The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-27 00:00:00

PROCEEDINGS at WASHINGTON•

FROM THE DRAINING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
TIMES.—The consent of Congress to the annexation
of Texas is an event so long expected, that the question
of its justice has gradually merged in the vision of its
certainty. There was a time when the most enlightened
and thoughtful men of the Union could venture to en-
rtain a strong moral objection against it ; and their
arguments are on record. It was clear, however, that
the mass of the Union, its newest and most active ele-
ments, were in favour of the measure. Their eyes were
always reverting to Texas. Texas unappropriated, like
independent Megara within sight of Athens, was the
eyesore of the Union ; not but that there are other eye-
sores to the ambitious gaze of that people.
Whatever they see they love, whatever they
love they covet, and whatever they covet they ex-
pect and endeavour to obtain. But Texas was the
first thing in their way, and formed the bold foreground
of their hopes. Texas adjacent, revolted, independent,
still menaced and molested by the weak and impolitic
rulers whose yoke it had broken, already peopled and
governed by the citizens of the Union, or adventurers of
the same language and principles, was an acquisition
absolutely necessary, not so much to the happiness as
to the very comfort, the ease, the sleep, the digestion,
of certainly more than half the republic. The only part
of the business, therefore, on which there could be say
surprise, would be the particular time and manner which
republican wisdom and taste would select for the acquisi-
tion. To an European understanding there is something,
quite grotesque in the time and manner actually adopted.
The Congress comes to this momentous decision in the
very point of time between the two presidentships. Mr.
Tyler completes his career with a determination which
he cannot have the smallest share in carrying out, and
Mr. Polk will be engaged throughout his whole term in
the arduous execution of a project imposed upon him at
the first moment of his official existence. We in the old
world have long since chastised one another's desires to
at least the language of modesty and mutual deference.
The President is not overawed by the presence of one
sovereign power in the length and breadth of his conti-
nent. Hence he feels no indecency in expressing, in
glorifying every aggressive impulse of the heart. Th©
citizen, he says, must rejoice when a frontier line is re-
moved, when he can communicate freely, commercially
and politically with his neighbours, without the restric-
tions of trade, or the interference of foreign claims, and
foreign polities and morals. When such rejoicings are
arguments, then we may reasonably fear for the invidi-
ous frontier lines of the St. Lawrence, not to speak of
that other on the westward of the Rocky Mountains.
But other difficulties will arise before that day. Neither
democracy nor federation can solve the great problem of
society. Government is not so easy a task. The crea-
ture of a mob election, addressing his creators, may talk
in the same breath of clustering all nations in a consti-
tutional unity, and interdicting moral and religious in-
terference between the inhabitants of adjacent valleys ;
but human nature has assigned less to system, and more
to spiritual influences. Sho will soon detect the hollewe
ness of union without unity, and of a political combina-
tion that aims to embrace the world, while it is afraid to
interfere with the grossest social corruptions in its own
bosom.
CHRONICLE.--So far as the United States Govern-
ment is concerned, the annexation of Texas is, to em-
ploy the phrase now so often used to characterise acts of
national rapacity, un fait accompli. We confess we are
much more mortified than surprised to find this ques-
tion terminated, like all others in which the Tory admi-
nistration had to combat the arts or the ambition of
foreign and of rival powers, that is, by the total discom-
fiture of British interests and views, whether dictated by
feelings of justice, of security, or of humanity. The
question of the independence or absorption of Texas WR6
handed over to the Tory Government as a fair field for
the exertion of their diplomatic skill, and of the hun-
dred means at a government's disposal for the work-
ing out of its ends. In these the Tory Govern-
ment has most miserably failed. The American Go-
vernment have decided upon the annexation of this im-
mense country, containing 300,000 square miles, and
are about to establish over that region their system of
slave-cultivation. It was, indeed, a question of life and
death to American slavery, which, if confined to its own
exhausted soils, must have declined, and met a natural
death at no incalculable interval of time, but which now,
have secured to it most ample room and root, cannot be
expected to pause till it fills the whole territory to the
Pacific, and deluges the New World, from which it had
been partly stayed or driven, with its flood of misery and
crime. There is, indeed, one glimpse of hope, however
faint, and that is the resistance by the Texans, who
might reckon in the present state of Mcxioo on a.
recognition by that power. But the independent feeling
of the 70,000 white citizens of Texas is, we fear, not
proof against the augmentation of value which their
lands and property would instantly gain by annexation
to so powerful an empire. And, especially as Lord
Aberdeen or his Envoy are to be the sole prompters and
supporters of this independent feeling, there can bo
small grounds for its maintenance or triumph. It is
painful, indeed, to be thus driven to despair, painful to
behold, without a struggle, slavery, which we have so
long and so extensively, and not ineffectually combated,
thus regain what it has lost, and sweep, like a huge sea,
in uncontrolled devastation. over a surface of such vast
extent. Deplorable as is such a prospect, God grant wo
may not have to contemplate something worse.
HERALD.—The decision of the American State in
favour of the annexation of Texas seems to have thrown
the good citizens of the republic into a state of phrensy,
one division of the republicans being mad with joy and
triumph, the other division as frantic with indignation
and despair. There may be something in the lex 'Tors
scripta of North American politics to account for such
extraordinary raptures on opposite sides, but we confess
that we cannot fathom the mystery. The admirers
of negro slavery may rejoice at the prospect of
an accession to the slave-owner's interest, and
the abolitionists may dislike such a prospect in a
corresponding degree ; but what the decision of the
two chambers authorising the President to annex the
Texan territory to the United States, if he can by the
means of negotiation and 100,000 dollars, has to do with
the safety of the American constitution, we cannot easily
comprehend. The constitutionality or unconstitution-
ality- of the proceeding, however, does not properly
concern us, and we will not imitate the example of Mr.
John Tyler by impertinently meddling in other people's
affairs. We have our own opinion of the character and
destiny of the American constitution ; but whatever our
opinion, that constitution will run its course, and it will
not less rapidly reach the appointed goal of all such
systems, because of projects like that of the annexation,
should the project take effect. Since writing the above the
President's Message has reached us. A fter the usual rig-
marole, in the course of which Mr. Polk compliments his
own country very warmly at the expense of " European
monarchies," he dwells with much satisfaction on the
decision of the American Senate in favour of the annexa-
tion of Texas, and assigns as an excuse for this viola-
tion of national faith, " that it is desirable to extend the
peace policy of the United States." He also asserts, in
most unequivocal language, the intention of the Ameri-
can Government to take possession of the Oregon. " Our
title," says Mr. Polk, " to the country, is clear and un-
questionable;" and the world is called upon to admire
the " peaceful triumph" of such a mode of acquiring ter-
ritory. On paper, at least, the disputed country is
already occupied These are the only intimations in the
Message calculated to excited any sort of sensation in
Europe. When a man proposes to commit an aggression,
nothing is more common than the belief that he is merely
asserting a right. There are, however, two words to
every bargain.
POST.—We publish in to-day's paper very impor-
tant intelligence from the United States. This com-
prises, first, the resolution of the Senate confirming that
of the Congress with regard to the annexation of texas;
and, second, the speech of President Polk on his in-
auguration. The Senate, despite of all opinions to the
contrary, has agreed to the resolution of the Congress,
and Texas, so far as the United States is concerned,
is a part of the Union. The new President
has also expressed himself in favour of the
proposal. True, an amendment was appended to the
resolution of the Senate, but the amendment does
not alter the broad fact that the overgrown. States
of America are willing to sacrifice everything for
an addition to their already too wide domain. The
news is certainly of a very grave character, and will re-
quire the utmost attention and care from the Executive
in this country. It is true that Texas must be 11con-
senting party to the contract, but it is equally evident
that America is determined to use every effort to ac-
complish her purpose, a purpose which . cannot but com-
promise the interests of this country the new world,
importance.
• which may load to results of the highest
• The other news will be found of no less interest. The
President is determined to rapport the claim of the United
States to the Oregon territory ; and, at the same time,
' desires peace with all mankind. It is to be seen how both
can be maintained.

