The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-03-20
SPEECH OF MR., DICKINSON,
or NEW YORK,
ON THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
Delivered in The Senate Of the United States
February 22, lSi5.
fConoluded.l

r alton had the honorable committee. lie had NO
doubt ia this case that the treaty making po~ei-he
haadn,aid-would patiently wait on NE oceasion OF
Congress, her mistress and should her services Dc
required 10 her sxertion IN suoofdinaiion 10
the desires of her superior But Congress, the mis-
lress had elected TO discharge this high duty hsrssy
aud there fore had al present. no OCCASION 10 call upon
her hsndnaid 10 exercise her poean0n.
The domestic institution Of slavery, which existed
in Texas had been strongly urged both here and else
where, an insuperabie objection TO admnung 'ha'
country 10 the Union Upon that Institution, IN The
abstract, he would not now comment. He could not
say little without saying much and as the subject
as In DO legitimate respect under discussion, he mad
/ listened with extreme regret 10 remarks which bad
been made upon both sides Of the Senate. lie need
not say be trusted, IL either proper or necessary
" hat were bis opinions upon the subject formed as
they had been, well from habit and education, as
| from much examination and reflection.
II the annexation OF Texas was 10 creaie or give
an institution Of that character 10 either country
which did not possess before, OF was 10 render lie
burdens greater increase the number Of those de-
pIy,d Of freedom; II It's duration 10 be pro-
longed by The proposed connenoni then might such
objections be urged with great propriety and force
But scarcely pretended that either OF these
sequences would How from the proposed union, and
ali who would look the question fully in the face
would zee that they could not
The admission of Texas To The Union would,
would take them fiom the norihery slave States,
unul Il would virtually abolish itself la those States,
as u had already done ia Dela~srej and the slave
would hnd a climate more congenisl 10 his nature IN
more southern latitude. And should he ever re-
gain his freedom, he would see, upon his southern
border, dark race OF men, who would hail him a.
brother, and extend to him the hand Of political
and social equaly which would never be done here.
The question Of slavery had been placed hey ond the
reach of Federal legislation by the compromises Of
the Constitution and the attempt, on the part Of
Congress, 10 mitigate It's evils 10 any considerable
extent, would be vain 10 prescribe periods tor
the fight Of migratory birds or 10 establish by Law
boundaries TO protect the tropical insects ffoID the
osts Of winter
Although under the influence and within the con
troll Of State legislation It's abolition duration
depended more upon other causes than even upon
this had been said BY the Senator from Pennsyl-
vania, MIR. Baehsnan,) who had made alluslon
TO speech Of that extraordinary man, Randolph, Of
Roanoke, from which he Mr.. D. would give blief
extract. Mr.. Randolph said
The disease tcA run is eo,use-i has run its cor,
in the northern States; u is beginning 10 It's
ia Maryland. The naiurai death Of slavery Is the un
proabientss Of IFS most trpesire labor. is also be-
ginning IN the msadop and grain country If Virginia.
Among those people, then rho hare staple thai can
pay for sape labor especially among hose pho haze
rery Jo siape these the strenuous advocates Of all
HlON OF mem OF me Otsf
teniions-aH Of them mistaken. The moplei The labor
Of the Stare TO be profitable 10 the master, or rsr
afisr has reached that Stage, II the slaue ioM moi
aioay from the master the master WILL nun a,rap
trom the Stare and this is the history Of the passage
from starey to freedom Of the riiianags Of England
Allow me TO inquire, for moment (said Mr.. ID. }
W bile we so loud and emphatic in the denunca-
ton of this institution and are urging it as reason
of all others Why Texas should not be admitted to
the Union, what answer We should return TO thi.
SISTER Republic IT. after passing these resolutions and
transmitting them to her Government for approval
rejection, should be advised by her constituted
authorities that all the stipulaons terms conditions
and guarantees were agreeable, but one nsurmount-
able objection exists to her acceptance She says she
learns that we hold in perpetual bondage dark race
of men, and subslst upon their toll and that this IN.
justice Is tolerated by Constitution and our laws
Should we not Indignantly throw back the taunt that
the same charge lay at her own door and while we
are deporng ihata mote should obscure her vision
may she not point to the beam that ob.tructs our
ownl
Great Britain, too, has added her sympathisnp
voice. and in spirit of philanthropy peculiar to her
self condemns an institution which she planted upon
our shores In the days Of colonial dependence
so deeply and securely that even the blood of the
Revolution could not eIterminate it, Having abol.
lshed her domestic slavery when and not before il
became Improbable, upon her all-obsorbing princi
PIC VI Pouhu', pence her senSbliIty Is
now extending Itself the oppressed of other lands
than her own. But has she not learned that Afr-
can slavery is but single in the wide and am
! pie page OF human wrongs2 Has she looked at her
own suffering, starving and dying poor Has she
seen the thousand gentle beings who are annually
crushed beneath system which robs labor of its re-
ward and industry OF its bread2 Has she visited the
abodes Of her own metropolitan wretchedness, and
rescued the young who breathing malaria which
lnloxicates the soul Has she contemplated the
vast oceans of blood which her thirst for dominion
over man has caused to flow or dried up the tears,
or soothed the anguish she has createdi Or, has
her genius Of philanthropy bid adieu to her ow n
proud Shores to weep over the dusky child pluck
ing its wild flowers upon the odoI-laden plains Of
| Texas4
Mr.. d. looked forward in Imagination to that han
Ply moment when every human wrong should be re-
dressed-when this cup of tears and anguish should
pass-when the letters should fall from the limbs of
every creature bearing the impress of his Maker and
all should SIT together under the wide spread branches
OF the tree of liberty, protected by its shelter and
subsistiDg upon its fruits.
Great Britain, too, had modestly advised that i,
would be both unjust and unwise to extend our ter
ritory. When (said Mr.. ID did she ever omit 10
take possession of any section island continent or
country, which she had power to obtain, and which
was worth having or preservingi II had been tri-
umphantly and truly said, that her drum beat ecr-
ced the world and that the sunshine never ceased TO
light up some portion of her dominions and if she
continued TO extend her territories on this continent
1t might soon be said that not only her drum beat
but her bristng bayonets encrced the United States
upon American soil.
Adopting the same argument the same notes of
alarm have been sounded by those upon the other side
who have joined in this debate. A territory which
was formerly our own; which every Administration
since 1919 has endeavored to recover for the adyan
tagcs 1t would confer; which is peoped by our chill
dren, and our brethrenis now regarded as the Gre.
clan horse bearing not only bands of armed men,
bent on the stern and bloody errand of war and de-
vastatlon, but every i'll to which frai humanity is
heir.
The Senator from Kentucky, (Mr Morehead, J
and from Massachusetts,, (Mr Choate,) had We'd
with each other in hegbtenlng the yiydness of The
fearful picture
When the Christian is looking with an eye Of faith
beyond the clouds and darkness of the moment. and
awaiting the usherng IN OF that period when the
stres and agitatlons of this bleak world shall be hush
ed IN brotherly peaceto the time when the wea