Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-08-09
POLITICAL.
EXTRACTS EROI THE sPEECu OF
MIR. j. q. GIDDINGS. OF ONO. ON
THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS
[ Delivered IN The House Of Representatives., y. s.
Man 81 IQidl


Mr. Chairman, we this moment appear beGore the
civilized world in the disgracefu attitude of maxi
ing war upon Mexico, an unofendinp nation. in
obvious violation Of treaty stpulations and our
national faith soernnly Pledged, for the purpose of
extending slavery, and perpetuating the slave trade
And | AM exceedingly DESTROYS of knowing wheth-
er any political party intends to support and main.
tain this policyf What say our Democratic friends?
Has the gentleman from Indiana Mr.. Oven spok-
en- the sentiments ofhs party? Are the democrats
OF our free states prepared to follow his lead Will
they enter the field with democracy and slauery,
7eras and The Slave tradc," inscribed upon their
banners? If 50, ask them to come forth boldly,
unlr your banners, not to the breeze, but to that
whirlwlnd Of indignation which shall scatter YOU
to the four winds of Heaven, and which shall leave
no other memorial of you than the disyraceful
cause that shall have exterminated your party.
Mr.. Chairman, | have endeavored to show that
this great object, the extension and perpetuatinp
slavery in Texas, AMI the establishment of slave
market there can be effected by the Federal Gov
eminent only by trampling upon the fragments Of
violated Constitution. will now proceed to ex
anime the proposed means of cffecting the perma-
nent establishment of slavery in Texas, and the
slave trade between our slave states, and the PEG
pie of that government TO effect these objects
tho President proposes to annex Texas to the U
mon of these States | for one, deny the constitu
tonal power Of this Government to algamate
the political desinies of this people with those Of
Texas or any other foreign government. But, be-
fore proceed with my argument on TIL point ]
must notice remark which fell from the gentle
man from Alabama Mr. Beser.) He said there was
a class of public men who deny the constitutional
power Of the federal Government to annex Texas
to this Union. He then went on to say that such
the views of the abolitionists and that their
candidate for President James G. Birney) had sta.
ted this doctrine Now | beg leave to differ with
that gentleman to the authorship of this doctrine
1t had been put forth long before Mr. Birney's let
ter was written 1t was put forth by greater abo-
litionist than Mr.. Birney-by a man who have
always regarded as far greater man, and to whose
opinions have, from my youth up, been taught to
pay the highest respect. (Cries, "who is 1t, who
is it"O He was the author of the first abolition
tract ever published in the United States, and in
my opinion, the best ever put forth. tCres, name
him, name him | borrowed my own abolition
sentiments from his writings, and have cherished
them, and should continue to do So from respect to
his memory if no other motive. His name was
Thomas Jefferson. a laugh.) And his abolition
tract was called the Declaration Of hdependence.'
Before | quote his sentiments, | will state that
when he wrote anG subsequently to that period, so
! far as this question had been agitated, statesmen
and jurists have drawn marked distinction be-
tween the acquisition of mere terriio, of acres or
square miles of land uninhabited, and the annexa.
ton of foreign people, who, having formed them
selves into a government attempt to unite with
those of another nation. The ability to purchase
territory without inhabitants is one thing, to an
mex foreign government, with their habits, their
moral and polltlca. views, is another and differ
ent subject. We must bear in mind that Mr.. JEFF
ferson President, and that the territory NJ
Louisiana had been purchased by treaty negota-
ted under his administrations which at the date OF
his letter to Mr. Breckenridge, awaited the sane
ton of Congress. The letter was dated OH the
18th of August, 1903, and in it he says:--" The
treaty must of course be laid before the two houses
of Congress, because both have important functions
to exercise respecting it. They, presume, will
their duty TO their country in ratiying and paw
ing for it, to secure good which would 9th
erwise probably be never aTan in their power. -
But suppose they must thin appeal TO the nation
for an additional article 10 the Constitution approx
ing and confirming an act tchich the nation had no.
previously authorized" These were his Words
He, sir, had never conceived the idea that the con
stituton had authorized the purchase of foreign
Territory. HE was conscious that the purchase
was without any constitutional power, and sugges
ted that an amendment to the Constitution SHOULD
be proposed in order to sanction the act But les
his views should not be fully and explicitly under
stood, he proceeds to say "Ihe Constitution hn
made no provisions for our holding foreign ieretory
STILL LESS FOR INCORPORATING FOREIGN NATIONS
INTO OUR UNION" Here sir, is the doctrine from
the pen of a man whose opinions upon the Consti
tuition have always been nc, ustomed to respect
How is it with those who now call themselves JET
Jersonian Democrats? Do you acknowledge the au
thority of this great apostle of Democracy? o
will you reject it, and take tina: of John Tyler AM
John Z. Calhoun? need not appeal to my demo
cratic colleagues, for the voice of the people O
Ohio has been expressed on this subject. reso
hutton was introduced into the Senate of our State
some six years since, adherng to this doctrine o
Jefferson and declaring that the Federal Govern
ment has no constitutional pow er to annex Texa
to this Union. Not member of the Senate of Ell
Their party, was found wiling to risk his reputation
by dissenting from this construc ion of the Consti
tuition. Such, too, was the case in the House o
Representatives, where it was also adopted unani
mously Since that day there has been no chang,
ofihe Constitution; and if my colleagues of the OPP
posite party are now prepared to reject the voice
our state and act in opposition to the opinions o
our people as it was then expressed, hope they
will come out frankly and say So and let the issue
be made up fairly so that We may proceed to tria
before The people at the coming election without
any caving as to the point in controversy But
trust sir, there will be but voice on these ques
tions, now fore ed upon the country. will not be
lieve that single elector of that State will so dis
grace the Buckeye character as to estimate thu
Texan holder of five slaves equal in moral wortl
to four freemen of Ohio. Or that the constitution
OF our country, and the opinions of Mr. Jefferson
are to be disgraced in order to maintain slavery il
Texas, or to pcrpetuate the slave trade.
| was saying that the Legislature of Ohio hat
agreed with Mr. Jefferson in his construction of tn,
Constitution. believe the Legislatures of Yer
mont and Rhode Island and Massachusetts have
all conceded, with lrly unanimous voice, in tn,
same construction. And also notice that the ex
ecutive Of Connecticut, in his late message expires
SEES the same opinion. This too, was the view ia
ken at the time by The venerable member from
Massachusetts, (Mr. Adans,) who opposed the pas
sage of any law, extending over the people of tn,
territory Of Louisiana until the Constitution shoulc
be amended so as to authorize the passage of sucl
law. Here was this difference of opinion between
Mr.. Jefferson and MIR. Adams The former be
ieved that could not hold the right OF soil in the
territory purchased, without an amendment of the
Constitution giving such powers while the latter
gentleman appeared to think that such holding o.
Territory was widely different from incorporating
foreign people into our Government Mr.. Adams
held that we had the power to purchase the acres
or square miles of land, but agreed perfectly with
Mr. Jefferson as to the absence of all power to ex,
tend our laws over the people Of Louisiana, until