Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-01-23
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 80, 1S45

10 giUe him eeeua opposition and to Obige him 10
according
sariy submit to the use Of the term, cIvn WAR"
And, rs to such war, Vattel declares:
is evident, that Of
inns Of humanity, moderation and honor which have
already detailed in this work-ough TO Be observed by boA
parties in erery cra ,car." see
/ A word about humanity by-and-by Meanwhile
suffer me to ask, whether In the of Santa Anna
the Texans acquired sufficient strength give him
effectual resistance" The Mexican Dictator will
hardly deny that And if he cannot, shall it be tolc
rated, that Mexico by paltry fiction which deceiyes
one not herself, should persist In assuming
that there is no such Republic as Texas; that the
lands lying between the Del Norte and the Sabine
form but petty revolted province Of hers, which,
when she can find few weeks leisure, she will
degn to chastse and resubjugae! And all this if the
ect less grave might pass piece of national
pleasantly As it is, il is little short of insult TO
the common sense of mankind.
And we but sanction that insult, if we longer hold
back In our iu1 ment, sustained II is by the
voice of the world that Texas has been received
as an equal into the family of nations; and
enjoys, fully any other nation upon earth the
powers and ghts of independent sovereign.
Enough on this branch of the subject. But now,
dismissing the question of right, met by nu-
merous objections against the expediency of
ton, fraught with evil consequences to
human improvement even with danger TO the integrity
of our Union. One of these esteemed the gravest by
some good men-is made In sacred cause; IN the
name Of human liberty. 1t is, that in receiving
I Texas, increase and perpetuate slavery among
men. II
We increase slavery BY what process! When,
by act of Congress, or otherwise, cause that
country called the Republic of Texas to be styled
henceforth the Territory, the State of Texas,
does that reduce single human being, not now a
slave, to the condition of forced vassalage. No one
will pretend that it can. But it will increase the
number of slaves in the United States Undoubtedly.
And also viii it surely increase within the United
States the number of murders, and thefts, and
breaches of the peace; unless we imagine Texas
Utopia where crimes and offences are utterly unknown.
Every human enterprise is fcheckered consequences
The lives of the best of u.s., it has been some
where well said, {. spent in choosing between
evils" In this world of imperfectons, the practical
question to be answered before act Is not whether
our acton is to produce unmixed good-to no human
policy is 1t given thus to operate-but whether the
good IL promises win prePundeIate tire evils to
which it may open the door. In admitting Texas we
increase, to some extent slave territory. But
shall count it for nothing on the other hand, that
we increase also, by onesixth our Union happy,
prosperous, blessed, even with al her faults we
feel her to be- Is it privilege to be citizen of the
United States to sit down in peace and safety under
the shelter of republican institutions And shall
we count for nothing the extension of that privilege
to tens of thousands living its prospective
extension to millions more yet to live!
We can find no Utopia to annex. 1t is right or II
, is wrong, it is it is unwise-apart from al
temporary and sectional considerations,-to extend
the national territory. If right and wise, We must
be content. In carrying out such extension, to take
things as we find them. Who are we that we should
be thus scrupuous In admitting into confede
racy territory toerating slavery, because, in
doing, we still to Continue, that territory Oh
over portion of it, to tolerate for time that ins
tuition! Who arc we, and what has been course
Have we hitherto added one foot to the nationa
> domain by treaty with the Red Man, say not without
finding evils In the added territory, but without
! creating them therel What think you of the trans
ton state of the Indian brought upon him by us il
: which we take from him the bold, rude virtues o
aboriginal life and bestow, in retirn only the loves
vices of civilization What think you of the slavery
- of intemperance, the miseries of dsease-our fata
! gifts to the original lords of this broad land nos
e melting them away till their very name will disappear
= from the living tribes of earth Yet when did thu
= consideration of such consequences ever arrest thu
y signature of an Indian treaty
= But Texas annexation will pcrpetuae slavery. IL
its probable consequences the very reverse
y this. The impression is becoming general, that
], would speedily drain off large portion Of the slave
population Of the northern slave States, and aid IL
efecting, what modern abolition has retarded, th
:; peaceful and gradual emancipation of slaves IL
. Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland Delaware, and thcI
in other States But there is yet another view to b
taken of it. Slavery, Like monarchy, is Temporal,
9 evil. IL Will disappear as all temporary evils mus
10 disappear so becomes, and is generally fe
to be, commercially improbable. We are RAPIDLY
- nearing that point. The growing destiny OF popua
e ton and consequent increasing competition IN manua
labor, is driving US, year by year, towards It. AM
~ as it is gradually reached, in the several States;
" the day arrives when slave becomes negativ
quantity In the market; when his master shall desire
by emancipation to free himself from incumbrance
" in that day. whittier shall the negro go! Are hi
!, friends wise, in desiring to have the United State
- henmed in on the southwest! IN wishing to see
foreign it might be hostile power nterposed betwee
US and Mexico If there be for the liberated Africa
e path of deliverance and place Of refuge beyond
VI that path lies through Texas that place of refuge
- where the sun suits his blood and the institution
recognize the equal rights of his color is to be foun
in Mexico in Guatemala, and the States farther soutf
7, Shut him out from thesed you not, by that yer
= act, virtually prolonging his bondage!
i Slavery is not the true difficulty. III replying {
- the arguments of the abooniss, we are not at tn
e bottom of the question. We have not penetrated
NC the depths of the opposition against annexation
have not yet touched the argument the strongest, tn
deepest-seated in the minds of Its opponents. Lat
indications distinctly reveal it to In the column
~ of the leading Metropolitan Wing ourna-the mos
~ moderate and respected organ of the party-in tn
a leader of the National Integencer under date of tn
en- 18th December last, find the following:
Deprecang any extension Of the territory OF the lutte
States bey present limits evil in Itself Of
magnitude protesting against it, undct any circumstance
for Of the of the States OF the Union
which are in opinion, deeply involved In
~, Jet II any form, sc"
sh | pray you to note that / ask you to obsery
nd distinctly how the matter stands 1t avails not
argue with our opponents, the question of right
annex 1t is idle to substantiae to them, from Il
pages of international law the dictates of comma