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"no More Territory"--nine Reasons Against The New Platform

"no More Territory"--nine Reasons Against The New Platform image "no More Territory"--nine Reasons Against The New Platform image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
October
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Whigs ofCuyaiioga county,Ohio, I in Convention assembled. lately passed ! the foilowing resolutions: "Resolved, That while we regard the 'Wilmot Proviso' as the 'freemau's platform,' we at the same time declare ihe WlIIO DOfJTKINETO HE STILL JiltOADER J nnmely, Unqunlfied Opposition to any furthir annexalion of terrilonj to this Unipnj that vpon this gkolnd tfie Whigs of the Nor I hand Snulh. Kast and West, SHOüLD UNITE AND DO BATTLE AOAINST ALL ATTliMPTS TO BRING IN ANY moke Teriutory, either by purchase or bv conques!, or under the cunning pretcxt of payment of the expenses of the war. "Resolved, Thai, in carrying out our principies, we can suppnct no man for the Presidency unless he be a stan:n,tried Whigi npproved by a Whig National ; Convention, and wno is openly pledpjcd against any further annexalion ofterri-l tory or extensión of slavery." These resolutions present distinctly the j issue, " No More Territory," without qualifioation. This is now the favoiiie doctrine of the Whig party. With rare exceptions, it is insisted tipon by some hundreds of Whig papers with whioh we I exchange. They expect to rally the j whole party upon this ground, and ! ceed by t in carrying the Presidential I eleclion. Nevör have we seen any new ! ure, involving so momentous cnnsequences, adopted so Mindly and precipitately, ! unless we may except the annexation oí j Texas. These Whig leaders may as wel] be ' admoni.hed, in advance, that the hope ot i rallying the Anti-Slavery voters of :he ! free S'.ates onsuch a basis is uttcrly dehisive. For one,we hive given sufficient evidonce that we hale slavery ns tnuch as they do j but we must say to them.that ; were there no ollier party in the world, ■ we could holil no fellovvship with one j adopting ns a leading doctrine "unqualified opposition to the annexation of !er ritory lo the United Stutes ; " and i sauds of Anti-Slavery voters fully j tbize with us. We nre inflexibly hostile to this pulicyj because - 1. It is anti-Arnorican. If lliere be ; any fact conspicuous abovö all others in j our liislorv, it i, that thp genius of ihej American Peoplt?, the nature ofiheir; free institutions, the peculiarities of their j circumstances and social condition, have j continuaüy impelled tliem to the acquisition of territory. This is just as much a law of the American Repubüc as any law upon the staiute book; nnd the great duty of the s'ateíinan is, not to at:empt to arrfst its operation, bul lo labor contitiually to render its workings harmonioiis with Justice to our neigiibors, and Peace and Froedom flmong ourselves. 2. It is a cowardly concession to an impudent demand of Slavery. The clmm sel up by the slaveholders i.) that all new territory shall le divided equally between Slavery nnd Liberty. Theie a nothing in the Conslitution, nolb:ng in the greal purposes tliat were sought to be accomplished by the compacl cfunion, nothing in common sense, nothing in sound policy, notbing in decency,togive llie slightest couWïnance to such a claim, but much in them :ill vliicti should impel us promptly and stcrnly to repudíate it. We ure ready to meet, to discuss, to rejecl their claim and thus vindícale the Constitulion of the country, the memory of our Fatliers, and Ihe Ilepublicanism of these States, nguiust the charge of rpgnining ivith equal favor, of ulacing upon equal footing, Personal I-'rPedom, inalienable birlh-right of Mumrnity,iliu es.irial condition to ts Developemonl, and Personal Slavery, the greatost eneirw of Ilumaniiy, and the essential obstciclo to i i's Progres. The policy we oppobo is a coinplele evasin of iliis monly course, ' virtually admits [bat Libertv itudS'.avery are of equal claims, nnJ tiir-refore, {ur the sake ofunitingin one pariy bruJlierhood i their respective advocates and supporters, ! the extensión of ;emtorv, the e.x misión of our fiee iiistiiutions, the progresa ofj the cour.lry, are all to be givon up - al sacrifico on the altar of Party ! We Iramule unJer foot a policy whieh propoaes no other wny of stnying the niarch of Slavery than by nrresting the mtirch ofj Liberty; tbus elevaling the monstrous hxception to ;he siime rank and consideraron as tlie glonous Principie3. lt Is delusivo. The Southern Whigï are not and cannot be brought to unite upon any such bnsis. The temporary adhesión of a majority of thom might be secured, until by the help of Northern votes they could succeed in elecling a Presidential candidnte sound, as ihcy count soundne=s, on the queMion of Slavery; 3ut even that will be of no avail. Tlie House of Represeniaiives, thus far, is equally divided between Vhig3 and Democrats ; someofthem are Independents, who may or may not ;ct wilh tlia VVhigs generally, who will be sure to separate from ihem on the No-MoreTerritory Issue. A few more States have yet to vote,but it is hardly lo be expected thnt the result will greatly alter the present relations of parlies in the House of Representativas. The most sanguine Whig can expect but a bare majority. - Now, let it be remembered that tlie Dt-mocrals in Solid plialanx will go for territorv; that Hilliard, of Alabama, and a few other W'higs of his stamp, enough to carry the day, will on this point aot with them. The protest of lhe New York Courier and Enquirer against this nev doctrine shows that that class of W'higs vhich t represent, even at the North; en n not bo brought to sustain any such policy. 