The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-10-16
Vol. II. No. 19. Whole No. 533.

as that of the old thirteen, but five new States
should be made. They would have, at the
beginning,ive members ofthe House ofRep-
resentatives, but they would have ten Sena-
tors-shal say Southern Senators-in Com
gross. Does not every body see that this en-
tirey breaks up all the Intended proportion
in our system ofgovernment? What calcu-
IatiOn can be mnde III any thing connected
with the hope of its perpetuity, under such q
state Of things?
Sir, men there are whom we see, and
whom we hear speak of the duty of eXtcnd+
ing our free institutions over the whole world
if possible. We owe it 10 benevolence, they
think, to confer the blessings we enjoy, on
every other people. But while / trust Hat
liberty and free civil institutions, as we havo
experienced them, may ultimately spread o.
vor the globe, am by no means sure that all
people are fit for them; nor am DESTROYS Of
imposing, or forcing, our peculiar forms, up
on any nation that does not wish to embrace
them. When people are fit for free institu
tions,o sell government, they vii! seek them
and have them, in some form on other, per-
haps different, and better for Them than those
of our own country. But you canuot make
treemen ont Of persons unaccustomed 10 self
government, and ignorant ofwhat true free
dom is. And until a people have acquired
that knowledge, they are not ut to compose
Il free State.
| had the honor, Mr. President for Short
tmc,to be connected with the executive gov
eminent. While in the department of State,
it was represented TO me, and felt, that 1t
was matter ofmuch importance to the COM
mercial interests of the country, 10 obtain
some port upon the Pacific, if it could prop
erly and without danger be obtained from
Mexico. The port contemplated was that
of San Frisco. 1t was in contemplation, eli
thcr to obtain direct cession of that portion
fair terms, or to arrange with Mexico that A
mercan ships might enter the harbor, and
American citizens transact business III the
place, as in our own cities. This was mat
ter of commercial arrangement, somewhat
after the manner in which Portugal holds
Macao in China. ] certainly thought it then
of considerable importance, and think so
now. But it never entered my head that, To
accomplish this object,useful in itself, and so
! far as it went, we should annex Il large terri
tory 10 the United States, to come into the
Union in one or the other form prescribed
by the Constitution.
! Sir, this is our position. Peace may soon
come hope to hear of il before the dawn
of another morning. But cannot conceal
! from myself that peace may bring with it
crisis more dangerous than war. We know
not what new controversies 1t may bring 10
lis. We cannot tell the terms nor conditions
of peace, nor can now presume to say what
course it will be the duty of honest and hon
!
~ lean only hope that when that impor-
ant era shall arrive, l may, for one, be di"
rected TO the true performance of that duty.
| There has been proposition, MIR PresiA
dent to resist the acquisition of any more ter
ritory whatever: and last year the Wing mem
bers ofthe Senate voted in favor of that
course. Wings from the North and South
were united on that. The Democratic Sell
ators voted the other way. The Northern
democracy they call themselves so, and
NAV therefore use the term,) wished, and
wish now, to carry on the war, acquire all
the territory we may and receive it into the
Union; relying OH the Wilmot Proviso 10
keep out slavery. On the other hand, the
Southern democracy would acquire the ter
ritory, but make no prohibition of slavery.
The sections of The
democracy both agreed as 10 obtaining tho
new territory, and therefore united i'll shp-
port of the war and ofacquisition, leaving il
! to be settled afterwards whether the annexed
country should be free territory or slave ter
rilory. That dispute was TO be n secondary
matter, Now, sir allow me to say that have
not seen one intelligent and fair man OF the
South, who objects TO the influence OF the
North being exertcd to prevent the Increase
and extension of the slave power. Certainly
no man ofsense can complain of this. do
not know the man who says it is unreason-
able in us, or may not rightly he done by us.
! The obvious inequality OF treeand slave rep
fascination. so wholly inconsistent with the
fundamental principles ofrepublican govern
ment, we may properly resist. But what IS
past, must stand. We cannot go buck
What is established, must stand. And say
| here to-day, that with the same tirmness with
which would resist any further increase of
slave representation, ! would resist any
hazard to the maintenance of the Con-
stitution, by disturbing existing rights
under its provisions.
But Southern gentlemen, sir, do complain
ofthe Wimot Proviso in one thing, that ii is
UNEQUAL; that if new territory be acquired I'M
der it. it will he settled by families from the
North, without slaves, who do not need slave
labor While the people of the South cali
not settle H. or live in it, because they cannot
take their slaves with them if they cmigrate,
and cannot do without them. 1t tends, they
say, to establish against them n dcrogatory
distinction. Notifying distinction. But look
Mt the force ofthis argument 1 am always
happv to meet gentlemen of character and a.
bility, froru the South, upon this ground, but
what is it? How stands the case, now?-
They admit tha: the disproportionate repre-
sentation between the North and the South,
as it now exists, is n clear inequality; but if
new territory is to be had, and more slave
representation allowed, is not that manifestly
n plain augmentation Of such inequality
Most certainly, it cannot be denied.
! am not prophet, sir, nor the son of
prophet. But if we're TO prophesy, the very
last subject on which should dare to venture
a prediction would be the course oftbe north
ern democracy on this subject of the extern
sion of slavery. The predictions of the al
manac respecting the weather, would be Just
as reliable as any l could make, of their pro-
l l;tpc / hone there