The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-10-21

~ "AN
the Constitution, and essentially destroy
the Union of which it is the bond and
that she reserves the right Of such future
action, as circumstances may suggest.
But, in the event of annexation, there
will remain great practical duty for US TO
perform. 1t will be, 10 go the very verge
of our constitutional power TO effect the
abolition Of slavery, as "the CHIEF esii IN
our country, and the great CRIME oil our
age" Slavery will, by annexation, have
lbeen taken under the special protection OF
1.-The national government, and made in the
highest sense, a national institution and
Ithenceforth will become leading and con-
TROLLING clement in the Union. 1t will
then be seen in stronger and clearer
light than it ever has been. The success
of annexation will have signally illustrated
its character and the time is not distant,
when it will be able no longer to ADJUST
its influence in the scale of parties, so as
to maintain its ascendancy by Northern
Incorporation for the North will have
Learned the indispensable necessity OF I'M
lion. in order to roll back the tide oil It's u
surpations, and so change the policy OF
the government that it shall cease TO make
the support of slavery an object of special
and paramount regard. If the North, for
the sake of peace, shall submit TO annex
alton, the South must submit to the le-
Ultimate and inevitable consequences oil
thus forcing, everywhere, an investigation
ofthe merits of slavery, and thorough ex-
posure of the impossibiity of long main
tanning a Union, embracing the hostile
and irreconcilable elements of slavery and
freedom.
| have received. from the executives OF
several ofthe States, resolutions of their re-
spetiye legislatures, touching the subject
of annexation, which shall hereafter COM
municate for the consideration OF the Gen-
eral Assembly.
Among the papers received from the
Executives of other States is the solemn
Declaration and Protest of the Common
wealth of Massac husetts, against the laws
Of South Carolina, under which col"red
citizens of Massachusetts are arrested en-
board her ships in the harbors of South
Carolina, imprisoned in the jails of that
State, and sold into perpetual slavery, in
default Of their commanders to give bonds
to redeem them and to pay the expense of
their detention-all which Massachusetts
asserts is in violation of that clause of the
Constitution of the United States. which
declares that "the citizens Of each State
shall be entitled to all privileges and i'm
munitics of citizens in the several Sta
ties.
To protect her citizens-from the execu-
ton Of these laws, Massachusetts commits
stoned one of her most distinguished cit-
zens to proceed to South Carolina, for the
purpose of instituting such process as
should bring the question of the const-
nationality of these proceedings before the
Supreme Court of the United States
1t is matter of history, that the agent,
on appearing.in South Carolina, for the
purpose of executing "a commission thus
looking to peaceful and orderly appeal
to the appropriate judicial tribunal, was
driven away by the threats ofpersonal vio-
lence of mob and thatj subsequently,,
the legislature sanctioned the act of the
mob by making an order "to expel' the
agent from the State. Against this, also,
Massachusetts protests
have received from the Governor OF
South Carolina, the proceedings referred
to, of the legislature ofthat State | have
received also from the Governors of the
States of Arkansas and Alabama, resolu-
tons of the legislatures of those States,
approving the outrage committed on the
agent of Massachusetts and from the
Governor of Connecticut, resolutions of
the legislature of that State, declaring that
the act of South Carolina is ga palpab;e
and dangerous violation of the national
compact" | shall hereafter, transmit
these papers, with others on various sub
lects, received from the Executives of
other States, for the use of the General
Assembly.
| have made this special reference to
the proceedings of South Carolina for the
purpose ofbringing them into immediate
connection with the kindred subject to
which | have. at some length, invited your
attention, and of submitting to you the
propriety and duty of full consideration
of these extraordinary proceedings. and an
expression of the sense entertained BIZ the
General Assembly of this State, of their
true character and tendency. 1t would
seem evident that the Union cannot be
maintained, ifpeaceable attempts to ap-
peal to the appropriate Judicial tribunal
Tor the settlement Of great constitutional
questions, involving the relative rights of
the States, are to be put down by mob
violence, and the aided sanction of legis-
lature authority.
1t is worthy of remark, TINT, upon an
attempt by South Carolina, to enforce the
same laws against colored British subjects
and the remonstrance Of the British gov
eminent to that of the United States,
South Carolina desisted; and yet she rig
orously cnforces them against one of her
sister States, All ads the ex;rem
aggravation Of expelling from her terri
tory an agent of that State, rather
than allow him a residence long enough
to perfect the process of submitting the
vaestion of difference to the decision of
the constitutional tribunal.