Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-11-15
CORRESPONDEl
For the FIR eem an.
Something about Texas. No. 2.


In August, 1913, the British Secretary of For
Affairs said in the House of Lords, A." that
they had a treaty for the abolition of the slave
trade with Texas. He did not believe there was
any importation of slaves into Texas by sea, but it
was true that there was large importation Of
slaves from the United States into that country"
This fact explains why the northern slavehold-
ing states, or the slave breeders in them, are so
anxious for anneXaton; and shows also the reck-
essness and folly of the pretension that the union
of Texas to our government would tend to the alb
clifton of slavery in those States. When, by the
laws of trade and the tendency of commercial in
tercOurse, an increased demand and more exteud-
ed markets for any commodity will lessen its pro-
duce and ultimately destroy its production alto
gether, then opening new market for slaves in
Texas will abolish slavery in the breeding states
This, too, explains the zeal of our Virginian
slave trading president in one of his annual mes
sages against the African slave trade. He doubt
less wished to secure to American traders a mo-
nopoly Of the TeXian market, at least. The ex-
istence Of this treaty, of which Lord Aberdeen
speaks, seems to have been made the pretext on
the part of our government for all the camor a.
bout British influence and monopoly. There was
danger that sister republic, peoped BY citizens
OF our own, might he induced, by the kind Offices
of Great Britain to abandon one of the most re.
voting crimes that ever d,ssraced heather peo-
pie. Our argus-oyed sontues on the watchtowel
Of freedom discovered this; and forthwith an Offer
is made, on our part, and negotiations opened fol
a treaty of annexation. There was danger thai
the Virginia slave market would be eSsened, and
OF course inducements to abolition increased. =
The whole south were therefore interested tC
prevent such an awful calamity Detailing the A.
mercan Republic as the abolition of domestic
slavery in foreign State" Hence our Secretar,
of State says to Mr.. Everett, in his letters of in
structons to that Minister, q" If the designs O
Great Britain be limited to the emancipation o
the slaves Of Texas, they cannot be regarded b,
US with Indifference" And here follows the ar
gument, "TeXas lies Immediately upon our Dor
der. The slave would have nothing more to de-
than to cross the Sabine or the red river, and h
would find himself a freeman. Within few
years, large proportion Of the slaves would seeI
refuge in Texas" 1t seems the Secretary did no
feel quite willing to risk the slaves, surrounded b.
a free territory, notwithstanding they are so hap
Ply and conented in slavery. 1t would seem, also
from this argument of the Secretary (and be bein!
a Shareholder, ought to know that abolition il
Texas would be much more likely to draw off tn,
slaves from the NORTH and make free States there
than annexation. 1t never entered the mind o
this functionary that aE9e%8tf8h-%ouId tend to alb
clifton, And wherever the shareholders do adop
this opinion, we may expect the project Of annex
alton will be dropped suddenly. Yet this silly
nonsense does very we'll for our northern dough
faces to prate about when they are buying vote
of the people whom they would thus deceive.
Nearly one fourth of the inhabitants of TeXa
are now slaves, and nearly all Of them furnished
by the slave breeders Of Virginia, North Caroin
and Tennessee. These breeding States find thi
asst market, and of course this great encourage
mcnt to this crime in Texas slavery. Yet thi
market cannot much longer be left open withou
anneXatia0. fths man : fails slavery must fa
in three or four of the northern slave states.
slavery fails in thee or four States, it must 500
fail throughout the whole. The very existence O
the institution on this continent seems now to de
pend on the incorporation of Texas into our gov
ernment. So the shareholders view it. And it
surprizng that any man in the free States, who
, opposed to slavery, in the abstract should b
found in favor of annexation with the toIeratio
Of slavery And without slavery, not sIaveholC
er desires it. ZENO.