The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-30

and portion free States, deceive themselves;
'thcy cry peace, peace, when there ia no peace
Let the territory be once acquired, and the
question will be before US with all its force. =
Ii will be convulsion which will shake the pillars
of this Government To their foundations; and we
may find too late, amidst the scattered fragments
of our Union, that we have raised spirit which we
have no power to control. - Gong. Globe, Appen
dix, PIP. 229, 1922
Mr.. AsHMUN, of Massachusetts,, in a speech
delivered in the same body, February a, lo4I,
said
"They (the people of the North) are willing and
anxious to stand by the Constitution given to us
by our fathers; and however much they may
greet some of what called its compromises, they
will stand by it. But when you set on foot series
of measures which have for their object and end
extension of slavery an element of political
power-when you attempt to bring in foreign ter
ritory, and give it slave representation in the
Congress Of the Union SO that the interests Of the
free States to be outvoted and overpowered
here they would be false to all their duty if they
did not resist at every step. - Let me say to
my southern friends, in all frankncss, that we of
the North want more territory, whether acquired
by purchase conquered by ar."-(Cong. Globe,
Appendix, I'd session Goth Congress, PIP. 2S9, 293.)
Mr.. WINTHROP, of Massachusetts, in speech
delivered in the same body, February q, lS47 +,
said:
at is plain that there are two parties in the I'm
ted States. Both of them opposed, uncompro
misingy opposed, hope and believe, to the ex
tension of slavery. One of them, however, and
| that the party of the present Administration, arc
for the widest extension Of territory, subject to the
anti slavery proviso The other of them, and that
the party to which have the honor to belong, are,
as believe, content with the Union it is, desire
ne annexation of new States, and are utterly OPP
posed to the prosecution OF war for any purpose of
Remembering Mexico. Between these two par
ties in the free States the South holds the balance
power. 1t may always hold it. If now, there
fore, it will join in putting end to this war, and
in arresting the march Of conquest upon which our
armies have entered, the limits of the republic
well the limits of slavery, may be finally estab-
lished. (Cong. Globe, Appendix, I'd session 29th
Congress, PIP. 4O6, 4oS)
There We're not wanting Wing members of
the South to warn their Democratic brethren
from the same section of the Union, Of the con-
sequences which would almost certainly arise
from this acquisition.
In a speech in the House, December l6,
1916, Mr.. GENTRY, of Tennessee, said:
GAN the dangers growing out of this question Of
slavery which we have met and overcome hereto
fore nothing compared with those which will
arise when thatquestion shall come up as the con-
| sequence of Mr.. Folks conquess and annexation
The President is driving the ship of State
| into most stormy and dangerous sea; and if Con-
gress fails to act in the lofty spirit of patriotism
which the occasion demands-if it fails to assert
the constitutional rights and perform the constitu
| tional duties which properly belong and attach to
the Legislative branch of the Government by put
ting limit to Executive discretion in the further
prosecution of this war with Mexico-in my opinion
the day is not distant when it will require all the
virtue, intelligence, and patriotism of the country
TO preserve the Union, and the public liberty"
-(Cong. Globe, Appendix, I'd goth Cong, PIP.
| So CD
In speech in the House, February Y, l847 +,
Mr.. PENDLEToN, of Virginia, said:
1.-The Democratic party, [of the North,l with
very few exceptions, go at this moment for terri
toral acquisition, to be made into free Staies, on
our southwestern border; and to carry out this pur
pose, they put to hazard the Union itself
"The Wings the other hand-every man Of
| them-say to US of the South, 1--WE want no more
territory, free slave; have enough, and more
| than enough; we have already discord and trouble
enough But if you will not be warned-if you
will go on in this wild career Of annexation-we
tell you now that whilst we leave to you the
| agement of your domestic institutions seems
best TO you, whenever these new Territories do
| come in, public sentiment in our end Of the Union
will force all parties TO insist upon conditions which
| will enforce submission upon you, rend our
Union into atoms "-(Cong. Globe, Appendix, I'd
sess. 10Th Cong. PIP 400, 4i4.)
On the other hand, the Northern Democrats
were for the acquisition, and, with very few
exceptions, for utterly excluding slavery from it.
The Hon. Preston KING, in some remarks
submitted to the House of Representatives on
the oh Of January, lS47, Gong Globe, I'd
sess. 18th Cong, p. l44,) expressed truly the
views of the northern supporters of the late adj
minstration. lie said:
"The time has come when this republic should
declare by law that it will not be an instrument TO
| the extension Of slavery on the continent of Anne
RIGA. That the boundaries, institutions, and prn-
ciples Of our republic must and will extend, there
can be no doubt. The present war with Mexico
must result in extension Of the territory of the
Ohltcd States peace honorable 10 the sntcu
| States cannot be made without indemnity from
| Mexico in territory. . Shall the territory now
free, which shall come to Jurisdiction, be free
territory, open to settlement by the laboring man
of the free States shall il be slave territory given
up TO slave labor One or other il must be; it
not be both. The labor of the free white man and
woman, and of their children, cannot and will not
| cat and drink, and lie down and rise up with the
black labor Of slaves. Free white labor will not be
| degraded by such association II slavery il not
excluded by law, the presence Of the slave will
| clude the laboring white man.
II Congress shall refuse at this session to make this
| free principle law, the Of the.republic will
conquer free territory, upon which slavery will be
planted. desire the adoption of the free principle,
because believe il TO be just the free States just
to the white men who eight our battles, and who
constitute the strength of the country in peace or
war because believe il to be consistent with the
| principle. of our government, and because ! be-
lieve It will tend TO improve the condition and
| character Of labor in the whole country. And who
| will deny that, in republic, it should be one of
the chief objects Of government to elevate and dig