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STATE OF VERMONT
Whereas, The Constitution of the United States confers upon the general government no authority whatever to annex to this confederacy any foreign and independent State; and
Whereas, The exercise of such authority, even were it conferred by the Constitution would directly tend to weaken the bonds of our union, by multiplying the various and conflicting interests of its members, and diminishing its power to foster and protect them; and
Whereas, Considerations of justice and humanity, of consistency and of self-respect, most sacredly impel the American people, whose boast it is to have created an empire whose strong arm of defense is found in an enlightened love of liberty and hatred of oppression--to denouce and oppose every project whose design or tendency is to add an inch to the territory, or a moment to the duration of domestic slavery; Therefore
Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, That the annexation of Texas to the United States, would be a flagrant violation of the national compact, tending to a dissolution of the Union, an extension of the obious and unjust basis of the slave representation in Congress, and to the perpetuation of slavery; and would establish an intolerable domination of that institution over the free States.
Resolved, That, in the name of our constituents, and for ourselves, we hereby solemnly protest against, and declare the hostility of the State of Vermont to, such annexation, and request our senators and representatives in congress to use their exertions to prevent its being consummated.
Resolved, That we regard the institution of slavery as a monstrous anomaly in a free government, and as the source of intolerable evils, crippling the energies of the slave states, and tending to retard and deaden the enterprize of the free states, and injuriously affecting the foreign and domestic policy of the general government; and that we, therefore, protest against its extension over another foot of territory, and insist upon its restriction to the narrowest limits consistent with the spirit of the original compact between these states.
Resolved, That the Governor of this State be requested to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the Governor of each of the States of the Union, and to the President of the United States, and to each of our senators and representatives in congress.
In House of Representatives, Oct. 30th, 1844. Considered and passed. FARRAND F. MERRILL, Clerk In Senate, Oct. 30th, 1844 Passed in concurrence. D. W. C. CLARKE, Secretary.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Middlebury, Vermont, January 15th, 1845.
SIR; I transmit to you the foregoing Resolutions of the legislature of the State of Vermont. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, [illegiable] [illegiable]
To His Excellency The Governor of Tennessee