Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-12-11

commercial and navigating interests. 10
Mexico, which can never be great maritime
Power, it can never be Of much Advantage
II we can obtain i, by fair purchase with just
equivalent, | should be happy to see it 80 &C |
quired. As, whenever the war cases, Mexico
ough, to be required to pay the dept due our
citizens, perhaps an equivalent for that Bay
may be found in that debt, our Government as. |
suming to pay TO our citizens whatever portion
Of i, may be applied to that object, Blu. it
should form no motive in the 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
of the war? If the published documents in re-
laion to The late negotiations between Mr..
Trist and the Mexican Commi ssioners be true,
and have not seen them any where contradc.
ted, Executive properly waived any demand OF
indemnity for the expenses Of the war. And
the rupture Of that negotiation was produced,
by our government insisting upon cesslon
from Mexico, of the strip Of mostly barren land
between the Nueces and The Rio Bravo and
New Mexico, which Mexico refused 10 make.
So that we are DOW fighting, if not for the con-
quest Of all Mexico, as intmated in some quar-
ters, for that narrow strip and for Tho barren
Province Of New Mexico, with lis few miseru-
Bile mines. We bought all the Province Of
Louisiana for Sl5,O00,000, and it is, in my
opinion, worth more than all Mexico together
We bought Florida for $5,000O0O and a hard
bargain it was, since, besides that sum, we gave
up the boundary Of the Rio Bravo, to which |
think we we're entitled, as the Western limit Of
the Province Of Louisiana, and were restricted
10 that Of the Sabine. And we are now, if not
seeking the conquest Of all Mexico, to continue
~ loen ,,,t., tho ilar apt,
jects to which have jus, referred.
But, it will be repeated, are we to have no in.
demnity for the expenses Of the war? Mexico
is utterly unable to make US any pecuuiary in
demn,y, if the justice Of the war on our par,
entitled us to demand il. Her country has
been laid waste, her cities burned or occupied
by our troops, her means so exhausl led that she
is unable to pay even her own armies. And
every days prosecution Of the war, whilst it
would augment the amount Of our indemnify,
would lessen the ability Of Mexico to pay it,
We have seen, however, that there is another
form in which wo are to demand indemnity
1t is to be territorial indemnity! | hope, for
reasons already stated, that that fire-brand will
not be brought into our country.
Amoug the resolutions, which it is my inten
ton to present for your consideration, at the
conclusion Of this address, one proposes, in
your behalf and mine, to disavaw, in the most
positive manner, any desire, on our part, to ac>
qure any foreign territory whatever, for the
purpose Of Introducing slavery into it, do
no, know that any citizen Of the United States
enerlains such wish. But such a motive has
been often imputed TO the slave States, and
therefore think it necessary TO notice it on this
occasion. My opinions on the subjsc. of slavery
are well known. They have the merit, if it be
one, Of consistency, uniformity, and long duru-
ton. have ever regarded slavery as great
evil, wrong, for the present, fear, an lrrem-
ediab'e wrong to its unfortunate victims.
should rtjoice if no, single slave breathed the
air or was within the limits Of our county,
But here they are, 10 be dealt with as we'll as
we can, al'h due consideration Of all circum>
stances affecting the security, safety and han-
pness Of Doth 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 outnum6er the whites, as is
the case with several, the blacks could not be
emaucipated and invested with all the rights Of
treemen, without becoming the governing race
in those States. Collisions and conflicts, be.
tween the two races, would be inevitable, add,
after shocking scenes Of rapine and carnage,
the extinction or expulsion of the blacks would
certainly take place, In the State of Kentucky,
near fly years ago, thought the proportion
OF slaves, IN comparison with the whites, was
so inconsderabe that we might safely adop,
sys,e of gradual emancipation that would ul-
tlnlately eradicate this evil in our State. That
system was totally different from the mmed-
ate abolition of slavery for which the party Of
the Abolionsts of the present day contend -
Whether they have intended it or not, it is my
calm and deliberate belief, that they have done
incaculable mischief even to the very cause
which they have espoused, to say nothing Of
the discord 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 borne subsequent to
specified day, were 10 become free at the age
OF 20, and, during their service, were to be
taught 10 read, write and cypher. Thus, in
Stead oil being thrown upon Inc community, ig
norant and uDpiepared, as would be the case
by immediate emancipation, they would have
entered upon the possession of their freedom
capable, in some degree, of enjoying it. After
hard struggle, the system was defeated, and
regret It extremely, as, If it had been adopt
ed, our state would be now nearly rid Of tina,
reProach.
Since the epoch, scheme of unmixed benev-
olence has sprung up, which, if it had existed at
that time, would have obyated one OF the great
est objections, which was made to gradual
emancipation, which was the continuance of the
emanclpated slaves to abide among US. That
scheme is the American Colonization Society
About % years ago, few individuals, my sci
among them, met together IN the city OF Wash.
ington, and laid the foundations of that society.
IL h.p, -.