Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-12-09
VERMONT wATcHNlAN & STATE JOURNAL

| QUESTION OF the Bay of San Francisco in Uppe
California. To us, as great maratme power
1t might prove to be of advantage hereafter il
respect to our commercial and navigating inter
est. To Mexico, which can never be n grea
maratlme power, It can never be of much advan
tage 1t we can obtain it by fair purchase, will
Just equivalent, ! should be happy to see it Sc
acquired. AS whenever the war ceases, Mexi
CO ought TO be required to pay the debts due gu
citizens, perhaps an equivalent for that Bay may
be found in that debt, our government assuming
TO pay our citizens whatever portion of il may b,
applied TO that object But it should form nc
motive in tho prosecution of the war, which
would not continue a solitary hour for the sake
of that harbor.
But what, it will be asked, shall we make
peace without any indemnity for the expenses o.
the war? II the published documents in rela
ton to the late negotiations between Mr.. Iris
and the Mexican Commissioners be true, and |
have not seen them anywhere coDlradicted, the
| Executive properly waived any indemnity for the
expenses of the war. And the rupture of that
negotiation was produced by our government in
sistlng upon cession FROM Mexico, of the striT
of mostly barren land between the Nueces and
the Rio Bravo Rivers and New Mexico
| which Mexico refused TO make. So that VIC
are now fighting, if not for the conquest Of al
Mexico, as intimated in some quarters, for that
narrow strip, and for the barren province ofNow
Mexico, with its few miserable mines.
We Bought I'll the province of Louisiana for
! fifteen millions of dollars, aud it is in my opin.
| ion, worth more than all Mexico together We
bought Florida at five millions of dollars, aud a
hard bargain 1t was, since, besides that sum, we
gave up the boundary Of the Rio Bravo, TO which
think we were entitled, as the western limits
OF the province of Louisiana, and were restrict.
ed to that of the Sabine. And we are now, il
not seeking the conquest of all Mexico, to con-
tlnue this war Indefinitely for the inconsidcrable
objects to which have Just referred.
But 1t will be repeated are we TO have no in
demnily for the expenses of the war? Mexico
IS utterly unable to make us any pecuniary in.
demnlty, If the justice of this war on our part en-
titled lis 10 demand it. Her country has been
lad waste, her cities burned or occupied by our
troops, her means so exhausted that she is una.
bic 10 pay even her own armies And every
days prosecution of the war, whilst it would aug.
ment the amount of our indemnity, would lessen
The ability OF Mexico to pay it. We have seen
however that there is another form in which we
can demand indemnity. 1t is to be territorial in
dernnity. hope, for reasons already stated. that
that fire-brand will not be brought into our coun-
try.
Among the resolutions, which il is nv inten.
tloh to present for your consideration at the con
cIuson OF this address, one proposes, in your be-
halt and mine, to disavow, IN the most posilye
manner, any desire, on our part, to ucuuire any
foreign territory whatever, for the purpose of in
Producing slavery into it,. ! do not know that
any citizen Of the United States entertains such
wish. But such motive has often been i'm
puted 10 the slave States, and therefore think
1t necessary to notice i: on this occasion. NV
opinions on the subject Of slavery are well known.
They have the merit, if it be one, of consistency,
uniformity, and long Duration have ever rerard-
ed slavery as great evil, a wrony for The pres
ent, fear, an irredeemable wrong to its unfcr
tunate victims.
should rejoice if not single slave breathed
the air, or was within the limits of our country
But here they are, to be dealt with as well as
we can, WI h a due consideration of all crcum-
stances affecting the security, safety and happi.
ness of both races. Every State has the SUI
preme, uncontrolled and exclusive power to de-
eide for itself whether slavery shall cease or
continue within its limits, without any exterior
Intervention from any quarter. In States where
the slaves outnumber the whites, as is the case
with several, the blacks could not DE emancpa-
ted and invested with all the rights of freemcn
without becoming the governing race in those
States. Collisions and conflicts between the
two races wobld be inevitable, and after shock
ing scenes Of rapine and carnage the extinction
or expulsion Of the blacks would certainly take
place. In the State of Kentucky, near fifty
years ago, thought the proportion of slaves, in
comparison with the whites, was so inconsidera.
Bile that we might safely adopt a system of grad
ual mancpaton that would ultimately eradi-
cate this evil in our State That system was to
tally different from the immediate abolition OF
slavery for which the party OF the aboIition;sts
of the present day contend. Whether they
have intended or not, it is my calm and delibe-
rate belief that they have done incalculable mis-
chief even to the very cause which they espous-
ed, to say nothing of the dscord which has been
produced between different parts of the Union
According to the system we attempted near the
close OF the last century, all slaves in being
were to remain such, but all who might be born
subsequent to a specified day, were to become free
at the age of twenty eight, and during their SER
vice were to be taught to read, write and CIPHER
Thus, instead of being thrownupon the commu-
nifty, ignorant and unprepared, as would be the
case by immediate emancipation, they would
have entered upon the possession of their free
dom, capable, in some degree, of enjoying it,
After hard struggle, the system was defeated
and | regret it exceedingly, as, if it had then
been adopted, our State would be nearly rid of
that reproach.
Since that epoch scheme of unmixed be.
nevoence has sprung up which, if it had exis-
ted at that time, would have obviated one of the
greatest objections which was made to gradual
emancipation, which was the continuance of the
emancipated Slaves to abide among us. That
scheme is the American Colonization Society,"
About twenty eight years ago, few Individuals
myself among them, met together in the city of
Washington, and laid the foundation of that So.
ciety. II has gone on amidst extraordinary diff
fculties and trials, sustaining itself almost en-
iirey by spontaneous and voluntary contribu-
tons, from individual benevolencc, without
scarcely any aid from government. The Colo
mics, planted under its auspices, are now well
established communities, with churches, schools,
and other institutions appertaining to the civil
lied state They have made successful war in
repelhng attacks and invasions by their barba-
rous and savage neighbors. They have made
treaties, annexed territories 10 their dominion
and ere blessed with free representative gov
eminent.
recently read a message from one of their
Governors to their Legislature, which, in point
OF composition, and IN careful attention to the
public affairs of their republic, would compare
advantagoously with the messages of the Cover.
nors Of our own States. am not very super-
stltous, but do sOlemny believe that these col
ONES are blessed with the smiles of Providence
and, II we may dare attempt penetrating the veil
by which he conceals his all-wse dispensations
from mortal eyes, that he designs that Africa
shall be the refuge and the home OF the descen.
dants OF It's sons and daughters, torn and dragged
from their native land, by lawless violence
1t IS phllanthropc aud consollng reflection
HAT ln lans lf..., Il. Il