Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-02-12

the religious newspaper referred to, the editor OF the
Executive organ, the editor of the Savannah Republ-
can, and the member from Virginia. are too late IN en-
tering upon their work. | feel no apprehension OF
dlnger from their shafts. They do rot possess the
bower necessary to hurl them with sufficient force to
reach me; and my object in thus OBTAINING the House.
IS to call public attention to Of the parties com
bned together for the purpose of oyerawing members
of this House. and to prevent them from discharge
of their official duty, Sir, trust in God there ma
ny members of both political parties who ere long will
hur defiance at such combinations, and who will put
forth their utmost power TO redeem this House and the
country from the supercious control Of a slayehodng
faction.
Mr. BEDINGER rose and said was not aware,
when made the remarks the other day to which the
gentleman from Ohio has alluded, that he was not IN
his seat 1t is well known to those who are well &C
quainted with me, that do not see very well without
my glasses and did not wear them when | spoke;
when first rose thought he was in his seat and
still think he was at that moments but take this OPP
portunity to say that the words would have been
uttered by me had been sure he was in his seat. As
to the gentlemans not desiring any controversy with
me, can say from the bottom of my heart, that have
quite as little desire to have any thing like contro
yersy with him. Though my be amb itious have
no ambition of that sort which would lead me to tilt
with windmills
regret, not that my remarks we're made, but that
they may have aided that gentloman in the smallest
degree, to obtain that notoriety which to be his
whole object here.
The following is the speech of Mr.. Giddmgs, which
gave rise to the foregoing proceedings:-
Mr.. Giddngs said that, owing to the difficulty which
he had experienced heretofore in obtaining the floor,
he was induced o0yail himself Of lis present position
to Indicate the considerations that would govern him
in voting for the resolution reported from the Commit
Eovoi,,u Af,., / is dino tn unVSnlf (Soid Mr.
g. say, that ina former Congress- was opposed to
terminating the joint occupancy Of Oregon. That
vote was given under the circumstances which then
surrounded US Now we are placed in a totally diff
ferent position. Since this subject before us our
Union has been changed in its essential elements, and
its fundamental principles have been overhrown. The
Union founded by our fathers has been subverted and
4 new saveholdng Contcdcracy has been formed, Civ
ing to the Southern portion the balance of power and
subiecting the free labor of the North, the dearest
rights of the free States to the tender mercies Of a
saveholding oigarchy. They now have the entire di-
rection Of the Government The people of the free
States have been politically bound hand and foot and
delivered to the saveholdng interest, and it is
now worse than mockory to talk Of maintaining the
manufacturing interests of Pennsylvania or of New
England. They are now under the memorable power
of the South.
This, then, is our situation as VIC are all perfectly
conscious. The nation has been plunged without my
aid into this condition, but against my will | have
believed, and still believe that this policy of acquiring
territory must inevitably, if carried out subvert the
government and dissolve the Union.
Mr.. Chapman called Mr. G. to order, and was under
stood to say that to speak of the dissolution of the
Union was irrelevant, and was throwing frebrand
into the House.
Mr.. Giddings proceeded. | was stating our present
situation, and the liability of this new Union to fall
asunder from its weight when this system Of cx-
tension shall be carried out And it is under these
circumstances that am called to express my opinion
of the proposed policy. | am led to the conclusion,
that war, with all its horrors and its devastation of pub
lie morals, is infinitely preferable to supne, inactive
submission to the slavehodng power that is to control
this nation, if left in its present situation.
wish to be distinctly understood that have seen
enough of war to form opinion Of its msories, and
the extent of its course. Yet, Sir, | greatly prefer
them for fewyears, to the quiet apathy which has
already subjected us to "a change Of the Government
formed by our fathers.
Here will take occasion to say, that differ from
my venerable friend from Mass to the probability of
war. am of opinion that if we take the whole OF
Oregon, it will produce | say this although |
have heretofore in nine out of ten found myself
mistaken when have differed from that venerable
statesman. The consequences of war have not es-
capped my consideration.
1t must inevitably produce great destruction to the
say to the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr.. Win
throp who tue other day made so eloquent an appeal
in favor nf peace and who represents the commercial
interests Of that State, that fully appreciate his mo
tivcs and feelings But Sir, this situation is one of his
own choice. lie among the first distinguished
men Of that State who gave in his adherence to the
change of Government, and the leading commercial
men of Boston were the first in that State to declare
their submission to this slaveholdng concdera-
ton with Texas This was done with full knowl-
edge of the policy which had been adopted Of extend
inc our territory. That State had dcclaredher people
under no obligation to unite with Texas in conse-
quence of any action of Congress | then held, and
still hold, the action of this Government imposed no
obligation upon my State either political or moral to
enter into this new Confederacy. No, Sir, if she
comes into it, as she will it will be the choice of our
people, and not from any obligation resting upon her
by reason of the joint resolutions of Congress- And
if my colleagues coincide with in opinion, no Rep
resentatve from Ohio would retain seat in this Hall
beside those of Texas upon such terms have been
imposed upon u.s. But the gentleman from Nlassachu-
sets voluntarily preferred to have his State become
party to this union. hope the people of that old
Commonwealth did not intend, in going into it, to stop
this policy of adding territory to our present Conled
eracy. They could not have desired to remain under
the despotic sway of the Slave power. They must
have expected that the balance of powe to be re-
stored by the addition Of territory at the North to coun
terbalance Texas. They ought not now TO oppose the
remaining of those rights which have been voluntarily
surrendered by the North. And this destruction Of
their wealth will be merely the legitimate consequence
of their submission to the proposed policy But Sir
the manufactures of New England and New York
and Pennsylvania, will be promoted by war. The ag
rcuural interests of the West will not be likely &c
suffer- Indeed, our principal burden will not be the
defence of ourselves, or the taking of Canada; but
the protection of the South-the weak helpless, slave
South THAT norton If the Union muSt Slf
fer most | have seen the horror manifested by south
tern papers, The cotton interest, say they, must o
course suffer. Slave labor will be rendered worthless
and slave property deprecated. True; but hspoicy
of adding territory to our original Government is the
offspring of the South. They have forced it upon the
Northern Democracy. The objects of the South arc
now answered. Texas is admitted. They have at
tanned their Interior Designs and they now require the
party to stop Short to face about and leave the powe
of the nation in their hands, They now see before
them the black regiments of the West India Island;
landed upon their shores They now call to mind the