Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-05-31
New Series, Vol. i---NO. AS

'pOhusc llSy ure nOI property put DerSOns.--
They are not merchandise, subject to the gene
raj commercial regulations, because t ey are not
recognized as property out of tie State where
they are held " 1t was commerce in Inel-
'chlndlsc, regarded as such by a ! the states.
AMI not commerce in PERSONS, thlt was d9sirn.
ed to be regulated by Congress. Commerce
in persons, if it my be SO called, was not in
tented to be regulated by Congress, becaus, it
was peculiar and local, and not nltiCLtl.a--
.4ppendlr to Petcrs's Reports po'. -. D. 55:,.
If that doctrine be true, it is because slaves
a'e property by local, anil not by general law.
That is the sentiment of Vermont Tt is not
new. 1t is older than the tliunler of w rthroD
or Webster, or Wilmot. The old bittery
whence it originated, is still sound and senl,
forth its annual charges. believe it hls beer
found easier to pervert th1n to answer it Il
was declared thirty years since In thu time.
hive new slave States have beenadinitted She
h Us demonstrated against them all, and most
lrnesty against the last But they have been
admitted by the constituted authority. and shd
ms submitted A whole gen ration has come
and gone since that was proclaimed 1t wai
the utterdnce of honest ,ntnent, and b,d no
/, reference to political effect, the Scn,to.i,y
) snecl; of New Hampshire to the CONTRARY mot,
wlthstandlng Recent events lead lis to Sun
pose TINT her sister States do not accuse Yer
mont OF putting her light under bushel. or
Ia
does not spring upon you with rev princinlo'
after the territories were acquired. Iou knew
beforehand that if that territory was acoureJ
Vermont htd lien upon it for freedom, You
took 1t with Tint mortgage. She is not pro,nntt
ell by the tlasl,y and Alppin: zeal of a new p,-
litical convert but by long-setleJ AMI abdnr
principle. Her choice, most unqucstion,blv y
governments fer the territories with the provisn
that was first presented ter adoption IF that
l,n, Ia rt,d,,, al -
she Will sustain the plan Of the President Sh5
regards that plan rs originating in patriotic mo-
tvcs; ana she eseems its author us one of th.
most impartial, and noble minded, and nltionrI-
minded patriots, that has trod the Presidential
platform since tie orgIr;z itlcn Of the Govern
nent. Bat she can consent TO no blan to >,
acton or non-a ton, AMI to no co.npro Mise that
does not give positive ana permanant security
for freedom in the territories. You cannot
change thlt purpose. lou my as well atten1t
to unSette the foundations Of her cveyas,in,,
mountains.
The third proposition of this bill is to nur-
chase the claim ot Texas to tie disputed teri
ritory between her and New Mexico. II was
amusing to see the manner in which that mat.
ter first came before the Senate. A bill was
reported tor the admission Of California. and
tor territorial governments for Utah and New
Mex,0o. For these the Committee were resnon.
sible; and then there came trottinr into the
camp loose unbrid'ed colt that no man would
claim and no man would own, proposal to
purchase for a blank sum tie claim of r.
The author OF tLi- Il. with bolser hald, has
cangl.t and hi, messed that colt wheherit will
and strength TO the team, time alone can deter.
+ mine. lie has at least fixed the price; he
proposes to pay ten millions Of dollars. sup.
pose 1t is already irrevocably ordained that we
p and our children, end Our children's children
are to be t.std for Texas. | trust that as freq
&gents, we may have a voice in determiuino
whether that buIden shall b. increased. Many
Wor's have been wasted to show who i. resoon
, sIbie " the annexation Z. Te.is al the evil,
that have flowed from it. 1t is ga Nv settled
for the facts are recent, nd any INTELLIGENT MAJ,
can relate them without reference 10 d, Gu
eats. ask your attention to that point, and
90 50 with l;G design OF gathering materials
tor rePrHachlhg any inan or party 81 speak
%ith The freedom OF history and without ofltnce.'s
+ In April, 1871, President Tyer sent to the
Senate treaty o: anneXation, which was re-.
Jected by vote OF II 20 25 but single north.
ern Senator, Mr.. Woodbury., voting in favor of
it. At that time all parts and all par,ic, Of ths
NORTH Were decidedly opposed to it. Thjs il
shown by the resolutions of Conventions and
legislatures, and tie voice of the press. A
democratic organ uttered The general sen,i,.enr.
".,rn II saG rather than annex tton Lot thata
be an 'npa Ssable gulf between Texas and the
Union The matter was taken into the BALI
more Convention, vas inserted and arnouncpd
as II part OF the Democratic creed Then there
WAS change, great and sudden change. A
large Hor;on OF the party wheeled TO cover their
he'd leaders. We went into the canvass, the
Wings North and South gainst annexation lhe
Democrats North and South in favor Off In
New York there was small party which hell
the political balance Of that State. when Ney
York held the elIance O.. the Union. IF this is
Not cleaI, every one may see a parallel in cleo
ing the Speaker OF this House In both cases
The balance was so managed, by design or accj.
dent, as to secure the trumphot the democratice
ana siaVeho'uer. we came on. Of that canvass
S,ith hlty'e'Sht electsra! votes OF the North loy
Ar. Clay, and one hundred and six for Mr. polL
This was regarded as the popular decision. In
the next Congress Texas WAS annexed bv AL
most clear party vote throughout the Union.
IL VIII be seen. then, that IS far as mower il
concerned, the gentleman from MARYLAND M
McLANE Is right IN his boast, that it was done
by Democratic power. But there is a ouestion
hat lies farther back, who put that pover in
motion IN That particular direction Not nor.
thern men, certainly, nor southern men as p
body, nor even as ma jority, but it was dorA
by men from the south, having for their avo,yeJ
object the protection if not the extension of
slavery. The war aud acquisition are the ar.
know.tiged, as they were the forescen results,
This is the history, and it shows US who as
responsible for the present crisls-who hats
brought upon us our present dangers-wlv il
is that the wave are snow dashing err
while we are almost hepessly waflowing in
he tough OF the '2,. If the tempest shall
drive us TO the cliffs, every survivor on eyerv
fi"atng fragment OF the wreck will curse the
psn Of annexation and the authors who brourb,
ii upon the country, Let those who ''hsyce
caused these pers of the Uaion now come for
ward and remove them let them exercise the
spirit they have rails J. They have the power
IN both branches of Congress-ifthey will ust
II for just and honorable settlement of ,lis
controversy of their own creation, thcy vii
receive from generous country not only oil.
livion Of the past, but gratitude for the future,
| An important clement in the campaign or
lSIl, was The impre, 8 on made at the Nnr,t