Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-03-07

onCo, or 10 inc Unuat ~ NN'H H"'iIt1f "''N
reduced to n vassfage littlo less degrading
than that of the slaves themselves. Even
at this dav, although the white population OF
the sIayeholding States is more Than SIX mil
lions. Of whom but 377,52j, or less than one
Seventeenth are the owners OF slaves, none
but a STAKEHOLDER or one who viii act WIN
exclusive reference to Slavery, ~ ever allow
ed to rtorcsent the State IN any National
Convenu1n, 10 either branch OF congress, or
in any hioh position Of civil trust and pollti-
cal power. The slaveholdlng class, small as
It is. is the governing class, and shapes le~
pislation ana guides all public action Tor the
Advancement of us own Interests aud The
promotion of lis own ends. During all that
time. and from that time oven TO the present.
oil slaycholdlng delegates m National Con.
ycntions, upon whatever else they may dlf-
fer always concur IN imposing upon the con.
vention assent to their acquisitions IN regard
to Slavery, as the Indispensable condition OF
their support Holding thus in their hands
power to decide the result Of the election.
and using that power undevlaungly ana
steruly for the eXtorlon OF their demands,
they have always been able to control the
nominations Of both parties, and thus. what
ever may be the issue, 10 secure President
who is sure TO be the instrument of their be-
hests. Thus has It come To pass that for
twenty years we have never had o President
who would appoint 10 the humblest office
within his gift, boz any section OF the Union,
any man known TO hold opinions hostile TO
Slavery. or Co be active 30 resisting ls ag-
grcsslous and usurpaNons ol power. Men
the moat upright and the most respectable,
in States where Slavery is known by name,
have been ineligible 10 the smallest trust
have been held unfit to distribute letters
from the Federal post office to their neigh
bors, or trim the lamps Of lighthouse upon
the remotest point of our extended coast-
Millions Of our citizens have been thus dis
franchisedior their opinions concerning slave
~, aud the vast patronage Of the General
Government has been systematically WELD
ed in lts service and for the promotion of It's
designs
II was by such dscip inc, and under
such Influences that the Government and
the country were prepared for the second
great stride of Slavery toward new domln-
ION, and for the ayowal Of motives by which
it was attended.
ANNEXATION or rENAs AND THE WAR WITH
MEXICO.
Texas was admitted into the Union on the
2gth of December ISIS with a constltu.
ton torbjddng the abolition of Slavery, and
a stipulation that four more States should
become members of the Conicdcracy when
ever they might be formed within her limits
and with or without Slavery, as their lnhab
ilants might decide. The General Govern
ment thus mlde virtual provision for the adj
diton Of fire new Slave States 10 the Union
practically securing TO the slaveholdng
interest ten additional members 100 the Sen
representing States it might be, with
lcsss than O0l0O0 inhabitants. and outvot-
ing five of the old States with an aggregate
popu alton of lLOOOUOO The corrupt and
tyranncal Kings of England, when yotes
were needed DO the House of Lords 70 sus-
tam them against the people created Peers
as the emergency required, Is there ~ tins
anything in more fragrant contradiction 10
the principles of Republican Freedom. oi
more dangerous Co The public liberties, th1r
in the system prnc.iccd by the slayohollug
interes, represented in the Genera Govern
mcut
Buta third opportunity was close at hand
and Slavery made a third struggle for the
extension of ils domain and the enlarge
nent Of lts power.
The annexation Of Tevas involved ms 10
war with Mexico. The war was waged on
our part with vgor Skill and success II
resulted IN the ccssInn 90 the United States
of New Mexico, California, and Deseret
vast territories over which was extended b.,
Mexican law prohibition OF Slavery. Tn.
shareholders demanded access TO them all
resisted the admission of California aud New
Mexico which the energy Of ireemen, out
stripping in lts activity the Government anC
even the savchnlllng interest, had already
converted into Free States, and REASONABLY
mcnaced Congress and the Union with over
throw e lbs demands were not conceded -
The free splut Of The country was reused tt
indignation by these pretcnsions. and for
time thc whole nation rocked 90 the tempes
which they had created. Unloward event
aided ,ho wrong. The death Of the Presl
dent threw the whole power of the Admins
traton into timid aul iailless hands par
iy rrseutuen's and party ambitions inter
posed against tho right Great men leaders
of the people, from whom 30 better days IA,
people had learned lessons OF principle aur
pltrousm, yielded 90 The h0wln - of th,
storm and sought shelter, in submission, frou
ITS rage. The slaveholdng interest was a
gain victorious Cahforna, with her free
constitution, was indeed admitted 20 the I'm
ION; bat New Mexico, with her constitution
ior0idling Slavery within her borders wa,
denied admission and reminded 20 the con-
diilou ot "a Territory and while Congress,
refused 90 enact positive prohibition o
Slavery ln the Territories of New Mcxlc,
and Descrei, 10 was provided that when the,
should apply for admission as States, the,
should come IN with OF without Slavery, a.
Their inhabitants might decide Addiuona
concessions were made to the Slave Power
the General Government assumed the re
capture of fugitive slaves, aud 31ssed law
Tor the accomplishment Of that end. subyer
sIve at once Of State sovereignty, and 9th,
established safeguards of civil freedom. --
Then the country again had rest. Wearie,
with MS efforts. or content with their success
the slaVeholdiug interest proclaimed truce
When Franklin Pierce, on the 4th O
March, 1888, became President of the Uni
yea states, no controversy growing out o
slavery was agltuilng the country. Estab
llshed laws, some OF them enacted with un
usual solemnlty and under circumstance.
which made them of more than ordinary OBJ
liga,on, had fixed the character of all III,
States, and ended the contest concerning IN,
Territories. Sixteen States were Free States
and fifteen States were Slavs States. r.,
the Missouri Compromise Of 1920 SLAYER,
was forever prohibited from all the louisa
ma Territory lying north Of the line Of 3t
deg. 80 min. while over that Territory ly
ing south of that line, and over the Terrific
RES OF New Mexico and Deseret, no sucl
prohibition had been extended. The Who'll,
country reposed upon this arrangement. Al
sections and all Interests, whether approving
II or not, seemed to acquiescc in us terms. ~
The slaveholdlng interest, through all It's or
gans and especially through the Genera
Government, proclaimed that this was a tina
aud lrrepealable adjustment of the struggl,
between Freedom and Slavery for poltica
powcr;-tlat It had been effected by mutua
concessions and in the spirit of compromise
land that It should be as enduring as tn
Union and as sacred as the Constitution it
sell. Both political parties gave it thei
sanction IN their National Conventions: % tn
whole country assented to its validity an,
, President Pierce, IN his first official mesa, d,