The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-10-16

rest, and must alway rest, whilst our :.
situations are republican, the goverDme'.
of this nation and whose moral and n,
tellectual character will shape its de,,
MES, "rough hew them as We will H..
the most carefully matured schemes ofo.
tional policy.
If we would make this truly ote,,
nation, we must give activity and yioc,
to the elements of greatness in the hear.
and minds ofits people. These elemen,,
must be brought out--their capaenie,
fully developed, and their energies right,
directed, And here are the means Of d..
ing it, furnished TO our hands lie, ,h-
nation either use them, or place them
where they may be used, for this grca.
purpose, and thus render the beneficial
effects of the appropriation of the nation.
al domain, as solid and enduring as the
domain ITSELF 1t is thus in the right use
of the means for national improvement
which God has gwen US, that he will bless
us-wil make US great and good ma,
ton, and enable US to accomplish the
ends of his Providence in giving us ma.
tional existence.
There is another question ofgIeat and
overwhelming interest which recent E.
vents have forced upon our attention.
BY a sudden and unexpected turn of par
ty policy. we are called on to decide the
momentuous question, whether foreign
nation shall be annexed to, and become
part OF this eonfederacy. As this is
question in which the States, as memb ers
of the Union, have special interest, and
upon which they MAJ. and ought, imme-
dately, 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 1t upon your special attention.
Vermont came into a union whose
bond was written constitution, granting
10 its government certain specified pow>
ers. No question in regard to the pow
ers conferred by that constitution. can
be OF greater importance than that which
-elates to the membership Of the coneiei-
acy. The extent TO which new members
may be admitted, involves a question vital
o the Union. A violation of the con-
tltutlon on this point reaches far beyond
| question of mere administration ofthe
government ITSELF An authorized ad.
Mission OF new state, is nothing less
han an attempt to make .ew confeder.
icy. This cannot, Of course, be done.
without destruction of the old-without
IN exercise of power by the existing gov
eminent, equivalent to suicide
Such is the proposition for the annex
alton Of Texas TO this Guaranteeing
question of much more Importance than
whether the territory 10 be added shall
orm one or five states, or whether they
hall be slave or all free states, or equal
divided between these opposite and IL
econclleable elements Of power. 1t isa
question whether, by an act of arbitrary
power, Vermont shall be forced, wirhou,
Ter consent, into a federal union with a
tate or states, not admissible by the con-
'act into which she has entered. Its
IS though majority of the members Of
IN ordinary partnership were 10 attempt
o force member into the concern with
ut the common consent-compellingt the
dissatisfied member or members to sub
ect The whole business and destiny Of
he establishment TO the hazard Of con-
IexIon with new partner-it may be
in fortune and character. OF
ralned TO habits of business, or posses
ing lnfirmiIies of constitution, rendering
he connexion yalueless, OF worse than
alueless. An ordinary violation cf the
onstItutIon--such, for example, as an al
'dged unauthorized regulation of com.
Ierce for purposes of protection, might
submitted to, until the action of the ap-
-opriate Judicial tribunal could reach
nd remedy the evil But this is a case
hlch no Judicial power can reach. The
reign state once admitted, and the mis-
lief is done, irrevocably; and resistance
the part of the injured states becomes
e only remedy, though it may involve
e hazard of forever quencbing the
Of our liberty and union in
God.
The night to annex is claimed to rest
the grant of power in the constitution
admit new states into the union. If
ere had been no territory within our
lgInal limits upon which this power
uld operate. the light to admit states
'm beyond them would seem necessari-
to have been embraced in the general
ant Of power. But such territory en-
led. large and ample. The advocates
annexation would seem, therefore TO
thrown upon the necessity of furnish
: evidence of intention, quite beyond
ythlng that can be found in the gener-
language-''New States NAV be ad-