The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-06-27
EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF
MR.. GIDDINGS, AGAINST
ANNEXATION.

Mr.. GrDDINGs said, that his principal OBJ
iecti in addressing the committee lat this time,
was TO call the attention of gentlemen to the
real question at issue before the people of
this nation.
The real issue has been made up; it has
been placed upon the records Of the Gov
eminent, and will remain there in all coming
time, subject to the inspection of those who
shall come after US. 1t has been published
in our newspapers, and is already before the
people, who are constitutional tiiers 10 de-
lermine the issue. The President and his
cabinet, and the southern Democrats, aver
that this nation shall take upon itself the
support and p%erpetuation of slavery in Tex
as, and of the slave trade between our slave
breeding States and the people of that Gov
eminent. They urge that our army and our
navy shall be employed, and our national en-
ergies put forth; our character disgraeed be-.
fore the civilized world, in order 10 attain
that object. They insist thatw shall vio-
late our treaty stipnlatiGns with Mexico; that
we shall abandon our principles in favor of
human liberty; acknowledge ourselves a ma
ton of political hypocrites; bring dishonor
Upon the memory of our revolutionary pa
triots; turn traitors to the sacred cause of
freedom; and wage an unceasing war upon
humanity itself. These are the matters urg-
ed on one side, and objected TO by the 9TH
er. This is the issue TO be determined by
the people-by the electors of the north and
! of the south, of the east and of the vest
On this issue the Wings, the Democrats,and
Liberty men ale TO pass judgement.
Ii is true that the annexation of Texas TO
these United States is brought forward as the
proposed means by which we may extend
and perpetuate slavery, and continue The
slave trade butthat object is merely collat-
erai 10 The great and Interior design of sup
porting slavery and the slave ttade. The
object and purpose for which it is now sought
to annex Texas 10 the United States is
~cleafly and unequivocally set forth in the
official correspondence between the Secre-
tary Of State & Mr.. Everett,our ministeratthe
court Of ST. james; between said Secretary
and our Charge de Affairs in Texas, and
between him and the British minister re-
sident in this city. In every letter of
that correspondence the Objects frank
ly avowed, without amy apparent deli
or attempt at concealment. The
same object of maintaining the slave trade
Between the slave breeding States of this
Union ana Texas,aud the perpetuatlng slave
ry-in Texas, is the ayowed object Of nearly
every Democratic paper south Of Mason and
Dixon's line, by nearly every address upon
that subject, and by the proceedings Of
nearly all the public meetings held in the
slave States for the purpose OF promoting the
cause of annexation. The same motives
were fully and frankly avowed o this fool
t during the debate of yesterday by the gen.
d tleman from South Carolina, (Mr. Holmes,
and in the debate of to-day by the gentleman
from Virginia, (Mr. Atkinson,) and by the
gentleman from Alabama, (Mr. Belser.)-
!, These gentlemen, with commendable since
e ritv and frankness, met the issue fairly. No
s SO with the gentleman from Indiana, (Mr
i Owen.0 He is from a free State, and evi
IDENTIFY felt somewhat embarrassed in advocat
ing the interests Of slave breeders and slavt
e dealers; he, therefore, as far as possible
ayoideded the main issue. He, however
e spoke learnedly o ftreaties. and boundaries
and Of early writers upon international law
y and of governments ''de tacto,' and of gov
ernments "de jare," while his illusions L
e the subjects Of slavery and the slave trad
n were very slight, although they had, up (
the time ofhis speech, formed the prominen
theme of those who advocated with him til
annexation of Texas.
| regret that the honorable gentlemen ha
left the Hall. | was DESTROYS OF addressln
a some remarks to him, as well as to his COZ
stituents. Tbere are objections to the an
n~exation of Texas which meet us at the yer
e threshold of the argument. When il
proposed by the people of Texas to eras
the name of that republic from the list OF ma
y, tons; 10 surrender their existence as a SCI
D, arate independent people ;and to place then
y selves under the Government OF the Unite
5. States: we know their mustbe an object, a
~ actuating motive that induces them thus /
III mingle with the people Of these States.-
These objects are all set forth in the treat,
X under discussion in the other end of tn
of of this Capitol. The first of those object
to which | will call the attention .oftbe con
al mite, is the payment of their debts by tn
nd people ofthis Union. This is one OF tn
= vital conditions of the treaty, without whlc
n the people of Texas would not for a momeI
laf listen TO any proposition for annexation.
>h To this think there are some strong oil
iections. A portion of the Representative
IA in this Hall are DESTROYS that the people
our free States shall contribute of their earl
= ings some ten OF twenty millions of dollar
III to satisfy the debts of sIave-holding, repud
he aiing Texas. Tothis proposition the Wing
of both north and south, object. The Pre-;
IS dent, the southern Democrats, and the ge
h tleman from Indiana, urge its propriety, al
nn ;n-;st dbl II Is the dutu Of nur nennle To n