Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-06-28
VOLUME XLI.-NO. Is.


where the institution she proscribeS is still per-
milted 10 exist. it becomes rs 10 pause ana 10 con
template calmly, but reSolutely, the consequences
10 which such an Intervention as this. III the
domestic concerns OF other countries tends
and will, in all probability. inevitably lead in the
end. II seemed TO me, Mr. President that The
honorable Senator from Missouri (Mr. Benton.)
had deceived himself as 10 the true character OF
this extraordinary diplomatic paper, by dwell
ling rather loudly upon the least significant pants
ri il. In his comments upon il, he told u that
il amounts 10 nothing more than the innocent
expression of 4 1ri&i--a mere wish 10 So slave
re- abolished in Texas and throughout the world;
and he repeatedly ard iondlv required 10 these
comparatively feeble expressions in the des
patch. Let the honorable Senator turn again 10
the despatch. and he will find other and far more
significant and characteristic passages in II.
In announcing and defining the ''jpiscy' OF Eng
land, Lord Aberdeen employs the following naked
and unreServed language. in which there Is some
thing Very different from 4 mere passive irtSh 10
Sc slavery abolished throughout the world
Great Britain" says he. desires and is
@dntH s1trtins herself TO procUye the general abo
tion Of slavery throughout the world and in
the closing paragraph OF The despatch, lest We
should not have sufficiently comprehended the
pregnant import Of his previous annunciation OF
10 advertise us again, in parenlheSs, that 'they
will not dessi from these open and honest egortS
which they have constantly made for procuring
the abolition Of slavery throughout the world. -
Now, Sir, this sounds 10 nv ear very differently
from mere rjNt 10 slavery abolished. 10 which
the honorable Senator from Missouri reduces and
atlcnnaics the whole vigor OF Lord Aberdeen
despatch. On The contrary, his Lor,!Ship tells Us
emphaticalIy that the policy OF England is 10 'er
e1" herself constantly and actively, and 10 make
Use OF 'cgmtS" 10 procarc the abolition OF slavery
throughout the world; and he twice repeats the
declaration in the same significant terms. What
is this. Mr. President, but the solemn aununcia
ton OF England in all the ''pomp and circum-
stance OF an Official communication 10 foreign
Government. OF a determined purpose 10 place
herself at the head of a moral and diplomatic
prppggaEJiNm, 90 say the least involving the in
iernal peace and safety of foreign countries, III
some OF which she planted. by her own policy
and power the very institution against which she
now proclaims this cruSadc.
Is mol this, Sir the very principle otthc French
revolutionary pr0pagaHdjsm against which her
own Burke raised the voice OF eloquent and in
d9nant remonstrancc, and rallied the energies 81
his country? He told them, ii was an '0raed
doctriac' against which they were called 10 con-
tend And j. not this univcisa! abolition now
municaon. a the poiicV of the British Govern
ment. an ay1lcd GoctfHc-a doctrine armed, as We
who are exposed 10 lis consequences know iuil
WELL whether they be designed or not 10y those
who paironZc ia doctrine. dr1rCd with the
torch of the incendiary and the instruments OF
midnight murder! And like that same GraicG
doeiraac which Burke denounced ii, too has lis
faction of opinion of interest, and OF tanatlcSin
in every country" Even here, i'll our own coun-
trv, il has lis allies. ii rot its in>gaors; ioi,
among the most painful and revolving develop
menis contained in the papers which have been
submitted To us is The evidence they present that
the movement of the British Government on ms
subject has been specially invokcdby lbott'0niN$
from America.
