The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-07-08

Cency Dy combining tnc WnOie VoIc Oh Lnc
south in his favor, and putting it in the atti-
tude of abandoning the Union, unless the
north would call the great nullifier to the
Chief Magistracy to preVentit. The intrigue
of selfish ambition was SO apparent in all his
management, that Mr.. Calhoun could not
unite the south in his support. Itvalued the
Union much moro than it did Mr.. Calhoun,
and would not put it in jeopardy to make the
experiment he proposed. 1t saw, too, that
there was not the slightest inclination on the
part Of any nothern state to trespass on the
rights of their brethren Of the south-that
the panic about incendiary documents was
mere feint--that all the abolition pamphlets
were but waste paper. If they had any ef-
feet, it was to make the master more severe,
and the slave more servile.
Having in vain tried to make the subser-
viency Of the stakeholder throughout the south
pander to his selfish designs ms II did in South
Carolina, mischance AT last s.,~ rr'. Cal
houn the opportunity to touch chord, TO
which the feelings of the slaveowners every
where responded. It awakened the ambition
of the whole olgarchy of the south. The
conquest of new dominions for slavery touch
ed that fibre in the heart, which, unhappily
for the peace of mankind, is too much alive
in every BOSOM Mr.. Calhoun, as the head
of Mr.. Tyler's administration IA place which
was opened to him by the hand Of death)
urged the annexation of Texas, as offering
field to the south for the propagation of slavery
and opening its way to indefinite extension
towards the west.
He seized the occasion TO address a letter
TO Lord Aberdeen. declaring this to be the
purpose Of the annexation, and another TO Mr..
King, our minister to France, in which he
expatated upon the advantages of slavery.
Thus Offering. in the eyes Of all Europe, an
Insult to the honest principles on which our
revolutionary fathers and the authors of the
constitution, founded our government.
These patriots would not allow the word
SLAVE to be found in our constitution. They
provided for the extinction Of the slave trade
as a piracy. They prohibited it from every
territory belonging to the Union. Mr.. Cal
houn coveted new territories only to afford
room FORTS expansion, and made it hisshame-
less boast to the world, that the power we
had ACQUIRED rs freemen, under the lead Of
patriots, who had shed their blood to estab-
lsh the principle that call men were born free
and equal" was now to be employed to spread
slavery over a continent. Here, for the first
time, Mr.. Calhoun succeeded in drawing to
his purpose the whole slave holding interest,
as we'll without MS within South Carolina.
The ambition of conquest, especially, in
those taught to domneer in their nurses arms,
cannot resist the tempting invitation to take
cheap glory and rich spoils from a weak peo-
ple. Besides, we had claim to Texas. 1t
L. -. o,I - hon
suspected that Mr.. Calhoun looked beyond
its boundaries to take new provinces, and ex-
tend slavery into Mexico His avowed prin-
ciplo, therefore, was supposed to be limited
by the practical result to which they were im-
mediately applicable, and men who had no
thought Of conqucring Mexico TO convert it
again into land Of slaves, cordially co ope
rated in bringing Texas into the Union Tho
scheme was then mcdtated, the consequences
Of which are now before us and which one
Brooks, of South Carolina, has declared in
the House of Representatives, looks to the
absorption Of Mexico, Nicaragua and Cuba.
The annexation Of Texas produced the war
with Mexico, which fully developed the am
bition of the slaveholding interest for extend
cd dominion. 1t was not satisfied with the
acquisition of the rich state of Texas. 1t was
not satisfied with the pledge Of Congress that
four additional slave states should be created
out of territory conquered from Mexico, be-
tween the limits of Texas as they stood before
the war and the Rio Grande, and other un-
settled regions extending along the line Of SO
deg. so min. to New Mexico. Mr.. Calhoun
and his partizans threatened to sever the
Union if California was admitted as free
state on demand Of its citizens, unless all New
Mexico were opened to slavery.
It is proper to look back to the successful
means employed by Mr.. Calhoun and his
friends, which enabled them to press such ar
rocant demands. Mr.. Calhoun had made the
shareholders perfect southern phalanx by
making it ranifest that thorough concert of
action among them was essential to achieve
their contemplated conquest; and it was also
| impressed as another prerequisite, that they
must have control Of the federal administra-
ton, and to accomplish this combination Of
personal interests must be contrived, 10 dis
solve the adaension of party principles. With
these ends Mr.. Calhoun the actual head of
Mr.. Tyler's administration, cled a conven-
ton of delegates, appointed by the office
holders in all the States, to meet at Baltimore
cDntemporaneously with the democratic con-
ven,ion chosen to nominate a successor to Mr..
Tyler The Texas question was employed to
produce a schism in tho democratic conven-
ton, majority Of which had been instructed
to announce Mr.. Van Buren, as its candidate
for the Presidency. The two-third's rule was
adopted to defeat his nomination.
It is now avowed by one Of the South
Carolina delegation, that Mr.. Polk owed his
nomination TO Mr.. Calhoun's friends. Col
| Pickons and Mr. Elmore. from South Carroll
ma, attended as delegates, and laid their cre-
dentials on the table, but did not become
members, preferring to stand aloof, and not
be bound by tho decision of the body. While
exerting their influence to control the result
they intimated that unless the man they would
support should become the candidate, the null
lifiers who controlled the Texas movement
would defeat the election. Pledges were
made on all sides, and Mr.. Polk was nomina.
| ted. But 10 make sure that the pledges o