The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-06-28

l. y
held in the Court House in the city OF
Lancaster on the 23d or November,
1917:
James Buchanan, James Hopkins
and VIM. Jenkins, were appointed a
committee on resolutions, and report
ed the following among others:
"Resolocd, That the Representatives
in Congress from this District, be, and
are hereby earnestly requested to use
their utmost endeavors as members Of
the National Legislature, to prevent
the existence Of slavery in any Of the
new Territories or new States which
may be created by Congress.
"Resolred, That in the opinion OF
this meeting, the members Of Congress,
who at that session sustained the cause
of Justice, Humanity and Patriotism,
in opposing the Introduction of slavery
in the State then endeavored to be
formed out OF the Missouri Territory,
are entitled to the warmest thanks OF
every friend Of humanity
Here follows an extract from q
speech made by Senator Buchanan in
1914, while the Senate was in secret
session on the Texas Annexation Bill,
and which may be found in the Con-
greSsi0nai G!cde.
Sin arriving at the conclusion to
support this treaty, | had to encounter
but one serious obstacle, and that was
the question slavery. Whilst have
ever maintained, and ever shall main
tain, in their full force and vigor, the
constitutional rights of the Southern
States over their slave property, l get
feel strong rcpugnance by aay act
| ofminc TO ertcndh Hmitsof The Union
6per d ne,o &aceholding Tcrritory.-
After mature reflection; however, |
overcame these scruplcs, and now be-
lieve that the acquisition of Texas will
be the means of limiting, not enlarg-
ing the dominons of slavery.
y "ln the government
of the world, Providence generally
produces great changes by gradual
means. There is nothing rash in the
counscIs of the Almighty. May not,
then, the acquisition Of Texas be the
means gradually drawing the slaves
far to the South to climate more con-
genial to their nature; and may they
not finally pass off into Mexico; and
thore mingle with a race where no
prejudice exists against their COLOR
The Mexican nation is composed OF
Spaniards, Indians and negroes, blend
ed together in every variety, who
would receive our slaves on terms OF
perfect equality. To this condition
they never can be admitted in the
United States"
That the acquisition of Texas
would ere long convert Maryland,
Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and
probably others Of the more Northern
States, into free States entertain no
doubt.
But should Texas be annexed to
the Union, causes will be brought into
operation which must inevitably re-
move slavery from what may be call
cd the farming States. From the
best information, it is no longer profit
able to raise wheat, rye, and corn by
slave labor. Where these articles
are the only staples Of agriculture,
in the pointed and expressive language
of Randolph, if the slave does not run
away from his master, the master must
runaway from the slave. The slave
will naturally be removed from such %
country, where his labor is scarcely
adequate to his own support, to a re-
gion where he can not only maintain
himself, but yield large profits to his
master. Texas will open an outlet;
and slavery itself may thus finally
pass the Del Norte, and be lost in Mex
leo. One thing is certain: the present
number ofslaves cannot be increased
by the annexation of Texas.
81 have never apprehcnded the pre-
ponderance OF the slave States in the
councils of the nation. Such fear
has always appeared to me visionary.
But those who entertain such appre-
tensions need not be alarmed by the
acquisition of Texas. More than one
half of its territory is wholly unfit for
slave labor, and there fore, in the ma
ture of things, must be free. Mr..
Clay in his letter Of the 18th of April
last, on the subject of annexation,
states that, according to his intorma-
ton
THE Territory of Texas is suscep-
tble Of division into five States of con-
venient size and form. OF these two
only would be adapted to those pecu-
liar institutions Slavery to which /
have referred; and the other three, ly-