Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-05-03
ANTI ANNEXATION MEETING IN
NEW YORK.

NEW YORK.
The New York papers are filed with a glowing
account of great meeting which assembled at the
Tabernacle in that city on Wednesday evening oil
last week. to express the opinions of that great city
upon the exciting topic of annexation. The meet
ing was very large one, and the high character
of the men concerned in it, will give it great nAu
ence, both at Washington and through the country
The venerable Albert Gallatin, now in his s4th
year, presided. Among the Vice Presidents were
of the highest character for worth and talent,
of both political parties. The N. Y Tribune says
the meeting "was a calm and ommanding express
sion of the moral sentiment and patriotic forecast of
New York, apprehensive less of the physical evils
which the Tyler intrigue threatens than of the
plunge into per6dy and crime to which it urges
our country"
We cannot do better than to give the views upon
this subject of two octcgenarian patriots both ven.
cradle for their worth, their wisdom, and their pub
lie services, well for their age-we mean
Chancellor Kent and Mr. Galla,in-the first of
whom sent the following letter to the meeting, and
the latter addressed it in the speech we give below
New York, April Odd, 1914.
Gentlemen-I regret that shall not be a.
BILE to attend the public meeting of citizens
TO morrow evening on the subject of Texas.
1t must not be inferred from my absence
that am not decidedly opposed to the an
nexation Of Texas to the United States
Considering the relations in which we stand
to ton M 81 ans 50 a sac the sAg @
posed treaty if executed, would be gross
abuse of the treaty making power. 1t would
TO IF al faif
honor as respects Mexico, and might other
wise in its consequences have most perni-
cious influence on the character, tranquility
and safety of the Union The consumma-
tion of such project, without any previous
foundation for it in public opinion or in pub
lie necessity ought in my humble judgment
to be universally condemned.
/ have the honor to be, gentlemen, with
great respect,
Your obedient servant,
JAMES KENT.
Messrs. VIM. G. Bryant, Benjamin d. Sill
iman, Theodore Sedgwick and D. d. Field,
Committee, &c.
The President then rose and addressed
the meeting as follows
He commenced by saying, in voice fee
BILE at first, and difficult to distinguish, that
at his advanced age, and withdrawn as he
had been for long time from public affairs,
it was with the greatest reluctance that he
had felt himself compelled to yield to the
urgent requests of many gentlemen to occu-
by the position assigned him this evening"
Heretofore, the United States, he said, had
maintained an unimpeached character for
the fidelity with which they had fulfilled all
their engagements. They had never warred
for the sake of conquest, nor for the acqui-
sition of territory. They had never acquir-
ed territory in any other way than by fair
treaty, negotiation, and the unanimous con-
sent Of all parties concerned
The United States have, by their treaties
with Spain and Mexico, soemnly acknowl-
edged Texas to be within the limits of that
republic; and as Texas is still at war with
Mexico, any attempts towards annexation,
without the free consent of her, would be
violation of treaties, and equivalent to dec
laration Of war and the attempt to annex, is
an attempt to make us party to the war,
according to the universal law of nations,
and the usages of the whole civilized world,
and in this assertion | shall be borne out
by every Publicist and Jurist. (Sensation
and applause.) Such war would mol only
be unjust, but one of conquest | will not
stop TO inquire what Mexico will, or will not
do. 1t is enough for me to know that what
is proposed is unjust, and would be disgrace
full to our national character, which has hith-
erto been unsullied. loud applause)
There is another view ofths subject more
complex and delicate which had better be
left to be handled in debate that is the
subject of slavery Here there were min
gled Kisses and applause.) The Constitu-
tion was founded upon mutual concessions
and compromises. When it was formed, the
Southern States required some guaranty,
from their peculiar position, that they should
remain undisturbed. This guaranty was
given, but not to territory without the lin
its of the United States and however repug-
nant it might be to the feelings Of the
North, it should be kept in good faith, and