Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-07-25


them answered; for it is painful to mo TO find my
self opposed 10 an almost universal popular opin.
ION IN the South upon this subject. 1t is still
more painful TO mo TO oppose, almost ssolitary
and alone,' the opinion Of the patriotic aud hon.
ored State to which it is my pride to BELONG
Nothing would have been more agreeable to me
than TO find myself once more agreeing in opin-
ion upon great questions of public policy with a
majority of that State. During an angry aud ex.
cited party con6c, for the last seven years, have
been treated by that majority with SO much OF
kindness that would gladly have made any sac
rihce TO the general opinion OF the State which
could have done consistently with a sense Of duty.
Although anu not one OF those ''whose thoughts
keep the roadway" only because il is the road.
way, trust that am just as far above the paliry
vanity OF an ostenta,ious Independence of tho
general public opinion of those amongst whom
my lot has been cast. | have been told that all
these views may be correct but that there are i'm.
portant political considerations which outweigh
them. When have asked that these might be
stated, have only been answered with such broad
generaiiiies, cabas,ic phrases, and party catch.
words as this: ''i'hat it is Il question of security
ana existence to the South l was not convert.
ed to the detunct sub-rreasury humbug by being
told that 1t was question Of ssdeliyerancs and
liberty" when thought that saw, as all must
now see, that the ruin and desola,ion which il
caused every where were greatest at the South
Every where else the agony is over; at the South
measure, even more disastrous, without more in-
telllgble or more sufficient reasons. l am firmly
persuaded that the certain and inevitable tenden.
cles of the annexation of Texas are to promote
the abolition OF slavery; more so, indeed, than
any other measure which has heretofore been pro.
posed. Nor without support in this opinion
from distinguished advocates Of the measure.
i'll believed, with Mr.. Walker, that abolition
either was or would become beneficial or necessa-
~ Tor the South, should certainly be in favor Of
annexation, as both the most certain and best
mode OF accomplishing that object. But do not
mink so, but believe, on the contrary, that il
would be injurious, deeply injurious, and in the
end destructive to The slaves themselves, disas-
trous to the whole Union, and absolutely ruinous
to the South. Holding these opinions, my object
Is not TO postpone this result for short time, but
to prevent it forever. Will any one denv any of
these propositions: J.. That the most efHcacious
measure III favor of abolition would be TO destroy
the value OF slave labor? 2. That the reduction
OF the price of cotton to three four cents would
destroy the value of slave labor in the old slave
States! 3. That any large increase of the guam
uty OF cotton produced would have the effect TO
reduce lis price to that point, or even lower; say
Tor example a sudden increase of five hundred
thousand bales and, 4. That the annexation Of
Texas would cause such an increased production
Much the larger portion Of the produce of slave
labor is cotton. Ii is the price Of cotton which
regulates exclusively the value of slaves, as Of
almost every other article. Let it be borne in
mind, too, that Texas is admirably adapted TO the
production of sugar, long staple cotton, and to-
bacco-the only other articles, with the exception
OF rice, which are produced by slave labor. But,
IL The price oil cotton is not thus ruinously redu.
cod by over production, it will not be denied that
slave labor can be employed in Texas with at
least twice the profit which it yields in the aver
age OF The slave States of the Union. Our slaves
will then be carried to Texas by the force of
law as fixed and certain as that by which water
level. he
pear from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
tennessee, and Kentucky, and in period very
short for such an operation, those States will be-
come non-slavehOlding States; and whenever that
is the case, they will not only no longer have
common interest with the remaining slaveholding
States to defend the institution, but will very soon
partake OF that fanatlcal spirit of false philan-
ihropy which is now pervading the whole world.
Thus shall we lose the most important of our all
lies; most important in numerical strength at the
ballot-boX; still more important if we should be-
driven 70 the cartouch box last defence. And
what are The advantages which we to gain by
this measure! l mean we Of the slaveholdinr
States Are we more secure against foreign at
tack The question is not whether Louisiana
VIII be more secure with Texas than without it.
think it easy TO demonstrate that such would
not be the case. But the real question is, will
Texas thcnbe more secure than Louisiana now is!
For Texas will then be portion of our Union,
and we shall be under the same obligation to pro-
With our railroads and rivers, we can assemble
three hundred thousand men in thirty days in
New Orleans, or at at any other point in the slave.
holding States. Not so with Texas. There
would be no means of transporting troops 10 Tex
as but by the dangerous navigation of the Gulf;
thus encountering all the inconvenience in the de-
fence which an invading enemy would have in the
attack and, with superior hostile naval force in
command Of the Gulf of Mexico which is to be
anticipated in the event Of such an invasion, our
troops could not be transported at all. In any e.
vent 1t ould be transferring the conflict from the
land, where should be absolutely impregna.
bic, TO the water, where we might be the weaker
power. Then, again, instead Of the impossible
swamps lying between the Mississippi and Tex.
as, natural and impregnable fertilization, we
should have an increased marine frontier of sever
al hundred miles, and a land frontier Of two
thousand, without rivers, mountains, or swamps,
or any the slightest natural barrier, unless we
could realize the very bright idea of General Casa
OF annexing all the contiguous territory. To do
which, we must round off our boundaries by po-
ing TO Cape Horn ard the Pacific. | know only
one instance of an equally sagacons suggestion
as that of General Cass about contiguous terrific
~, and that was of the farmer who said that he
discovered that the squirrels DESTROYED only the
outside rows OF his corn, and that he would se-
cure himself against future depredations by plant.
ing no outside rows. If / am descending from
the dignity OF the subject, it is because ridicue is
the only proper reply to such an argument. 1t is
said that the annexation of Texas will increase
the political power of the saveholding States and
their vote IN Congress. Such cannot be the re.
suit IN the House of Representatives for the
slaves Will only be difiused their number
VIII no. be increased; that is perfectly clear
But 1t has been said that Texas will be divided in.
10 TOUR or hive States, all ofwhicb will be sayehol-
ding States, and Of course represented in the Sen.
I and al