatness in the hearts ant
: minds of its people. These element
must be brought out--their capacities fol
ly developed, and their energies rightly
directed. And here are the means Of do
ing it, furnished to our hands. Let tn,
nation either use them, or place then
where they may be used, for this grea
purpose, and thus render the beneficial eff
fects of the appropriation of the mai ona
domain, as solid and enduring as The do
main itself. 1t is thus, in the right Use O.
the means for national Improvement which
God has given US, that he will bless US
will make US a great and good nation,
and enable US to accomplish the ends OIL
His Providence in giving US national
existence.
There is another question Of gres4 end
overwhelming interest which recent events
have forced upon our attention. BY a sud-
den and unexpected turn Of party policy,
we are called on to decide the momentous
question, whether foreign nation shall
be annexed 10, and become part of this con-
tederacy. As this is question in which
the States, as members of the Union, have
special interest, and upon which they
may, and ought, Immediately, to express
their opinions, through their respective
legislatures, it will not be deemed, in any
sense, foreign to my duty to bring the sub
ject to your notice, and urge it upon your
special attention.
Vermont came into union whose bond
was written constitution, granting to its
government certain specified powers. No
question in regard to the powers conferred
by that constitution, can be of greater i'm
portance than that which relates to the
membership Of the confederacy. The ex.
tent TO which new members may be ad-
mited, involves question vital to the Un-
ion. A violation of the constitution on
this point reaches far beyond question Of
mere administration of the government
1t strikes at the existence of the govern
ment itself. An unauthorized admission
of a new state, is nothing less than an at.
tempt to make new confederacy. This
cannot, of course, be done, without de.
struction of the old without an exercise
of power by the existing government,
equivalent to suicide.
Such is the proposition for the annexa.
ton of Texas 10 this Union-involving a
question Of much more importance than
whether the territory to be added shall form
one or five states, or whether they shall
all be slave or all free states, or equally
divided between these opposite and ir.
reconcleable elements of power. 1t is O
question whether, by an act of ar6itrarQ
poa0er, Vermont shall be forced, without
her consent, into federal union with q
state or states, not admissible by the com.
pact into which she has entered. 1t is as
though majority Of the members of an
ordinary partnership were 10 attempt 10
force member into the concern wilhou,
the common consent-compelling the dis.
satisfied member or members 10 subject
the whole business and destiny of the es>
Enlistment 10 the hazard of connexion
with new partner-it may be, bankrup,
in fortune and character, or trained to hab.
its of business, or possessing infrmilies oil
constitution, rendering the connexion val
ueless, or worse than valueIess. An or
binary violation of the constilution-such,
for example, as an alledged unauthorized
regulation Of commerce for purposes oil
protection, might be submitted 10, until the
action OF the appropriate judicial tribunal
could reach and remedy the evil. But
this is case which no judicial power can
reach. The foreign state once admitted,
and the mischefis done, irrevocably; and
resistance on the part of the injured states
becomes the only remedy, though it may
involve The hazard of forever quenchng
the watch-fres of our liberty and union in
blood.
The right to annex is claimed to rest
on the grant of power in the constitution
to admit new states into the union. Il
there had been no territory within gu;
original limits upon which this powel
could operate, the right 10 admit states
from beyond them would seem necessarily
TO have been embraced iE the general
grant of power. But such territory exist
ed, large and ample. The advocates Of
annexation would seem, therefore, TO BE-
thrown upon the necessity OF furnishing
evidence of intention, quite beyond any
thing that can be found in The general lan>
guage-" New States may be admitted by
the Congress into this Union, which, il
allowed the latitude contended for, would
leave no limit 10 the exercise OF the power,
short Of The entire habitable globe. That
the trainers of the constitution had in their
contemplation provision admitting such
a latitude, is incredible, and it is equally
so that If they had such intention, they
should have failed 10 express it, in Ian
guage suited to the grant of a power Of
such fearful magnitude as tina, of efecting,
by simple act of Congress, an essential
change in the relations of the constituent
members OF the contederacy ;-and this
| ,,hilo Tonoroen =. II