The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-19
NUMBER AZ.

| lndnileSuy so. ne noloIdOle HeIlDtI
from South Carolina, at Tie time Of the
admission of Texas, held an important
post in the Executive Department OF the
Government he was Secretary of State.
Another eminent person of great activi-
ty and adroitness in affairs, | mean the
late Secretary of the Treasury, (Mr.
Walker,) was leading member Of this
body, and took the lead in the business
Of annexation and | must say that they
did their business faithfully and thor
oughIy; there was no botch left in it.
They rounded it off, and made as close
ioiner-work as ever was put together.
Resolutions of annexation were brought
into Congress 6tly joined together
compact, firm, efficient, conclusive upon
the great object which they have in view,
and those resolutions passed
Allow me to read the resolution. II
is the third clause of the second section
Of the resolution of the lst of March,
lS4j, for the admission Of Texas, which
applies 10 this part of the case. That
clause reads in these words
"New States, of convenient size, not
exceeding four in number, in addition TO
said State of Texas, and having sull.-
cient population, may hereafter, by the
consent Of said State, be formed out Of
the Territory thereof. which shall be
entitled to admission under the provis-
ions of the Federal Constitution. And
such States az may be formed oct of that.
portion Of said Territory lying south of
thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north
latitude, commonly known as the Mis-
souri, compromise line, shall be admitted
into the Union with or without slavery,
as the people of each State asking ad-
mission may desire and in such State
or States as shall be formed out of said
Territory north of said Missouri ccm-
promise line. slavery or involuntary ser.
yiiude Except for crime) shall be pros
hibited "
New what is here stipulated, enacted,
secured 1t is, that all Texas south of
36 deg. 30m.. which is nearly the whole
of it, shall be admitted into the Union
as slave State. 1t was slave State,
and therefore came in as slave State,
and the guaranty is that new States sha!
be made out of it, and that such Siates
! as are formed out Of that portion Of Tex
as lying south Of 36 deg BON. may come
in as slave States to the number of four,
in addition to the State then in existence,
and admitted at that time by these reso-
;, luiions. know no form of legislation
which can strengthen that. know no
mode Of recognition that can add a tIule
of weight to it. listened respectfully
= to the resolutions of my honorable friend
y from Tennessee, (Mr. Belly He pro,
!. posed TO recognize that stipulation wnif
q Texas. But any additional recognition
-, would weaken the force Of IL because
it stands here on the ground of cons
tract, thing done for consideration.
, 1t is law founded ON a contract with
= Texas and designed 10 carry that
= contract into effect. A recognition
= founded not on any consideration, or
any contract, would not be so strong
as 1t now stands on the face of the res
olution. Now | know no way, cans
ddly confess, in which this Government,
;, acting in good faith, as ! trust it always
. will, can relieve itself from that silpula-
4 tion and pledge, by any honest course of
legislation whatever. And, therefore, |
- say again that, so far as Texas is con-
a cerned-lhe whole Of Texas south of
. 36 deg. Bonn, which suppose embraces
q all the slave ierrltory-ihere is no land.
;, not an acre, the character of which is
; not established by law, law which can
= not berepealed without the violation Of
!. a contract, aud plain disregard Of public
, faith
hope, sir, il Is now apparent that my
> proposition, so far as Texas is concern
ed, has been maintained and the pros
= vision in this article and il has been
o well suggested by my friend from Rhode
:. Island that that part of Texas which
:, lies north of thirty-iour degrees OF north
. latitude may be formed into free States
- is dependant, in like manner, upon
. the consent of Texas, herself a slave
. State.
4 Well, now, sir. how came this How
+ came it that within these walls. where il
is said by the honorable member from
> South Carolina that tile free States have
- a msjorIiy-thls resolution of annexa>
r ton, such as have described it, found
4 a majority in both Houses of Congress
Why, sir, it found that majority by the
1 great addition of Northern votes added
, to the entire Southern vote, or at least
/ nearly the whole of the Southern votes.
That majority was made up of Northern
as well as of Southern votes. In the
House of Representatives ii stood,
think, about eighty Southern votes for
the admission of Texas, and about fifty
, Northern votes for the admission of Tex
as. In the Senate the vote stood for the
, admission of Texas twenty-seven, and
twenty-five against it and ofthose twen-
ty-seyen votes. constituting majority
for the admission of Texas in this body,
no less than thirteen of them came from
the free States-four of them were from
New England The whole of these
thirteen Senators from the free States.
within fraction, you see. of one-hall Of
all the votes in this body for the admis>
sion of Texas, with its immeasuiable ex-
tent OF slave terrltory-were sent here
by the votes of free States.
Sir, there is not so remarkable chap
ter in our history of political events, po-
htcal parties. aud political men, as is
afforded by this measure for the admis>
sion OF Texas, with this immense lerrs