Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-09-14

territory will do us no good it will be an in
cumbrance, if free, to certain extent III VIII
produce great disorganizaton Of government,
If it be free it will give great preponderance
to the South in the Senate if it be free. Let us
keep it out therefore. But no; but no.
Gentlemen, at an important crisis in English
history in the reign of Charles H., when the
country was threatened by the accession OF a
Prince TO the throne who was bigot OF the Ro
man Catholic religion, called the Duke OF York
the proposition was made in Parliament to ex
clude him from accession to the throne. Some
said it was harsh measure they had better ad
nit him and then put limitations upon him; then
chain him down and restrain him. AS this de.
bate went on, plain man with some humor is
reported to have arisen and expressed his sent
ments by rather grotesque smile certainly,
but one of force. Said he,
&C. hear a lion in tho lobby roar,
Say, MI Speaker shall we shut the door
And keep him out, shall we let him in,
And Try II we can get him out again Z"
Now was for shutting the door upon this
whole controversy and fastening l. with bolts
aud bars. Other more daring spirits, more con
iident spirits who supposed themselves to he OF
the character of Wombwell were for letting tne
lion in, and the country has now right to call
upon them to cage him, 10 take him by the name,
to control him, and to keep him from disturbing
all the interests of the country.
When this Mexican treaty came before the
Senate it had certain clauses ceding New Mex
leo and California to the United States
Southern gentleman, Mr.. Badger, of North Car
olina moved 10 strike out those clauses Now
you understand that if motion to strike ont
clause of n treaty be supported by one third, II
is struck out. In other words, the rule is that
two thirds of the Senate must agree to every
clause before it can stand The vote on thai
question stood 3S to IA ii of us were for stri.
king Il OUT 30 were against it. Fourteen was
not one third, AMI why were there not more than
fourteen? Because there were four New Eng.
land Senators voting for this accession of terri
tory. That is the reason. They said that we
must have peace at any rate: md there was tins
about il, which confess rather annoyed me at the
time, that certain portions of the public press
and good many respectable people, especially
in the large cities. cred out, Yes, Peace Peace,
staunch the wounds of war; Give us Peace.
| hope | am as ardent lover Of peace, and as
ardent opposer of unnecessary and unjust
war, as any man living But | do not feel dis
posed TO be carried away by the mere notion that
peace was valuable Whatever be the terms. In
the first place, believed and still believe, that
if we could have struck out all this cession of ter
rory, we should have got peace just soon as
we did. | was ready to try that question:, to
strike out the cessions of territory, to refuse to
have them, and to go before the people and to
leave it to the people to say whether they would
carry on the war longer for the mere acquisition
Of territory. If they would they were the ari
iicers of their own fortune. / would have trust
ed them. was not afraid to leave that ques-
ton with the people And in the next place, ii
they had continued the war sometime longer,
would rather that it should be so, than that these
territories, lying upon our Southern borders, of
such Immense extent should have been added
TO the Union to come in hereafter as part of that
Union.
should speak of this with moro confidence
if it had not happened that other gentlemen of
the Senate, OF the same political party differed
from me upon the subject, and voted for the trea-
~ voted to strike out the articles of cession.
They would have been struck out and the treaty
would then have stood, it all the New England
Senators had so voted. That not being agreed
to, voted against the ratification of the whole
treaty, and that vote would have failed and the
whole treaty would have failed, if other New
England Senators who voted for it, had voted
against it, and they were Wing Senator, too
take II therefore for granted, that the course |
pursued, was not entirely free from difficulty |;
but 1t was one that recommended itself to my
own conscience. should 20 through it again.
and after what have since seen, with much
more resolution. ] would run still greater
risk would endure still heavier shock before
] would have agreed TO any treaty participated
IN any treaty anneXlng any portion of Southern
territory 10 this Union.
Gentlemen, after had received the invitation
of my fellow citizens to meet them, found it
necessary, in the discharge of my duty, though
with great inconvenience to my health to 90 to
Washington to be present at the closing scenes
of the session. You know what there transpir-
ed. You know the important decision that was
made in both Houses Of Congress in regard to
Oregon The bill respected Oregon, but the
immediate question more particularly respected
these new territories. The amendment of the
Senate was in effect to establish that these new
territories should be slaveholdlng States. The
House disagreed to that proposition. The Sen.
ate, after debate with which you are acquaini-
ed, receded from that amendment, and tie bill
passed, establishing Oregon as free territory,
and making no provision for the newly acquired
territories on the SOUTH
Now, will say, that my vote and the reasons
that gave for it, are known to the good people
OF Massachusetts,, and have not heard that they
have expressed any particular dsapprobaton OF
it. But this question is to be resumed the first
session of the next Congress Il think not in this
Congress, think at least, that there is no prob
ability that it will be settled at the next session
of this Congress at the first session of the next
Congress this question will be resumed. Ii will
enter at this very election period into all the cleo
tions of the South.
And now | venture to say, gentlemen, two
things. The first is well known to you, that
Gen. Cass is in favor of what is called the Com
promise Line, and that the Wimot Provso OF
the Ordinance of 1857, which excludes slavery
from territories, ought not to be applied to terri
tories lying South of the latitude OF SO 80. That
is his opinion. He announced that before he
was made candidate at Baltimore. II he had
net announced it, he would have been 80 deg. &c
min further off from any possibility OF nomina
ton. Then undertake to say, in the next place
that he will assuredly do all he can to establish
that Compromise Line. And, lastly, which il
matter OF opinion, in my conscientious belief he
will establish il. Give him the power and pat
ronage of the Government, let him exercise il
over certain portions of the country whose Rep
resentatives voted on this occasion to leave thai
question for future consideration to settle it tina
Oregon should be free, and to leave New Mexi.
CO and California to be discussed and decided
hereafter. Let him have the power of this gov
ernment with his attachments with his talents
with his inducements ard verify believe tina
unless there is a renewed strength an augment
ed strength of Wing votes in Congress, he vii
accomplish his purpose. lie uM surely hare N
Senate and with the patronage Of the govern
ment, with every interest that he as Norther
man can bring to bear, cooperating with ever