Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-10-18
Vermont Legislature.
Governors Message,

we give DelOW part OF the governors Mes
sage, and exceedingly regret that its great length
and the crowded state Of our columns will not al
low us to publish it entire.
After an acknowledgement of Divine favors, the
Governor calls the attention of the legislature to
their duty in selecting judicial and executive Off
GERS of the Government, and also, to their legsla-
tive duties, with few very appropriate remarks
He then introduces the subject of education and
occupies four pages with valuable remarks on that
pontthough many of the thoughts are not atogeth-
er new. He urges with great force, the Importance
of a thorough geological survey of the State-sug-
gests some alteration in the Statute to prevent the
taking of unlawful interest-recommends all alter
alton in the license laws, so that the people shall
be allowed to decide more directly whether ardent
spirits shall be sold among them. instead of the
County courts-commends the interests of the In
sane Asylum to the fostering care of the LegisIa-
ture, and discusses the question of the tariff and
the sale ofthe public lands at considerable length
We are only able to give his remarks on the ar
neXation of Texas, and on the subject of slavery
"There is another question of great and over
wheming interest, which recent events have for
ced upon our attention. BY sudden and unex-
pected turn of party policy, we are called on to de-
eide the fnomentous question:, whether a foreign
nation shall be annexed toy and become part Of this
confederacy. AS this is question in which the
States, as members of the Union, have special
interest, and upon which they may, and ought, i'm
mediaeIy, to express their opinions, through their
respective legislatures, it will not be deemed, in
any sense, foreign to my duty, to bring the subject
to your notice, and urge it upon your special at
tenton.
Vermont came into a union whose bond was a
written constitution, granting to its government
certain specified powers. No question in regard
to the powers conferred by that constitution, can
be of greater importance than that which relates
to the membership of the confederacy. The ex-
tent to which new members may be admitted n-
wolves question vital to the Union. violation
of the constitution this point reaches far beyond
question of mere administration of the govern
men 1t strikes at the existence of the govern
ment itself. An unauthorized admission of new
state, is nothing less than all attempt TO make
new confederacy. This cannot, Of course, he done,
without destruction of the old--without an exer-
else Of power by the existing government, equiva-
lent to suicide.
Such is the proposition for the annexation Of
Texas to this Union, Involving question Of much
more Importance than whether the territory to be
added shall form one or five states or whether
= they shall all be slave free states, equally d
= vided between these opposite and irrcconccabe
elements of power. 1t is question whether, by
an act of arbitrary pO1cer, Vermont shall be fore
ed, without her consent, into federal union with
q state or states, not admissible by the compact in
to which she has entered. 1t is as though a ma
; lority Of the members Of an ordinary partnership
- were to attempt to force member into the con-
y celn without the common cOnsent-compengthe
dissatisfied member or members to subject the
e whole business and destiny of the establishment to
the hazard of connexion with new partner-it
hoI ,,,rI inf O. oh
! ed to habits OF business, or possessing nfrmties
of constitution, rendering the connection Valueess,
or worse than Valneless. An ordinary violation of
the constltution-such, for example, as an alleged
r unauthorized regulation of commerce for purpos-
= es of protection ght be submitted to, until the
- action of the appropriate judicial tribunal could
reach and remedy the evil But this is case
which no judicial power can reach, The foreign
: state once admitted, and the mischief done, ire
II vocaby; and resistance on the part of the injured
u states becomes the only remedy though it may in
i volve the hazard of forever quenching the watch
u fires of our liberty and union in blood.
- The right to annex is claimed to rest on the
. grant of power in the constitution to admit new
states into the union If there had been no terrific
). ry within our original limits upon which this
= power could operate, the right to admit states
- from beyond them would seem necessarily to have
= been embraced in the general grant of power
- But such territory existed, large and ample. The
duVOCd Vi WOulu Seelllj therefore, 10
! be thrown upon the necessity of furnishing evil
y dence of intention, quite beyond any thing that
. can be found in the general language-"New
=" States may be admitted by the Cngrcss into this
y Union, (which, if allowed the latitude contended
. for, would leave no limit to the exercise Of the
II power, short of the entire habitabe globe. That
the trainers of the constitution had in their con-
4 temptation provision admitting such latitude,
u is Incredible and it is equally SO that if they bad
" such intention, they should have failed to express
~ it, in language suited to the grant Of a power of
J. such fearful magnitude as that of efecling, by a
- simple act of Congress, an essential change in the
~ relations of the constituent members of the con-
- ederacy;-and this too, while Congress is invest
~ ed with no power to change even line of the con-
u stitution-whlch can only be done by the solemn
act of three fourths ofthe states of this union.
Ardent minds may have growing visions of
greatness, and glory and good to man, in prospect
Y of the boundless exercise of the claimed power;
- but it is for the sober and thoughtful, and wise
- and truly benevolent, to check such antcipations
n and chaSten such desires, by submitting them to
the restraints of rigid Justice to the existing MEM
bers of the confederacy. No fanced benefits can
ever compensate for the preparation of wrong
j. the infection of injustice, under any circumstances
n whatever
m But it is attempted to obviate the constitutional
"a difficulty by claiming title to Texas a part OF
ca the Louisiana purchase, and calling the proposed
b. measure remuneration. In reference to this it is
sufficient to say that by the treaty of 1919 with
Spain, after protracted negotiation with regard
to the southern boundary of Louisiana it was n.