LIE, me not I've misunderstood Mr.. President, in
what have said on this subject, under the deep
est convictions of what i due la the dignity as
we'll as To the peace and safely OF our common
country. am no advocate of slavery. never
have been | deeply lament it> existence III any
portion ol our country, as have freely and nm.
lcscrycdlv declared in this hall. believe ami
.ondy hope that its tendency is 10 ultimate eXtlnc-
ton But any attempt 10 force or precipitalc mat
contamination hy foreign influence on domestic
faction can have none other but the most "alami-
tolis consequences 10 both of the races concerned,
and especially Ia that on whose behalf all thus
employed. The history of African slavery IN
America proves that lis tendency is 10 recedc far
thrr and farther 10 the South and Southwest, until,
if left To- the operation of those natural laws
which govern The progress of society every Where,
with such auxiliary measures a. the States imme-
diaicy concerned best know how and when 10 APP
PIX. firmly believe twill finally disappear from
otlr borders and the whole African race in Anne
RIGA he transferred 10 those tropical regions most
congcnial Ia their constitution, and where they
can lninglc in social and civil equality, with
races which. presenting fewer and less marked
traits of original difference, are known 10 feel no
invinciblc Iepusnance to the association. Here
no such association can ever take place; and any
attempt 10 force it can have no other effect than
10 bring on that fatal catastrophe 10 the inferior
and dependent race, which has been clearly
pointed ont By The most enlightened and profound
foreign observer who has ever written on the So
cial and political institutions OF America The
object OF a true and rational humanity then,
should be- 10 place no artificial impcdimenl in the
wav of this natural flow of the African popula-
ton in America 10 the South and the Southwest,
but 10 leave Texas, whether as foreign and III
dependent State, OF as memberot the American
Union, perfectly free To ACT in this matter accon!-
ing Lea her rights and her own enlightened and re-
sponSiblc conscience.
The review into which | have been drawn.
Mr. President, oil the policy and proceedings OF
England in regard 10 American questions, must
satisfy u> all that VIC have 10 encounter the con-
slant competition and the walchful jealousy oi n
colossal power al every step III the march OF our
national greatness, even in our own hemisphere.
She claims 'a<ccHdcRCB,' i'll the language Of her
own statesmen. every wherein the new a. well
as in the old world She aspires, at The same time.
10 moral censorship and surveillance over all
ChriSendom, while She pur>lics her own inlc-
rests in every part OF the globe, without regard
10 the opinions and interests Of other nations.
would inculcaie no unworthy jealousy, far les
any iliberal hostility towards England; but
would pursue the race Of competition into which
we are thrown with heron our own continent
and i'm our own seas al lcast-with Il tpirit AMI
an energy worthy oil such a rival. Let u not
shrink irniorously from the deSlinles which God
and nature have assigned us In that same let
ter on a "Rcgicidc Peace, from which my honor
able friend from Massachusetts (Mr. Choaic)
read Us a sentence or two on another subject, The
immortal author delivered some noble maxims OF
patriotism ard OF 4 high rational policy, which
are strongly recalled by the circumstances oi our
present position He tells Us that there is in
State affairs "a courageous wisdom" and on the
other hand IA false, reptile prudence, the result,
not of caution, but OF fear" and he proceeds To
add what the history Of nations, as well rs indivi-
duals fully confirms, that there is nothing 80
rash as tear" for it rarely puts off while it is sure
To agcravarc in the end, The very evils from which
it would iy. The highest prudence, in my OPT
Mon. is in courageous VISION" and while
would never be tempted by interest to pursue an
unjust object. so, on the other hand, would never
be turned aside from the prosecution Of an OBJ
lcct both Just and necessary, by the suggestions
of timid and over-cautious policy, which, in
the end is always the r0shcst,
If then the rc-acGuistion Of Texas he the oh
jcct Of high national expediency and importance
which thinl; have shown it TO he, the next
onestion is, have We right 10 acquire it under
the circumstances and in the manner proposed
Has Texas, first, right 10 dispose OF herself =?
This question has been argued, as if. though
Texas be actually Independent, something is yet
wanting, TO make fcr righif,Hy independent
But, Sir, this distinction has as little warrant in
the established doctrines OF public law, as in the
principles of our own immortal act OF lndepend-
ence The great oracle of the modern law OF na-
tons, (Vatel) says expressly that, every nation
that governs itself, under what tom soever, with
ont danapipnce on any torpjrn nouer i a spve-