The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-01-20
NUMBER l6.


edge extends, there 10 no instance wha,cy.
er Of any civilized colored races being found
equal 10 the establishment, Of free popular
government, although by far the largest
portion OF the human family il composed Of
these races. Aud even 10 The savage state
we scarcely find them any where With such
government, except II be our noble sasapes
for noble will cali them They for
the most part had free institutions, but they
are easily sustained amongst sewage peo.
pie. Are we to overlook this fact? Are
We to associate with outseive. as equals,
companions, and fellow cit zens. the Iudan.
and mixed race Of Mexico? Sir, should
consider such thing as fatal 10 cur instl.
tu,ons.
The next two reasons which ! assigned,
we're, that it would be IN conAlct.wih the
genius and character of our Institutions
aGd subvefsise Of our free anvaIDmeni. -
take these two together as they are sointi.
ma,ely connected; and now Of the fist
TO hold Mexico in sutjection.
MIR. President, there are some propos.
lions too clear for argumrn, and beiofs
such body as the Senate. l-shou!d coDsid.
eru loss Of time TO undertake 10 prove
that TO hold Mexico as subjected pgnvi0ce
would be hostile, and in coufct with cur
free popular Institutions, and ia the end sub.
versive OF them. Sir, he who knows the
American Constitution we'll The who has
duly studied hs character The who has
looked at history and knows wha, has been
. the effect Of conquesls Of free States inva.
: riably, will require no proof at my hands 10
, show tina. it would be entirely hostile TO the
institutions Of the country, TO hold Mexico
e as q province. There 10 nc, an example on
. record Of any free State even having at
!. tempted the conquest Of any territory app.
!. preaching the exien, Of Mexico without
!. disastrous consequences. The nation con.
l. quered have in tmo conquered the con.
querors by destroying their liberty. That
il will be our case, sir. The conquest Of
b. Mexico would add so vast an amount to the
o. patronage Of this government, tina. i, would
at absorb the whole power Of the States in the
nj Union. This Union would become mpe.
IN rial, and the States mere subordinate cor.
: porations. But the evil will not end there.
20 The process will 60 on. The same pro.
0 cess by which the power would be trans.
il. ierred from the States 10 the Union, will
n, transfer the whole from this department Of
d, The government, 4 speak of the cgisa,ure)
d. to the Executive. All the added power
Ig AID added patronage which conques, will
he create, will pass to the Executive. 10 the
u. end you put in the hands Of the Executive
". the power of conqueTng you. Yougive 10
a II, sir, such spIeDdor, such ample means,
10 that with the principles Of prescription
which unfortunately prevails in our country,
IT that the struggle will be greater at every
c. presidential election than our institutions
9. can possibly endure. The end OF i, will
\. be tina. that branch of the government will
|. become all powerful and the resul, is inva-
lie fiablc--ansrchy and despoism. Ii is as
a certain as | am this day addressing the
IS Senate.
Sir, let /, not be said that Great Britain
}. furnishes an example to the contrary-ihat
;. she holds provinces Of vast extent of L.p.
u'a!ion without materially impaiIing the
e Liberty OF the citizen, or exposing her to
c anarchy, confusion or corruption. 1t is so.
n But what is the explanation OF all gov.
s ernments that ever existed afording any
v protection whatever TO liberty, the English
!. Government far transcends them all in that
8 respect. She can bear more patronage in
/. proportion TO her population and wealth
e than any government Of tina, form that ev.
/. er existed, nay, TO 60 farther, than can
! despolism 10 its most absolute form. will
e not go into the philosophy of this. That
] would take me farther from the tract than
desire. But | will say in a very few
: words, it results from the fact tina, her Ex-
: ecutive and the House Of Peers, the con-
7 servative branch Of her government, are
. both hereditary. The Roman government
) may have exceeded and did exceed the
: British governmen, in lis power for con-
quest; but no people ever did exist, and
probably, never will exist, with such ca
paci,y for conquest as that people. But
the capacity of Rome to hold subjected
provinces, was as nothing compared 10 that
of Great Britain, and hence, as soon as the
Roman power passed from Italy beyond the
Adria'ic on one side, and the Alps on the
other, and the Mediterranean, their liberty
fell pros.rale-,he Roman people became
fabble-corrupllon penetrated everywhere,
and violence and anarchy ruled the day.
Now, we see England with dependen, prov.
inces OF vastly greater territorial extent.
and probably no, less in population-I have
not examined-we see her going on with.
out impalrlng personal liberty or exposing
the government to violence or anarchy.
Yet tho English have not wholly escaped.
Although they have retained their liberty
and have no. fallen into anarchy and des.
polism, ye. we behold the population Of
Englaad crushed to the earth by the super.
'ncumben. weight Of debt. Rejecting on
that government, have often though, that
there was only one way IN which j, could
come to an snd-,hat the weigh, of the
superstructure would crush the foundation
that the wealth accumulated in part by
these very conquests by the higher classes
crush the Ia borinu masses below Rut has