4. Tliere isno probibilit)-, even could the Whig ranks be ral lied on i his ground, that it will lie ofany practical irnporlance. There is a Deinoeratiu majority in the Señale, which cannot be changedhy the result ofany eleclion to be heM ihis year. By lhe Constitution, the President, with tlie Senate, lias the sole righl to form treoties. There is a strong prob.ibiliiy, ncknowledged by the Whig press generally, ihat peaceuith Mexico will soon be mnde. The President will un'foubtedly insist upon the cessinn of California and at leat a pon ion of New Mexico, even should he be obliged to ofCft a liberal equivalent. A trenly embrncirig such provisions will, in all probnbility, ba laid befo re the Senatp. in which there is a Democratie mnjority. Of course, it will be ratifieJ, nnd rtnis rnstf will have been acquirad. Now to the question: Suppose you have a small majority of NoMofe-Tenitory men in tlie Hou;-e, and lhat an appropriation of a feW milfions be required to carry the treaty into eflect, is there nnybody m;id enongh 'o dream that it would be refused? Nuv would be time to annex the Anti-Sla vcry proviso ; but tlie members who would refuse money which would be necessary to secure the pence made between the Uvo count ries xvoulJ le uni versal ly exccra'.ed. 5. It is shorl-sighted; it malees no provisión tlie future. Suppose such a treaty made. such nppropriations required, nnd yielded, then tlie nextqupstion would be, a Territorial Government. Dops your "No-inore-temtory" policy provitie furlhis contingency ? The grr-at ]oint to be setled now would be one left out of sight in your deceptious itsuj - Shall Slavery be prohibiled in the New Territorial Goveinment ? Th:s would be lhe question, which, after nll, would have j to be met, nncl yet this is the very question your wretched pollcy would suppress. C. It is nofi-committal on the subject of Slavery, ai.d aims chiefly to unite I Whig Anti-Slavery men and Whig slaveholders in the support of one candidate for the Presiiloncy; bi.t lhe re is nota man in the country who does not know lhat his very hon-cominittrilism on the part of Whig non-slaveholding dnlegates in ilieir National Mominating Convention, bas nlwnys been artfully used by the slaTCholdii g delégales to secure noniinationshostile to all Anti-Slavery poticy. Such will continue to be the case, while this non-commiltal policy shall be pur! sued. 7. lis obvious tendency is to repress : all Rgitution on the subject of slavery and quell the rising sjiirit of Freetlom atnong the people. 8. It renders totafly imposaible n union i of the (Uppie of rhe (ree Stntes agaiust the iggie.sainiis of slavery, and one pur poso : "f it is to prevent nny such union. Tho I Wilmot Proviso BÖörded rommon ground "ii which the friends of:reedom, ofoll par:ies ;uid all sections of the country, ni'glit ineft anti net. It isju:t whnt tl-.e VVhigs ofCuyahog-i, in their resolution qtioted above, cali "he Free.man's Platform," nnd tho " Nj-More-Térri!ory" polioy is tiUo what thev inlimale, The W ure rhtforin. The dUtinction is broadly drawn. All ficeinen who love Freedom may rally on " the Freeman's Plntform" - there need be no jostling of Whig or Democrat there- but none but Whigi can rally on the No-More-Temtory Whig phaTorm; and on ïha', a)l Wh'gx, Anli-31avery and Pro Slavery, may stand --thus proving that it iseiected, not for
the benefit of Freedom or the Country, but for the salety of Whigery and Party. The greol Imdv of Democrats at the ( Noctli woulü hivpslnod sidp by sitie willi the Whigs there, had Dot ihe latlcr, in adopling the new issue, thowed iheir purpose again to mulste themsehes in tlieir partv exHusiveness, nnd seek iheir own party succes. As the Democratie Anti-Slavery men could ivt endorse this issue - and the Whigs knew they could not - they saw that ihere was no nlternativefor them, but to beai' the whole burden oftlic Proviso,, or, aftrr tne Bxarriple set by the WhijfS, find a new issue. - The majuity of thein, juding trota the tone of their press, have resolved upon the latler course; nnd her-re the favor vi!h which the proposition of the renewal of the Missoui i Compromiso, ivhiehwas scouted by Ihem Inst winter, N now recaiveú. Thus is Freelum woundaj in the house of her professed fiiend-, ; and it must be admitled that the Wliigs struck the first