The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-02-26


manufactures, improve our Jaws and tHair lu
ministrution, and thus make us % .am1rrur
. ous people, al elevated and adorned with
taste and refinement becoming che memarr o. Hi
n glorious republic. This, t1 MV mind, .s Ha.
| t0Hat prosperity
My experience and obscrvatou here. bal
not been OF great rtrnt, as b. Dr. NOT over lT1
years since became n member Hi thia HOUSE
/ but, with that amount Of congregational rE1e.
ricucc, and after carefully listening tl Zoo
progress Of this debate, 1 am constrained fH
conclude that gentlemen on the aFp0slte stdH
/ OF this House have erected Iu their u.u4a "a
very different standard uiuatigH1L nrHsprrffr
According 20 their cuuccp tious, tac prosperity
OF the nation consists Iu what ldvaucrs be-
military glory in whatever extends The area
Of territory possessed. IA whatever gives rriat
by blood and gunpowdrr and frats 81 1rms -
With them that is national prosperity do not
say they are prepared 10 deny that me good Of
0Hr 0trH people b. the true rHd o. government,
but IL becomes exceedingly difficult for ruc tH
uuderstnnd how that end can be reached, by
pursuing their course of national prosperity
So long, huwcvcr, ace they retain that idea tAey
will, very naturally, regard all who ubstruct
their course, and who would put stop % ssfch
10 carror ofprosperity, as enemies oftheir couu-
try, and traitors to its Government The DIFF
ference between us, then, is palplble, broad,
and fundamental We differ entirely in the
idea OF what constitutes national glory and Id-
ti0Hai prosperity.
To show that mere extension Of terri tory,
and especially It done with the sword, ls really
the cherished idea of the party VINO sustain the
present Executive, IL becomes necessary TO
take n short retrospection of the course OF e.
vents for the last four years; and, IN so doing,
| think it Will be quite manifest that, IN enter
tanning and prose cutting this object, So blind
and headlong has been the course, that the re-
al good of our own people, the clear provisions
of the Constitution, and the dictates of eternal
truth and Justice, have been alike forgotten
and dsrcgarded.
Up 10 the wear 1874, the political parties
which divided this country had differed, and
at times very widely, IN relation 10 the means
and measures which would effect the great
est good to the greatest number, or to all, Of
our own people; and, as they were respective
ly in power, they adopted their respective IA
vorite system of measures to this end. This
was Of comparative little and temporary impor-
lance to the country, because, if the measures
operated badly, they were easily repealed or
changed. But in the 2Sth Congress a new
course ofpublic policy was struck out Men
seem to have become unwilling TO be satisfied
with improving our O10H broad patrimony, the
boon of Heaven, and a new course oftCrrit0ri-
al extension was begun. This, unlike former
measures, which might be changed if on trial
they proved unsatisfactory, was, when done,
incapable of repeal; and yet the courseiwas en-
tered upon with hot haste and unseemly
prec1pttGNCV. me urSt scene IN THIS great
II hone that - may not Turn Qua - '"~sr"y 20
us) was the annexation 81 IcLGS.
II is undoubtedly true, there were some men
in the northern and eastern parts the United
States, who insisted that the powers of the
General Government of the United States
should be directed and exercised as to pro-
ducc the abolition of slavery, within the states
where it existed; but the great body of the
people, even in the free States, held, in COM
mon with the people of slave States, that the
institution of slavery was exclusively IN the
control of the States where 1t existed, and that
the United States Government should put
forth no exercise of power, either directly or
to affect il within those States.-
The issue not Jchtch 3cdy shall the power
of the United States be exercised-tOr or u
gaiHt slayery-but the question was, shall any .
such power be exercised in dHy 1oay on the /
subject On this point say, the great body /
Of our people held bat one sentiment.
But it seems that in order to induce the peo- I
pie of the South to enter into the annexation |
policy, an unfounded alarm was created, and
this doctrine of pOH-iHtertereHce was discarded. /
And, in order to secure and perpetuate slavery /
in Ike States, the exercise of the power of the |
United States Government was invoked, and
was put forth for the annexation OF Texas, far [
that purpose; and thus the southern Stdrehotder ,
has actually gone over to the ultra political al
on this issue, and holds, with HIM,
hat the power of this Government should be |
ANeTClSeu, at least lnulIeCllNs On tlG supltIL !
Of slavery within the States; and we are thus
driven to the wall and all that is left is to say,
f it is settled that this power is to be used, we
must soon say, lrhich irdy 1t shall be used. On
hat point think little doubt will long Xist'
In proof of the position that such was the
purpose for which this annexation policy was
/ do not refer to the lndlVidual o.
1inon or action of any private citizen what
,ver but to the public records of TINS country,
made and promulgated by the ohcial organs
If the Government. The Secretary 81 STAG
Mr. Calhoun) in his official letters, as the Or
ran of this Government, to the British MN
ster Mr. Packenham, and to Mr. hlng' theh
our minister to France, openly, ana frankly,
md officially announces, that such was the
cause and the purpose of the formation OF the
treaty. for the anne Ration of Texas that IL was
done TO prevent the abolition of slavery IN
Texas, and thereby to secure the INSTITUTION
here. -
Thus, sir, the treaty making power OF the
Cove rnment of the United States has actually |
been inrOkcd and used, for the ayowed purpose
of perpetuating slavery within the states
That treaty was rejected by the senate, anu
whv5 Can it be possible that gentlemen can
expect to disguise and evade this poInt' SIR
it was rejected because it ATTEMPTED to annex,
as TIE xas, all the country west TO ttle no
Grande, and thus took in n large part OF three
of the provinces of Mexico, and the meNlc1
towns; settlements, and posts on the east side
of that river. IT is true some Senators were
opposed to annexation entirely, yet IL was loF
the reason have stated that the treaty re-
ceived the decided rejection OF the Senate'
Now sir, ifthut treaty had been ratlhed oy
the Senate, can any doubt that 1t would
have been unconstitutional act, and that Texas,
or at least so much rs belonged TO her, would
have been onstitutonally annexed to TINS
countrvs In the case ofthe american InsuT-
ance Company VS.. CdRtGr, LIST Peters Reports,
the Supreme Court decided that territory may
be acquired, by the trenty-muking power of this
,---.l.....,.,,t al r--hen 20 ncnnired il Wns