The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-14

pair the right Of Texas 10 control or abolish tho nsu
lutionf No, cir; but twill preclude me possiph''y
Of the existence OF The slave trade between that coun
ty and others, because under our constitution such
trade /. prohibited Pcrpstuat~ slavery SIR is not
The ANNEX ATIos but the aEJEcros OF Texas that VIII
perostuate il. Confine the nsgro population within
the limits Of the present slave States and you new
sby hx il upon them forever or In lime convert 'no
into a continental Hayti Who but must shrink from
the thought Of the accumulation vi this population In
those States with no outlet Of emigIalloni SIR, no
pstriot-no sir, no honest nan-who does not prefer
an interior and degraded race 10 his own, can Tor
moment desire H. Let the States that FREQ put the
question 10. themselves, had you slave population
equal TO your white and increasing more rapidly imam
your own, would you Tor one instant submit TO have
prison wall drawn around youi Abolition VIII an
swer; free them Suppose you do. Does that re-
move themf What Is 10 become of this mighty mass
when deprived of their domestic home-lbs home oil
ply steal comfort which the master is bound TO pro-
vide, and with rare exception does provide You
would not admit them, Individually in dense masses,
To a condition OF civil, social political equality
Instinct forbds H. SIR your country would be filled
with starvation, pauperlsIn, and crime. But open
Texas and the way prepared not only for the saey
Of the South but Tor the ultimate and not far distant
extinction ot slavery itself The superior capacity
and adaptation Of that country for tropical productions
necessarily carry forward slave labor IN that d..
lection VI embraced within our jurisdiction. IL VIII
drain the more northern slave States gradually but
certainly and soon add them 10 the number Of the ree
Ii will push the institution further and further from
the capital of the Union. II is this inevitable operA-
ion OF the unobstruced laws Of progress that renders
the acquisition Of Texas more Important and desra'
BILE. As slave State OF our Union IL will gradually
become the receptacle Of that population In It's naiu-
raj emigra towards the South, and hereafter form
outlet 10 Mexico and he equator. Such. on this
continent, is the destination Of slavery. single
generation will not pass away If This measure De ac-
complished before he States Of Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri JOIN their
sisters OF the North In emancipation then made sale
by the drain Of emigration. North Carolina and
Tennessee must sOsn Afterwards follow their exam
Pile. It is change which depends upon natural
laws, where distractions TO progress. are removed
As soil bee ONES Impoverished or labor less produc'
tive, migration mutt advance, while Inducements tc
more profitable occupation open the way. These
opinions are not visionary. They are supported
not onlyl by reason but also by fact. Had slavery
been restricted 10 The original Southern States which
skirt the Atlantic what would have been their con-
dton In reference to the African racer Three mil
lions OF that population would have been confined
where less than half the number now are. The
progress OF the race, new States have arisen IN
dcates the inevitable effect Of continuance OF the
drain. True, Texas, herself, and the extreme south
and southwestern States, may themselves 10
time be overwhelmed with this population But is
not its transfer from the northern States, dis
burdening them Of the incumbrance, blessingl-
tive industry necessarily open an outlet 10 Mexico
and the central portions Of the continent' The trop
zeal regions of the EARTH to which the Creator has
wisely adapted the characteristics Of the African, is
destined their abiding home Ia Mexico and
Central America the commingling Of the Moorish,
the Indian, and African races OF mankind, are there
preparing condition of social, civil and political
equality which will secure to them all the advan-
tages and blessings which they capable Of enjoy
ing There the African will find 10 these blended
races not his superior, but bis equal. To coDfne
| him here within own borders, to obstruct the
free course of emigration, and fix him permanently
among race with whom he has and have no
symparhles Of equality race his superior by the
gifts Of nature, and 10 whom he naturally falls In
subordnation, is TO consign him to perpetual seryi-
tude. Sir, the consummauon Of the measure before
US is identified with the welfare OF the African race.
| 1t increases burden; diminishes no comforts
| adds none to the number of the service-bound
lnsures IN large portion of our country a more
speedy emancipation, and the ultimate extinction of
slavery in it all Sir, il because this beneficial re-
suit must flow from the measure, and because re-
lection defeat it, that more ardently desire us
contamination. Such portions of the territory as
are adapted to productions peculiar to slave labor
will become slave States. Those portions not thus
adapted canuot be made SO by legislative or constr
tutional enactments, and must be free. In the ex-
pansion OF our population the nature of the labor
will depend upon nature of the climate and the
staples. Let Texas come into the Union with the
same unrestricted sovereignty as New York, Virgil
mia, Pennsy lvana. An attempt to impose restrlc-
tons simultaneous with the acquisition, and thus
to go behind and override the constitution are not
only mpolitic, but nugatory also. When new States
for med, and ready for admission, let the people
then living and concerned decide questions that may
arise. They will have the power to settle upon the
admission rejection Of State in disregard of any
arrangements you shall make; and why then seek
to embarrass the acquisition by matters now foreign
10 the measured You cannot thus bind your sue
| cessors Would the ordinance Of 1887 prevent the
division of Wisconsin into two more States in
| cordance with the constitution, by the consent Of
Congress and her people! Would It prevent the
State of Illinois from establishing slavery within her
boundaries, shovld she resolve 30 to do' No, sir /;
Congress cannot legIsate down the constitution by
| enactments Of their own, nor incorporate re-
| strictions INTO that sacred instrument.
Sir, a position has been taken IN this debate that
the annexation Of Texas will disturb the relations of
| power between the North and the South, the free
| States and the slave What relations of power? Are
we then hostile rivals, under bonds to keep the peace
| Sir, thought we were fraternity of States Our
origin language, laws, institutions history and des
tiny the same The of the revolution was fought
for all and by all. Through seven long years our
fathers carried before them the declaration of indie
pendence like the ARK of the covenant of Jehovah
through fire and through blood. The constitution
was the crown Of their triumph 1t was made for
them and forius, and for posterty. And are we now
here to carp and cav at It's provisonsi 1t was made
to embrace the continent. And to defeat the
noble design of its oundersi Is it their example we
follow in agitating the breaking up of its compro
misses awakening feelings calculated to esrange and
divide us into imaginary adverse nterests' What
real interests are there, sir, of the South opposed
| the North, or of the North opposed to the South,
worthy to excite leaouses and array us in hostility
among ourselyesi Sir in all this debate have heard
but In the midst of the lameutabe efforts here
calculated to arouse and exaspera,e sectional preju
dices, against which the father of his country warned
US so ardently in his parting benedicton, ground
of diversity Of interests has been named except the
imputed hostility of the South to the protection of do
nestle manufactures. Is this not question which
opinion differs at the North and the South the East
and the West, and on which political parties over the
whole country more or less divide But let me ask
10 what State has the cause of protection been
Uniformly sustained than in Louisiana Texas is her