The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-13

ia 10 inc AlltnllC Oh thO
cean enthusiastically to the Passanaquoddy
bay. That was to be the United States; and.
after the treaty OF / 7SS, was the United States.
There was, then. certain distinct and de-
finite tract of country to which the Constitu-
ton OF the United States was to apply. And,
now, he would ask any member Of the COM
mittee 10 take the journal of that Convention
in his hand, and say whether he could believe
that the men Of that Convention brought
together for the purpose of framing Consti-
tuition for the United STATES, did in fact form
an instrument with all the properties Of
monstrous gum-elastic over-shoe inverted, the
toe of which could be drawn on over the north
pole, and the heel hitched down over some
tall mountain near the Isthmus of Darien
He supposed not But it WAS LETT to a future
administration of the Government TO resort TO
the application of this stretching principle.
General Washington. the first President, held
the administration of the Government until
he resigned il, and might have held II till now.
had his most valuable life been spared so long,
land for the good Of the country, lie could
eTen wish it had.) But, then, next after Wash
ington came Northern President, who was
rejected after serving four years; and then, for
the succeeding twenty-four wears no other
Northern man was even thought of for PreSi
dent When the first Adamss time expired.
then first came up in this country the discus
sion of the extension Of slave territory. If he
had time, he would be glad to 90 into the his
tory of that discussion, and show how il was
made to operate against the interests Of the
North.
He would briefly as he could, allude to Il
few facts in this connection. When the prop
osiIion first came up for the purchase Of Louis
lana, Mr.. jefferson, after having negotiated
for the purchase, stated openly, that the Te--
ritory could not be obtained and annexed to
the United States, without an amendment OF
the Constitution. But it was obviously most
desirable country, embracing most salubri-
Gus climate, and the best soil in the world. 1t
became almost indispensable TO our great West
ern country, for the reason that it had control
of the outlet of the Mississippi river. = LIS
began to be seen rs carly as 1904 or 1905
and the common voice OF the country assentediC
the purchase, under the necessity which every
person felt of having the control 6f the mouth
of the Mississippi river. The purchase was
accordingly made. Louisiana having been
long previously settled by mixed population,
of French and Spanish descent, slavery al
ready existed there, and it was not proposed
to interrupt it in that portion of the country
settled at the time of the purchase.
But, in the year 1919 or 1920, another pOr-
ton of this country, the Territory Of Missou-
ri, which had been in the hands of the lEdian
tribes up to the time of its purchase by the
i United States, was ready to come into the n
Mon. And here he desired to make a remark,
that it was characteristic of the Slave Pow
er, that whenever it got hold upon any ter
ritory, in the classic language of the gen
| Il L.
that power once got its grip upon any terrific
nv, it held on to 1T: would never let 90. BY
the first action of Congress upon this question
it was decided against the aGmissioa OF Mis-
souri, with slaves. But the matter was not tC
be determined. At a subsequent time. it wa:
brought I'D again ard perseTered in, until final
" the purpose of the Slave Power was az
complished, and the State of Missouri was adj
mitted, with the institution of Slavery upon
her. 1t had now passed into proverb, that
4 whatever the Slave Power required, 1t would
have to he done. Whenever it was distinctly
ascertained that any object was distinctly and
definitely determined upon by the Slave Pow
! er, it had now come TO be regarded by the
] politicians as a result most certainly to be de-
pended upon. Whoever can ascertain what
the Slave Power requires to be done in regard
to any given subject, may safely predict that
so it will be done.
lie had no time to 20 into the history Of this
question, as connected with the purchase and
annexation Of Florida, the Florida war, &c.
but it was well known to all men of rthec-
ton upon the subject, that the chief object of
that purchase, and subsequent expensive war.
was TO give greater security to the Slave Pow
er.
lie came next to another case of annexa-
ton; and he desired the particular attention
of the Committee, while he proposed to 90 in
/ to its examination somewhat in detail. He re-
fcrrcd to the last case of annexation, previous
to that effected by the lac AIexican treaty
the annexation Of Texas lie desired to show
how that event operated upon the political al
fairs of this country, as wei as upon the polit-
ical affairs of Texas.
On the 18th of May, 1s4S, the last member
of the Harrison Cabinet left the Administra-
ton of Mr.. Tyler. The country was then
in peculiar position. Application had been
made, under the Administration of Martin
Van Buren,, for the annexation Of Texas and
notwithstanding he had been elected as "a
! Northern man with Southern principles" he
was obliged to direct his Secretary to say thai
he could not assent 10 such treaty and that
was the bowie-knife which killed poor Mr.. Van
buren,. Dut now, when inc
to be administered BY Mr.. Tyler-he was
President without par:y-neither the Wing.
nor the Democrats would sustain his Admins
tration, and he was compelled to attach HIM
self to that third party in this country, which
had ever been small in numbers but powerful!
in talent. He was obliged to throw himself IN
to the arms of that party because both the 9th
err parties bad rcpudia;ed him.
The next thing done by Mr. Tyler was
to call into his Cabinet distinguished
citizen Mr.. Upshurl from that gentle
mans own State-a citizen of eminent
talents and of distinguished legal abilities
and literary requirements, though not ex>
tensiyely known as diPlomailst. That
distinguished citizen being elected to give
aid TO the Tyler Administration, the dis
cussion of the question Of the annexation
of Texas was thereupon resumed, and
correspondence upon the subject was O.
pened through a Government agent then
in Texas, General Murphy he believed.