The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-06-20
MR.. BUCHANAN's TEXAS SPEECH.

nave Oeen Hging 10 make oub case III P"ih'
by parading what they call Mr. Fillmnre's
"Erie letter" unit the honest and resprcta-
BILE portion Of their readers are, no doubt,
heartily sick of it By way of varying the
monotony of their columns, few chapters
from the ample record of the Cincinnati nomi
nee would be in taste. The Congressional
Globe, part II, vol. Is, Of the Appendix, coll
tains a speech Of Mr. Buchanan, on the ad.
mission Of Texas, delivered in secret session
June 8, 1874, which rs an item Of history is
not without interest al this time. II is right
and proper that the political record of Mr.
Buchanan should be examined, and the facts
spread before the country. The only portion
of the speech which is at present of interest.
is that which rdates to the question of sla-
very. This subject is first mentioned in the
following extract
an arriving at the conclusion to support
this treaty, had 10 encounter but one serious
obstacle, AND THAT WAS THE QUESTION OF
SLAVERY. Whilst ever have maintained,
and ever shall maintain, in their full force and
vigor, tue constitutional rights OF the South
ern States over their slave property, yet feel
a strong r,pugnance by any act Of mine 10
ertend The limits Of The Union orer a ne,o
siaueholding erritorv. After mature reiec-
ton, however, overcame these scruples, and
now believe that the acquisition of Texas will
he the means of LIMITING, not ENLARG.
ING the dominion OF SLAVERY.
SIN the goverhmeat Of the world, Provi-
dence generally produces great changes by
gradual MEANS. There is nothing rash in the
counsels of the Almighty. May not, then, the
acquisition of Texas be the means of gradu-
ally drawing The slaves far TO the South to
climate more eongnial to their nature; and
may they notlinalk pass off into Mexico, and
THERE MIEGLE WITH RACE WHERE no PRE-
JUDGE EXISTS AGAINST THEIR COLOR? The
Mexican nation is composed of Spaniards,
Indians and negroes, blended together in
every VARIETY, who would receive our slaves
on terms of perfect social 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, nnd probably others of the more
Northern slave States into free States, | en-
tert:iin not doubt.
"Bu ,hould Ienus be ANNEXED 10 The Union,
causes wU be brought into operation which
must inevitably remore sIarery trom Taat may
be called he farming States. From the best
information, it is no longer profitable to raise
wheat, I'VE, and corn, by slave labor. Where
these articles are the only staples Of agricul.
ture, in the pointed and expressive language
of Mr.. Randolph, il the slave does not run
away from his master, the master must run
away from the slave. The slave will natural.
" be removed irons acOuntry, where his
labor is scarcely adequate to his own support,
10 region where lie can not only maintain
himself, but yield large profits to his master.
Texas will open an outlet; and slavery itself
thus finally pass the Del Norte, and be lost in
Mexico. One thing is certain: the present
number Of slaves cannot be increased by the
annexation of Texas.
al have never apprehended the preronder-
ance of the slave St,tes in the councils OF the
nation. Such a fear has always appeared to
me visionary. But those who entertain such
apprehensiOns need not be alarmed by the
acquisition of Texas More than one half of
its territory is wholly unfit for the slave labor,
and, therefore, in the nature 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 information
s.rha terrinry of Texas is susceptible of n
division into five States of convenient size
and form. OF the,e, two only would be
adapted to those peiuliar institutions Slavery
to which have referred; and the other three,
lying west and norIh of San Antonio, being
only adapted to farming and grazing purposes,
from the nature Of heir soil, climate, and pro.
ductiOns would no; admit of these insii!u-
tons. In the endthcrefore, there would be
two slave and three free States probably nd.
ded to the Union.T
sand here, permit me 70 observe, that there
is one defect in tn. treaty which ought to be
amended, it we all did not know that it is
destined to be rejected. The treaty itself
ought to determine how many free and how
many slave Statesshould be made out of this
territory."-Paget 62l, 722.
Pooh PIERcE.-Frank Pierce is certainly