Plans for facilitating a
willpassage across either of the
two important isthmusesalways be of interest to
the commercial public, if in the slightest degree plausible,
and hence a French pamphlet, issued by the "Compagnio
de l'lsthme de Panama," or the projectors of such a
Company, is worth a brief notice. The notion seems to
be to undertake the double method of railroad and canal
to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the scheme
for the canal being apparently much les matured than
the other. It seems, however, that it would start at the
Bay of Limon, take the direction of the Chagres, and
after availing itself of the waters of this river, would
enter the sea by the valley of the Caimito. The rough
estimate of expense is 70,000,000 E, but this does not
pretend to be anything like an accurate calculation. The
projected railroad would take its origin likewise at,the
Bay of Limon, would follow the valley of the Chagres to
the conflux of the Trinidad, when it would be put in
connexion with the navigation, would continue in the
valley of the Chagres to the conflux of the Cano-Que-
brado, when it would cross the Chagres by a bridge, and
descending the valley of the Caimito, would finally reach
Panama. The expense of the railroad is estimated at
11,000,0001., and the plan seems to be, to execute this
first, and during its execution to complete these obser-
vations which will be requisite for the promotion of the
greater work, the canal.— Times.
NEW PIER, GRAVESEND.—This work is now
finished, and was on Monday morning thrown open to
the public. The engineer is Mr, Redman,