blow. We detest this policy, [hen, lieausn it isonly atiother developement of tlie taclics of ïhe Slave Power.whicb, by bnung and diiüding, bas nlways succeedeci in accomplishing its will. We have presented our ohjpcliöns to lhe new policy, as set fortli in ilie rftsolo? tions of t e Cuyahoga Whig-, ar.d as urged by a portion of iho Whig party. - But this is not preci-ely the aspect of tha new do(.tiine, as enunciaied in Mr. Berrien's resolutlori, which is proposed by the Richmond Wh'g, Norih American, and other leading Whigs,astho truc basU of union. " Provided, always, and it is liereby declared to he the true inte.t and meaning of (Juiigress in making this approprintion, that the war with Mexico ought not to he prosecuted hy this Government with my view to (ha diamembennentof tiiat Kepublic, or to the ncquisilion, by conquest, of anv portiun of her territory; that this Government, ever desiroue to maintain and preserve pencful and fiiendly relaliuns wiih uil antton, and particularly with th ne:g')lioring liepublic ol Mexico, will always le ready to enter tipon r.egotiations with a view 10 terminote ïhe present unlnppy conflict, on terms whicl) slnll secure iho ust riglits and preserve iiiviolate the iTitionn4 honor of ïhe United Sintes nnd of Mexico; tiiat t is pspeiallv desirable, in order to maintain and preserve tliose imtcü)le relaiions which oughi always to exist between neighboring Republics, tliat thp boundary of the State of ('exns .--hoiild be definitely selt!ed, and tiiat pnvjion he made by the Kepublic of Mexico for the prompt ;mii equitalile adjnstment "f ïhe ds! claims of our citizohs on thai Repoblic.:l There is nnthing about unquaiijied opposilioiïxa anjiexation öf territory in ihis. It simply disclftims all purpose of dismcmberlng Mexico, or," as iirunediately p.xplained, of "acquisitien by conquest of any portion of her territory." So does Hie present Administrador.. And who does not see that, should the resjjonsibiütv of negotiating a peace devolve upon a 'hig ExecutivfSjSufficient Intitule would be left-by the terms of this resol ution to acquire teniiorv? Does not the resolution contémplate t)ie prompt spltlementof the claims iif our citizens t Bat these claims amount to eighs mllior.s o!' dollars. Mow could Mexico, with her revenues destroyedjher resources exhnusted, crushef tu the eart!) an overwhelming debt, prompt ly settle any such claims ? - She could nol, ua!e-s by the cesion of a portion of her lerritory ; and would not a Whig Administraron, bound only by the terms of this resoiution, deern it honorale atid jusl to ask for California and Santa Fe, insiead of money ; 'assuming the indebtediiess to our citizens, and holding out the further inducement ofanappropriation from our treasury 1 What, in the spirit or terms of Mr. Berril''s resolulion, would such a course viólate ! Supposing, then.this resoiution of qualijied opposiiion to the annexaton of any more territory to be the bnsis finally agreed upon, our fust objection would he obviated, but therest would still continue in foreft. and thii ac'ditiona] one would bear agains'. it most conclnsively. 9. By leaving open the quostion ofacquiring lerritory by honorable means.and at the sarne time smothering the issue - no more sluve territory - it would put it in the power of a future Whig Administration, should not the war be cecided before its advent, to do precisely wbat it pretendáis wil] render impossible tob" done - extendslavé territory. For, if the ternii and spirit of Mr. Berrim's resolutions allow the just and honorable acquisition of terriiory. and f a Whig Convention exclude en'.irely oll questións in regard to q candidate's opinión concerning the exleiion of slaery, then the South will without doubt secure a candidate of 'sound views' on the slr.very question. so that the final rosult of' this grand Whig inovement would be, the prosüation ofeverv safeguard of Fieedom, and an open field for slavery. Away, then, with all comproinisfis and evasions! It ís unwise, unmanly, .o refuse to meet n questio:i which miist be met at no dislant period in our progress, and seitled either foror ngainsl Ïhe Cause of Human Liberty. Wtfy prolong the ngony? Why!èva open a queiition of such inignitud', and whose agitation will continue to chafe and irrítate and produce Uijb . utherly fcelings, until suHpenso be endcd, and it be deoided wlielher An eriCfin Rppulili'-nnism is '.o be tlie pillar &f Liberly,Ol Prrmnpnii list ofSl-ivery? All that we nee I for the crisis is, firmness and troihfulnen". ''Kreeminl ho'n upnn thr s-iill Fully. fiirly .leen s' t hou Slivpry's nrts winild nvike n fp 'il Ot ')iis ui'i oí lïeeilom now? 13e iirni ! Be !! iv ! Rpsolveon whnl will fhielil froni hnnn, And no it wiih no loggard arm! Mu! ofcvpry ( limo nnd cref!! Wiih a high and holy IrUSI, D isi thoo on iliy nü'snon spesd, Soi'lnj hut the llight, ilie Jusl 1 Be firtn ! Re truc ! Thouyli sorely ttied n inatiy a wny. Oispnir nu! Godwill liriua the D:iy."

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News