Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-01-21

IN u. >. L0uSe OF IL PreSehtdtlUes, jan. 4, lS4|,
ON THE TWO MILLION BILL. |
NlR. PREsroN KING asked leave TO make person
al explanations leave being unanimously given, Mr..
King sud:
Mr. Speaker.-I find in the Union of this morning
paragraph abiding, presume, to bill which yes
terday asked leave to introduce, The Editor of the
Union it is very evident mistakes the purpose OF the
bill desire briefly to state the reasons and opinions
which induced me to propose the measure; and that
may not be misunderstood, have written what pro
pose to say. Sir IN proposing to introduce that bill,
had intention to interfere with or to anticipate the
action of the Standing Committee from which it came
to the House at the last session; but governed
solely by the desire to bring the subjects presented
by the provisions of the BILL to the early consideration
and action of the House The bill embraces two prn-
cipal features one placing an amount of money att
the discretion of the President to be used in negota
ting peace with Mexico, if an opportunity shall oc-
cur when the President should deem it proper to use
this money in negotiating treaty Of peace; the other,
excluding Slavery from any territory whichthe United
States may hereafter acquire being the provision offer
ed by the honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania,
Mr. Wilmot, and adopted on the part Of this peace
measure by tie House Of Representatives in August
last. will frankly say, that if had not supposed
that there was disposition in some quarters silently
to give the free principle of the Wilmot proposition
the go-by and by smothenng and avoiding action upon
at the expense of free territory should not at this
time have brought forward this bill. The President
recommended, and reiterates his recommendation, OF
law granting the two millions If complied with, with
the Wilmot provso, would cheerfuy grant the mon
ey But would have the free principle Of the Will
mot provso enacted into law, whether this bill pass
or not The time has come when this republic should
declare by law til at It will not be made an instrument
for the extension of slavery the continent Of Amer
ica-that the boundaries Institutions and principles of
our Republic must and will extend, there can be no
doubt. The present var with Mexico must result in
extension of the territory of the United States.
peace honorable TO this country cannot be concluded
without indemnity from Mexico in territory. 1t is
whispered that will not do to propose a law that any
such territory should be free territory because South
ern Administration will take no territory unless it shall
be so arranged that the territory shall be open to Sa
very. will not listen to or harbor 50 monstrous
idea; every inch Of Texas was yielded to Slavery.
know that it reluctantly yielded TO the posscRsioH
of Slavery by many who supposed the acquisition of
Texas might be haz1rdcd by any dissenson about the
terms strenuously insisted upon by the Representa-
tyes ohe Slave States but with Texas the extension
Of Slavery, it supposed would stop It was hoped
the South would not desire to carry it where it does
not exist Is this so? The two millions are distinctly
urgently, and repeatedly recommendedby the Pres-
dent to be appropriated. There is no other purpose
for which this appropriation can be vented except in
connection with cesson of territory by Mexico. Mox
leo already owes us unpaid indemnites for acknow-
edged and adudcated spoilatons of our commerce.
repeat, we must have territory from Mexico and there
be no harm or improperly in stating what crcum-
Stances and every action of our Government proclaim
to the world as clearly and as unerringy as words
could do. Shall the territory now free which shall
come to our jurisdiction be free territory open to set
tlcmont by the laboring man Of the free States or shall
it be slave territory given up to slave labor? One or
the other it must be; it cannot be BOTH The labor of
the free white men and women, and of their children
cannot and will not eat and drink, and lie down. and
rise up with the black labor Of slaves free white la
Dor will not be degraded by such associations Ifslave
ry is no excluded by law, the presence OF the slave will
exclude the laboring white man. The young men who
went with their axes into the forests and heved out
of the wilderness such states Ohio, and Inana and
Michigan, and Illinois, and Iowa, and Wisconsin, would
never have consented in the workshops or in the field
to BIO coupled with negro slaves. These powerful COM
monwealths have sprung up in the great west within
the memory of single generation, free, popuous and
Furnishing by the wisdom of the legislation ofthc men
OF the Revolution. One act Of this Government did
for them than all other acts of legislation 1t was
the ordinance of July, l707 by which slavery and in
voluntary scyiude, except for crime, forever pro-
hlbed in all the territory Of the United States north
and west OF the Ohio river. The brave and patriotic
generation who achieved our independence and estab-
shed the republic, did MT hesitate about passing such
an act They thus saved these now popuous and pow
erful States from the evils of slavery and black pop
ulaton Shall we hesitate TO do the same thing forI
territory where slavery does not now exist? trust
not The man who has wealth or credit to purchase
plantation and become the owner of slaves NAV settle
and reside without social degradation in country
where slavery exists. Not so with the laborinrI
white man. He cannot 60 without social degra.
daton, and he therefore will not 90 He is excluded
quite as eiiecluay as he could be by law The nereI
presence of slavery, wherever it exists degrades the
condition, the responsibility the character Of labor. Al
false and mschievous public opinion regarding the con-
ditlon and responsibility of labor is produced bv its
presence and false and recreant to his race and to his
constituency would be any representative free white
men and women, who should, by his vote, place free
white labor upon condition of social equality with the
labor Of the black slave; equally false would he be
who, upon any pretence should by nacton and eva
sion of the question produce the same degrading re-
suit The measure which had the honor to propose
presented this subject to the House. | cannot and off
course do not claim any originality in the principles oil
the OIL, one feature of which comes from the earnest
Recommendation of the President in his special Mes
sage 10 Congress Of the last session. the other from the
motion OF my friend from PENNSYLVANIA IMr WuMoTl II
and the adoption of his proposition by The House wbenl
the Dill was considered and passed. The bill is apaiu
IN the annual message of the President at the ope5np
OF the present session. strongly recommended to the &
Vorable attention Of Congress, The history of the