Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-11-05

will compare what the Government Of the United
States therein saws. with what the Presideni saiI
in his message nf the lllh Of MAY, and what
Congress enacted in conformity with that mes.
sage, the hypothesis thu, war arose from invasion
by the Mexican forces, Of our soil, and the mur.
der Of our cuizcns.
Sir. have before alluded 10 the declaration Of
Mr.. Calhoun, that il there had been no annexa.
lion Of Texas, there would have been no war.
Now choose TO say that concur in your own
declaration, sir, so lorcibIy expressed by you, in
your place in the House OF Representatives. that
'lhe direct consequence Of this act Of iniQuiy, is
q he present war" I have cndeayored TO show
that II was TO remove, to paciiy, the opposition 10
Mexico to this plan, that our own Government
entered on these operations. Mr.. Calhoun is
right. Ii is TOO plain that annexation was the
primary cause Of The war. Does any body sup.
pose We should have gone into The war, have IN.
derlakon 10 depopuIate Mexico, merely because
she did not pay her debt, or had refused 10 re.
ceiye Mr.. Sldcll No, sir. No one so supno.
ses. Would Congress have declared war on any
such preextl think not; believe not Then
The war grew out Of annexation; and il was. do
not say necessary. but certainly not an unnatu-
raj consequence Of that step. But, what is re-
markable, the grievance is on the part Of Mexico.
and we make The war. She suffers the wrong,
as she estecms it, and we give the first blow.-we
make the war because she complains OF injury,
and will not give up complaint.
Now, il cannot be of much consequence, ex.
cepl 10 myself, what the acls Of so humble an in.
Idvidual on this su6jeci may have been. But it
Is one consolation 10 me, TO know that always,
from the beginning, have opposed the scheme
OF Texan annexation with the entire of nv a.
billy. Ten years ago, sir, al a meeting Of po-
ncal friends in NJw York, where there was a
good deal OF difference of opinion on that qups-
uon, and was advised not to commit myself up.
on it, did commit myself, and there II stands
and am thankful for it. ! was opposed to il
then, aud have been opposed 10 il, under every
circumstance. ever since. And my opposition
was founded on the ground that | never would
aud never should repeat, now, never will, I
never shall-give my vote in Congress for any
further annexation Of territory TO this country,
with slave representation.
| We hear much, just now, Of panacca for the
danger and evils Of slavery and slave annexation
which they call The Wmot Proviso. That, GER
taInIy, IS just sentiment, but il is not a senli.
ment to found any new party upon. II is not
sentiment on which Massachusetts Wings differ.
! There IS not man in this hall who holds TO it
more firmly than do, nor one who adheres to
It more Than another. feel some Iiue interest
! in this matter, sir. Did not | commit myself in
/ 1888, TO the whole doctrine, fully, entirclyl And
/ ! must be permitted 10 say thai | cannot quite
consent thai more recent dscovercrs should claim
The merit, and take out patent. deny the
priority OF their invention. Allow me to say, sir,
II is not their thunder,
Mr. President, if any newly acquired territory
were TO be free territory, sli deprecate the uc.
QUESTION. think we have now large and am.
pie domain, and degree Of similarity Of char.
acter, Of Identity Of interest," that binds us logeh
er, from the Peuobscot TO the Gulf of Mexico.
Buff we 60 on with extension, annexation, over
California, and know not how far towards the
south pole, we cunnot say how long such simi.
Iarty will continue to exist. Nav not the proba.
bic tendency Of such policy be directly towards
a dcspouc governments, or a series Of despolic
govcrnmcnrsi Sir, | apprehend that, for the
practical success Of a republican government,
there should be this degree Of identity in popu.
lar character and local institutions. 1t may not
be SO with others. The Emperor of Russia may
govern his European subjects by one code, and
his Asauc domnons by another; because be-
tween them there is no strong association, no
great common interests. But in n republic,
where similar interests belong TO alt, similar char
acer, 10 Il greater or less extent, is found in all ,
aud where exactly The same laws must prevail
over all, this cannot be. 1t does seem TO me, sir,
TO be very dangerous experiment TO set abom
extending our territory over an almost unknown
tract, larger than the whole Of the old thirteen
States, aud run the RISK Of sufficient identity Of
character and interest between our own people
and those we annex.
More onterprsing spirits may choose to take
that risk. | hesitate.
Again, sir, this annexation dsorganzes and
dcrangcs the system Of our government. Sup.
pose that, out Of this territory, as large as that of
the old thirteen, but five new States should be
made. They would have, at the beginning, five
members Of the House of Representatives, but
they would have ten ScnarorS--shall say South
ern SenalorS-in Congress. Doesnot every body
sec that this entirely breaks up all the intended
proportion of our system of government What
calculation cnn be made in any thing connected
with The hope Of its perpotuily, under such
state Of thingsl
Sir, men there are whom we see. and whom we
hcur speak Of The duty Of extending our free in.
stitulons over the whole world. if possible. We
owe II 10 bencvolcncc, they think, to confer the
blessings VIC enjoy, on every other people. But
while trust that liberty and free civil insriJu.
tions, us we have experienced them, may uu.
maely spread over tho globe. am by no
means sure tha, all people are fit for them; nor
am desirous of imposing, or forcing, our pecu.
liar forms, upon any nation that docs not wish to
embrace them. When people are fit for free in.
sti,utons Of scl.goycrnmenr they will seek
them and have them, in some form or other, per.
hops different and better for them, than those of
our own country. But you cannot make free.
men out of persons unaccusIomed TO selEgovcrn.
ment, and ignorant of what true freedom s.--
And until people haveacquired uhatknowlcdge,
they are not fit to compose free State.
had the honor, Mr.. President, for short
time, 10 be connected with the executive govern.
menl. While in the department Of State it was
10 ,,,y, aud G,l, H., :, 49,.