The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-03-11

J, the Nueces, but along the course pointed O.
d by the honorable chairman OF the ConmittC
is OF Foreign Affairs, (Alr &. j. l. gerso!l,) on
d former occasion, when he said: " TIE Stupci
Q d0Us deserts betUeen the Nuece5 Gad tic Il
II Granite riecrS are The natural boundaries b
= t,ceen He.4ngio- Sar0n aid tie Mauritania
+ races. There ends tie Oatiey ofMc Vest
:, There MEXICO begins. Willie peace IS cherjsj
/ ed, MGt b0Und4Iy WW be Sacred Not TIL ii
1 spirit Of conquest RACES, acW tie people on ell
J er side modest or mic aCHh eacA Other." ID
5 this; be just to yourvlyes and just to Mexico
) and have little doubt that peace will be re
stored, and the national honor saved from re
proach. But, unhappiiy, and doubtless mucl
sooner than the honorable chairman, at TIL
time ne uttered this language, anticipated, thu
spirit of conquest now RACES" and opens be
fore us, in reference to the termination OF th(
war, only a dark aud uncertain future, Tho
end whereof no man can toresee. The, ''Stll
small voice" OF reason and humanity is a!mos
UNDECIDED amidst the clangor OF arms. The
! blessings OF peace may be restored TO oul
country, when, and not till when, the spirit
Of conquest shall be abandoned and when
the demonic idea OF vindicatng representing
the national honor, by committing national
robbery upon u feeble neighbonng sister Re.
public, shall be forever discarded.
Mr. Chairman, my opposition to taking any
territory from Mexico arises, not more from
the consideration Of its injustice to her, than
because believe it would prove Il curse, and
not q blessing to our own country. And this
after all, is the paramount and all-important
consideration growing out OF the whole ques,
ton Of the Mexican war. However Just YOU
may claim the war with her to be, AID how
ever Just that in any peaceful arrangement
she should indemnify us for its expenses, in
whole or in part, it would be infinitely better
for us to yield it all. than to receive us an in
demnity that which in reality would prove to
be bane to US What id!otic madness, then,
is it to wage war for the conquest OF poss-
essons which if granted to us peacefully and
gratuitously, would forever rest upon the heart
of this nation like the incubus OF death. The
ACQUISITION of territory from Mexico, upon
whatever terms, Of peace or twar, would for
ever be a source of contention and strife with
us, if not. sooner or later fatal to the intcYri-
ty of the Union itself This Hall has already
witnessed the lorcbodngs oftho5e vils,which
are sure to come Of the accession Of new ter
ritory, in the excited discussion and wrangiing
which has arisen in relation to the division OF
the expected acquisitions. You are despoii-
ing neighboring Republic OF its possessions,
and yet, before the prize is in your grasp,
while you are yet in hot pursuit, and painting
in the chase, you are warning among YOUR
selves about the ultimate condition upon
which your anticipated conguests shall be in
eorporatcd into this Government, and the
pledge upon either side is nothing less than Il
dissolution of the Union. You are rushing
headong and bndto!d upon appalling dan
yerS, before which the stout heart shrinks, |
md brave men turn pale. You are rekin-
lling the slumbcring fires Of a volcano, which, |
whenever they shall burst forth, will consume
all the plain Heaven torefend chat the hap |
pness and the hopes of twenty millions Of
rccmen shall be made the sport and the sac
,itice OF a miserable ambition for territorial |
The only gH,ranty OF our
safety and salvation -, to keep the ship Of
state from Ihe rock upon VIII h our unskiiul
lot, "ss f..t diving it. Take no territory
rom Mexico, either by treaty or by conquest
mi you will have no strife about the condi
ions of its annexation.
Sir I am opposed to taking one foot Of ter
'itory from Mexico, either by force or by |
or upon any condition, whether bond |
" free, with slavery or without slavery And
ct me warn the people of the North not to
deceive themselves, nor be deceived, with WI
lea that the territory VIC may acquire from
Mexico wild remain free territory And let
ne tell thcm in all trAnInesS, that let us at
ach what conditions We may to lis arqulsi-
ion, incorporate into these preliminary acts
IS many Wilmot provisos' rs we please.
hey will be OF no practical avail in the end
md will not be regarded or treated rs OF any
finding obi CATION upon future legislative or
reaty action upon the subject. And let me
ell them, furthermore, that, with the FeXa,
essen before them, the only guarantee upon
which they can rely against the indefinite eX-
ension OF slave territory is to take none at all.
This new and strange horror of the extension
II slavery, which has SO Suddenly come over
certain portion Of the northern Democracy
lpon this floor, is to say the least Of it, in sin