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46
lated to excite America against Great Britain. This has ostensibly
for its basis, the question between the two countries
about the boundary of the Oregon Territory, but it is strictly
connected with the movement to gain Texas, and has for its
real purpose the protection of slavery against the effect of
public opinion in Eingland, and the other States of Christendom.
Here, then, is the backward step of liberty in thie new
hemisphere. Here, then, is the check to furtiler progress,
administered by the haughty spirit engendered out of slavery,
and determined to maintain its special privilees at every hazardI.
The settled policy of the United States is to be defiance
of the world. The black flag is to go up to the mast
head, wilist we seize Texas iwith one hand and Oregon with
the othler, and proclaim our readiness to strike at the city of
Mlexico, hereafter. And tie free States are to be crippled
in their commerce and drained of their wealth, to sustain this
new crusatde in suLpport of tihe new democratic principle, now
proclaitmed in America, that " ali men are not bern free and
equal," whilst tihe slightest complaint or remonstrance is to be
branded as the heresy of men bribed and bougiht by Mexican
or British gold.
In order to promote mad schemes like tihese, it was one of
the fancies of the person now called the lamented Upshur,
but whose loss as a politician, to the country, is by no means
to be lamented, whcatever may be the share of regret felt for
him as a man ; it was one of tile fancies of this gentleman, to
bring tp the navy and army of the United States at once to
a war footing, so as to enable the country as soon as possible
to cope with (Great Britain. Extravagant appropriations
were recommended in all quarters, by an administration professing
to follow the Jeffersonian model of economiy, and we
were about to have a magnificent governiment, to give splendor
to the accident wlhich was placed at its head. Luckily
for the country, some wisdom and discretion was yet left
in thie House of Representatives, which put a stopper Iupon
these vision:s of glory fbr the timie, but the system yet remains,
and will probably be still pressed in parts, as opportunity may
offer, now that it is not probable it will ever be accepted as
a whole. B it it behoves tle people to be on the watch, or
else tt t arim amet whicih was nmade the fornerutnner of events,
will only have changed its place in the order of time, and will
he made necessary as a consequence of them.
But tIe tquestio recurs-Hlow shall we act most effectively
botl for the preservation of peace and against the settled
policy here marked out ?
Thtere have been suggestions of the expediency of extraordinary
popular meetings, State conventions, and one gen
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Adams, Charles Francis. Texas and the Massachusetts Resolutions, book, January 1, 1844; Boston, Massachusetts. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2355/m1/46/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.