Squatter sovereign., 1856-08-05
From the ch.rlestsn Mercury.

b4I. DuCHduul SOteus uLlLl the pftSSut
time, there has been no pause of Aboii-
ton agitation in Congress. About the
| same time the Texas question came up,
and it at once excited, to the highest ac-
tiviiy, the anii-slavery elements at the
! North. Mr.. Buchanan took an early and
prominent part in behalf of the annexa-
tion Of Texas; and. in 1914, when the
question of the ratification of the Treaty
with Texas was before the Senate, he de-
hsered . powerful and eloquent speech in
its support. He discussed and refuted all
the objections urged against the measure,
and this in the face Of remonstrances and
petitions from the North, and the people
of his own State, against the admission of
''rnore slave States" His speech on that
occasion has been much commented on, as
affording evidence of Mr. Buchanan's
freeso,l principles. Let US examine it.
Amcng the many considerations urged
in fayor OF the annexation of Texas, by
Mr.. Buchanan, there was one to which he
gave special prominence. He asserted,
in the spirit of Mr.. Calhoun's resolutions,
that the South had right to be protected
by the Federal Government in her dones-
tic instithtions-ihat IS Texas would be.
come dependency of England. unless it
should be annexed to the United States
and that, through the agency of English
abolitionists, servile war would be light
ed up, endangering the existence of the
Southern States To protect the South
from such a contingency, was conclusive
argument with Mr.. Buchanan in favor OF
annexation.
But that portion of Mr. Buchanan's
speech, upon which the most invidious
comments have been made, and to which
we call special attention, was as follows:
ain arriving at the conclusion TO support
this treaty, had to encounter but one Sc
rious obstacle, and that, was the question
Of slavery. Whilst ever have maintain
ed, and ever shall maintain, in the full
force and vigor, the constitutional rights of
the Southern States over their slave prop
crty, l yet feel strong repugnance by an
act of mine to extend the limits of the I'm
ion over a new slave-holding territory.-I
After mature reflection, however, / over.
come these scruples. and now Relieve that
the acquisition of Texas will be the means
of limiting not enlarging the dominion of
slavery. ass 1+s-
In the gov. rament of the world, Provi-
dence generally produces great changes by
Il, 10,
the counsels of the Almighty. May not,
then, the acquisition of Texas be the means
Of gradually drawing the slaves far to the
South, to climate more congeniaI to their
nature; and may they not finally pass off
into Mexico, and there mingle with race
where no prejudice exists against their
color2 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 So
ciai equality. To this condition they never
can be admitted in the United States.
That the question of Texas would ere
long, convert Maryland, Virginia, Ken
lucky Missouri, and proba bly, others Of the
more Northern slave States into free States,
entertain not doubt.
But should Texas be annexed to the
Union, causes will be brought into opera
ton which must inevitably remove slavery
from what may be called the farming
States. From the best information, it is
no longer profita Bile to raise wheat. rye and
corn, by slave labor. Where these articles
are the only staples of agriculture, in the
pointed and expressive language af Mr..
Randolph, If the slave does not run away
from his master, the master must run away
from the slave. The slave will naturally
be removed from such a country, where
his labor is scarcely adequate to his own
support, to region where he can not oniy
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.
/ have never apprehended the prepon-
derance of the slave States in the councils
OF the nation. Such a fear has always
appeared TO me visionary. But those wi 20
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. there
fore, in ,he nature of things, must be free.
Mr.. Clay in his letter of the 18th of April
last, on the subjects of annexation, states
that according to his Information
The territory of Texas is susceptible OF
| division into five States of convenient
size and form. OF these, two only would
be adapted 10 those peculiar institutions
(slayery) TO which have referred /; and
the other three, lying west and north of
San Antonio. being only adopted to farm
ing and grazing purposes, from the nature
of their soils climate and productions.
would not admit Of these institutions. In
the end, therefore. there wonld be two
slave aud three free States probably ad-
ded to the Union. So
And here, permit me to observe, that
there is one defect In the treaty which
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