Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-01
Snoach nf Nj. Uplam 0i Vermont,

Three Millions to bring the war with Mexico TO
a speedy and honorable conclusion, beng uhaef
consideration
Mr. Upham proposed an amendment, to come
in as a second section, as llows
SEC >. 4ni be il further enacted, That there shall
be neither slavery involuntary servude i'll any ter
ritory which snail hereafter be a. Qured or be annexed
to the United States otherwise than in the punishment
of crimes whereof the party shall hive been duly
victed ProUdei Arrays, Tint any person escaping
into the same, from whom labor OF service is lawfully
claimed in any one of the United States such fugitive
may be llwfuly reclaimed and conveyed ont of said
territory to the person claiming his or her labor or SER
vice"
Mr.. Uphlm sustained his amendment in sub
stance as follows;
twill be re3oected, Mr.. President, thot, some
weeks ago, hld the honor of presenting to the
Sanate series of resolutions, passed by the Lee
gisllture of Vermont, upon the subject Of slave
nv and the Mexican war. They arc in the words
following
"Whereas in our judgment, the existing war with
Mexico not founded in any imperative necessity,
such as may Justify or Christian ltlon for re-
sorting to arms, and has now mmiieSy become an
off, nsye against a neiEhborng republic; and
whereas we have lust grounds for ancp Itng that the
Territory which hls been or nIy be occupied or con-
UlSGI VIII utttfS oIlNt tel llIN, Ulu u9 9'iI 'i
admission TO Aa Union aud whereas its admission
such, AMI with mixed population, degraded by igno
rance and superstition, AMI allied to lis neither in inter
csts, character nos language, will enjanger the hlr-
mony, wrf,re, and pcrpetuity of the Unon Therefore,
"B3 ii rcso'ucib by the S"l1ic IN! House of Repre-
sntltpeS, Tint the honor and best interests Of the ma
ton will be subserved by speedy end OF the war with
Mexico and a setemen; Ui oil matters IN dispute by
arbitration or negotiation.
RpcnIvaJ fThaf Nprnont will no rvn
nance, aid, ASSENT to the admission into the Federal
Unnn OF any new State whose constitution tolerates
slavery and does hereby appeal to each OF her SISTER
States to concur in It's name, in this declaration
ReSo'Ded, That the Senators and Representatives
in Congress from Vermont will conform to the hearty
wishes Of their constituents, by earnestly supporting
the principles set forth IN the foregoing preamble and
resolutions aud in using all other Just, clfactual and
constitutional means to avert the tremendous evils Of
slavery, and resist its entertainments upon the rights
AMI interests Of the non-slaveholdng States.
"R8oueL That his Exceloncy the Governor be re-
guesteG to forward copy of these resolutions to the
Governor Of each State in the Union and to Sent
tors and Representatives in Congress- under the seal
Of the State, and with his signature Of approval.
"ApmoyeJ, .NJDembr 3 1916.
"uORACE EATON, y. $
These resolutions, sir, express the views Of the
people Of Vermont upon the subject Of slavery
ain TIC tAiSlll4 w u WIN NiCNlCD dllU lti lilC
purpose of Guarding glnst the dmgers appre-
hended by them, if Mexican territory should be
acquired by the United Suites, have deemed
it my duty to movc this amendment in the form
of a second section to the bill Vermont sir,
does not stand alone in her opposition to the ac-
QUESTION Of foreign territory to be crclted into
ave Sites, and, as such, admitted into Union.
No, sir seven other sovereign St1tes hive spok-
en- out upon the subject and announced their
determination t. oppose the further increase Of
slave States These proceedings Of the sove-
reign States have bceA yden0uAced with gre 1t
vehemencc by the honorable Senator from South
Carcln1, MIR. BUTLER, as aggressive upon
southern rlghts-lnd, anticipating an amend
ment ofthe Character have introduced, he de-
nounced it as unconstitutional, unjust, and in
sulting to the South Sir, wherein are these
resolutions aggressive upon southern rights .
Do they propose to interfere with slavery in
the States No, sir not at all, They make no
allusion to the domestic institutions of the South
They refer to foreign country where slavery
does not exist and insist thlt if it shall be ac-
qulred by the United States, it shall remain as it
now is, free. But, sir, the amendment | have
introduced has been denounced as unconstim-
tlonll, unjust, and insulting the South, Sir,
with what clusc in the Constitution does this a.
meadmcat come in conflict The power " to
dispose of and m Ike all naedfll rules and re-
gal ttlons respecting the territory or ether pre-
petty belony ing to the United States" is express
ly conferred upon Congress,
But the honorable S2nlt~r fam South Caro-
lima says this amendment, if adopted, will ex-
cludc the people Of the Si4yehcdng States from
10 Lo;. -l,.
with them--and therefore it is unconstitutional
Sir, this amendment does net exclude slue-
holder or his sllyes from the country. He hls
full liberty to 90 there with his slaves, but they
will cclse to be property, and become men,
They will stand up in the image Of their Maker,
clothed with all the rights that belong to mqn-
hood But, sir, this is not a new question in
the act OF Congress providing for the admission
OF Missouri into the Union, there is an express
clause, ''that in all the territory cedcd by France
10 the United States under the n1me Of Lou
lslana, which lies ncrth Of So 49, north at-
tude, net included within the limits fthc State
OF Missouri slavery and involuntary seryitude
otherwise than in the punishment of crimes
whereof the parties shall have been duly cen
vcted, shall be and is hereby forever prohibit
ed"
The question whether Congress possessed a
constitutional authority to impose such restric-
ton, upon the ground that the prescribing Of
such condition is Inconsistent with the sever
eighty eff the State to be admitted, and its eou2l-
lty with the ether States, was hugely discussed.
and the result Of the vote established the author
ity of Congress to impose such restriction. An
objection, of a similar character says Judge
Story was taken to the compact between Viz
gini1 and Kentucky, upon the ground that it was
a restriction upon State sovereignty But the
Supreme Court had rs hesitation in overriding
IT, considering it as opposed by the theory CT all
free governments, and especially of these which
constitute the American republics.
Sir, it is too late, after the solemn decision Ct
Congress and the Supreme Court upon this ques.
ton, to dispute the authority Of Congress to pro.
hibit slavery in any or all the territories belong
ing to the United States But this amendment
the honorable Senator slys, is an insult to the
Smth Sir | c1nnot conceivn bow - MN h,