The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-26
THE ADMINIST GRAFTON
AND SLAVERY. ~.

pronchinU when the continuance Of slavery IN
our land will be the great question which
the lines of political parties VIII DO drawn ~
large minority fthe South and portion otthe
North will be ranged on the one side in support
ofthis system, while majority of the North
and portion of the South will range on the
other side in opposition tot. This, in fact, is
the state of public feeling at the present time,
but the influence of old political party train
ing is such as to prevent its Development
The settled and determined opposition to
slavery is deepening and widening at the
north each succeeding year. result which is
hastened by the ultra measures oi'the South in
their uncompromising hostility to northern
interests, and sooner or later this prevailing
public sentiment will be expressed in its full
extent and the two great leading parties will be
named, what they now are, in fact, the slavery
and the antislnvery parties. The RESPONSE
bilty of this result must rest on the South, as
she has provoked the north to take this ground
! by insisting upon the adoption of slavery
measures rs the national policy
| A glance at the political movements of the
] last lew yours, VIII htt'iililHN VIZ '''AN
of this position, and show that the leading
measures of the present administration, viz;
HE AnneratiOno Of T'craS, the destruction Of the
Protcchee Tariff, ANIL The Var 'oiM Herieo, are
designed to support and extent the system OF
slavery, and to oppose and crush the interests
ofthe North.
For n long period the representation in Con-
gress from the slave holding and non-savc-
holding States, has been equally divided in the
Senate and nearly so in the House of Repre-
sentativcs. But while the free states, under
the operation of institutions securing to each
Individual in society a full reward for his la
Dor, and an equal protection of his rights, were
advancing with rapid strides in population,
wealth and general prosperity, the slave states
were gradually sinking down under the incu-
bus of their peculiar institutions. Slavery had
! become an ntolcrable burden to the northern
slave states and was only continued for the
purpose ola traffic of the most revolving char
acter But the market for flesh and blood was
nearly glutted, and new one must be opened
or the business would cease, and then Ken
lucky, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia
would become free states and the balance of
power would be yielded to the north. Long
and labored were the efforts of the south TO
maintain its ascenduncy, and while the north
by a system of Just protection to free industry
was making constant advances, her progress
was regarded by the South with narrow jenl-
ousy and the absurd and erroneous sentiment
pre- vailed that the north could not flourish eX
ce pit at the expense of the south Under this
impression it became the settled policy of the
south to extend their influence and TO break
down the protective policv,-thc destruction
of which could only be accomplished by in
creasng the slave representation in Congress.
To effect this purpose scheme was devised,
the bare suggestion of which was received
with just alarm by all parties at the north, and
meetings of the inhabitants without distinction
of party were held in hundreds of towns dep
recating in the strongest terms the plan pro-
poscd. II was this;
Mexico had freed hcrsclffiom the curse of
slavery. One province of that republic, Tex
as, had been settled for the most part with en-
grants from she Southern States who were
determined to carry with them this darling in
stitution From this resulted n quarrel be-
tween that province and the parent state, and
lin the end Texas declared hersclfindependent
and was so recognized by this Government,
though Mexico did not relinquish her claim
to the territory. Loaded with debt and ex-
posed to an intcrmnable war with the parent
state, she applied for admission TO our nnion,
and the southern states, well aware Of the pre-
ponderance they should thereby acquire in the
national counsels, and the market which
would be opened for the encouragement of
slave breeding in the northern states, eagerly
advocated the proposed alliance. A President
was chosen for the avowed purpose of con-
summating the nuptials, and it constituted one
of the first measures of his administrations
Texas was annexed and admitted a state of
the union, thus giving the slave interest pro
ponderatng influence in Congress, a poTve
which has already been welded for the &c
structon of our system of protection TO do
nestle industry, under the operation OF whicl
our country was moving on in the full tide o
nexampled prosperity, extending to every col
dition and class in society. The farmer, tn
mechanic, the laborer, are thus ma de to boy
beneath the gigantic arm of snv cry, and thei
interests must be sacrificed at the shrine of al
unhnllowcd institution, which is, at war allS
with the plaincst principles of morality, tn
spirit of our free and beloved institutions, an
the best interests ofou country
The next prominent measure of the Admin
istration-viz: the war With Mexico-origina
ted in the annexation of Texas. Regardin
that province as under her just control and n
a part of her domain, she could not view tn