The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-03-03
SPEKCn OF MN. Il. SEMiRn


NHf"HNshh - hAN o. HAMAAH y w. 10
Ma PHt,iptNr. The uitod States.
~ ihe closc ol Ihc Revolution. rested
souihwari ou lhe ~. Mar,'. and west.
ward on lhe Mississippi aud po-,c.sed
a broad unorcupicd domain. circum-
scribud by those rivers, the Alleghsnv
Mountains and the great Northern
Lakes. The Constitution anticipated
the division of ine domain into States.
to be admitted as members OF the Tn
Ion, but It "a iiher provided for nor an
iicipated any enlargement Of the nation
al boundaries The people. Engaged in
recognizing their Governments, i'm
proving their social systems, and esinb.
fishing relations Of commerce and friend
ship with other nnlions remained many
years content within their apparently
ample limits. But il was already fore.
'een that the free navigation Of the Mis-
issippi would soon become an urgent
public want.
France, although she had lor Cana
ia, IN ehivalIous battle on the Heights
If Abraham, in 1868, nevertheless,
Iill retained her ancient territories on
he western bank of the Mississippi
'he had, also, just before the breaking
ut of her own fearful Revolution. re-
cqured, 10y secret treaty, the posses
ions on the Gulf Of Mey leo. which. in
recent war, had been wrested from her
" Spain. Her First Consul. among
hose brilliant achievements which PROV
I'd him the first Statesman as well n
the fret Captain of Europe, sagaciously
sold the whole Of these possessions to
the United States, for liberal sum, and
!hus rcplenished his treasury, while he
saved from his enemies, aud transferred
to friendly power, distant and vast re-
gions, which, for want Of adequate and
naval force, he was unable TO defend.
This purchase of Louisiana from
France, by the United States, involved
a grave dispute concerning the western
limits Of that province and this con-
troyersy, having remained open until
1919, was then adjusted by treaty, in
which they relinquished Texas to Spain,
and accepted cession Of the early dis
covered and long-inhabited provinces of
East Florida and West Florida, The
United States stipulated, in each Of
these cases, 10 admit the countries thus
annexed into the Federal Union
The acquisitions of Oregon, by dis
covery and occupation, Of Texas, by her
voluntary annexation, and Of New Mex
leo aud California, including what is
now called Utah, by war, completed that
rapid course of enlargement, at the close
of which our frontier has been fixed
near the center Of what was New-Spain
on the Atlantic side of the continent
while on the west, as on the east, only
an ocean separates US from the nation.
of the old world. II is not in my way
now TO speculate on the question how
long we are 10 rest on these advanced
positions.
Slavery, before the Revolution, ex,
i.ied in the whole thirteen Colonies
as it did also in nearly all the Other
European plantations in America. Bu
it had been forced by British authority
for political and commercial ends, OF
the American people, against their owl
sagacious instincts of policy, and theil
stronger feelings Of justice and human
ity.
They had protested and demonstrated
against the system. earnestly, for forty
years, and they ceased to protest and re
monsirate against it only when they
finally committed their entire cause o.
complaint 10 the arbtrament Of arms
An earnest spirit Of emancipation wa
abroad in the Colonies at the close o
the Revolution, and all Of them, except
perhaps, South Carolina, aud Georgia
anticipated, desired, and designed AZ
early removal Of the system from th'
country. The suppression Of the Afri
can Slave trade, which was universally
regarded as ancillary TO that great meas
ure. was not without much reluctance
I postponed until 1903.
While there was no national power
and no claim or desire for national pow
er, anywhere, TO compel involuniar,
/ emancipation in the States where Slave
! rs existed, there was at the same time
very general desire and strong pur
pose to prevent lis introduction into new
communities, yet TO be formed, and int
new States vet TO be established. Nj
JrrfrEsoS proposed, as early as 1884
I 10 exclude il from the national domain
which should bc constituted by cession
I from the States TO the United State.
lie recommended and urged The meas
ure as ancillary, also, TO the ullimal
policy Of emancipation. There seem
TO have been at first no very deep jcal
oasy between the cmancipaiins and 'h'
non-emaucipaiiug States and the poll
cy Of admitting new States was not dis
tsrbed by questions concerning Slavery
Vermont. non-slayehnldine State, wa
admitted IN 1898. keniucky. a tra
mouiane slayehoidiag commaaiiy, hay
ing been detached Rom Virginia, Ma
admitted. without being questioned
about the same time. 50, als1, Icunrs
sec. which WAS similar community
separated from North Carolina ua'
admitted ia 1886, ~iih a stipulation iha