The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-13


pies, and not for pay-nay, even if it be at a
loss. In Spain and Merico, they have 8. Co
vernment Journals, ;" The editors Of which are the
servitors Of the Ministers of Government, and
dare not speak their own sentiments. In this
country any editor may even atack the Govern
menf.
MOTE FROM ONE OF MR.. CLAY'S OR
CANS.
We perceive by an article copied in the Gin
cinnat Daily Auas of the 9th instant, that the
Louisville Journal, one of Mr.. Clay's organs,
and edited by his friend and biographer, Mr..
George D.. Prentice, has taken ground violently
against the annexation of Texas. From the
commencement of the article we should have
supposed it written BY ME iclay himself 1t
speaks of the "creatures" at1ne head Of the ma
tion-language quite in conformity with that in
variably used by Mr.. Clay whenever he has oc-
casion to speak Of the Administration, and
which, translated into plain English, means
merely that they are not Mr.. Clay's" creatures"
II is dictated by that kind of petty spleen which
animates females of certain class, when they
turn up their noses, and toss their heads at each
other, and cry " creature :" II is not even good
hearty Bilngsgale.
But Mr.. Clay himself is no fool and the wri
ter Of this article Is evidently as deficient in
sense as he is in decency. After EXPIRE, sing g a
perfect assurance that the whole West will
unanimously oppose the annexation of Texas,
he says: AS TO the South, we regret TO be COM
PEELED 10 say, that we beliere IL piU be guided
on this subject by considerations Of pecuniary
interests, disregarding The lOeighty patriotic
considerations inrolred in it,"
We request the particular attention Of our
Southern friends to this compliment to their
patriotism from one of Mr.. Clay's most conf
Dental organs
Having satisfied himself that it would be in
vain TO make any appeal to the people of the
South, not addressed 10 their mercenary feelings,
the writer proceeds to show the di astrous con-
Sequences TO their "pecuuiary interests" which
would follow from the annexation of Texas He
says:
' As to the South, regret to he compelled TO
say that we believe it will be guided this subject
by considerations Of pecuniary interests, dsregarding
the weighty considerations involved in it. But we
are fully persuaded that the true interests of the
South would be injured instead of being promoted
by the annexation of Texas and we not without
hope that the South will become convinced of this
Every man. not landholder in Texas who owns an
acre Of cotton land IN the United States, is, as the
owner Of such land, interested in keeping Texas
where she is. There, land at this time is worth little
nothing owing to the state OF it, Government or
rather the want of Government. There, at this time
land is not brought in competition with the land OF
this country. Annex Texas to the Union and in that
instant is brough; into competition with the cotton
gion OF this country, body OF cotton land as large,
fertile, and convenient TO market as that new
cotton reg extending from the western border OF
Alabama westward to the sources Of The rivers Ar
kansas and Louisiana la that instant the value Of
every acre of cotton land within the present limits
of the Union, will be reduced more than fifty per
cent and much of will become value ess IN the pro-
duction Of cotton"
We may remark, in passing, that the oppo
nents of annexation do not seem TO agree very
well with each other in their opinions as to The
manner in which the measure would affect the
pecunary interests of the South. Some Of them
assert that the Southern people desire Texas
merely as a slave-market, and that they antci-
pate enormous rise in the value of their slaves.
The gain in one respect, therefore, ought TO be es
timated as set-off to the threatened loss in an
other. But the answer to both arguments is the
same the existing relations between the United
States and Texas are such, that that country is,
and has been, nearly as much a slave market for
the South as if it were &C ualy part OF the Unit
ed States and to the same extent that Texas is
mal ket for our Southern slaves her lands may
be considered as " in competition with the land
of this country" for the slaves are of no use
without the land.
The injury which would accrue to the People
of the Southern States from the annexation oil
Texas, would be precisely similar TO tina viii cb
they experienced from the annexation of Louis
lana, and the settlement Of the western and
southwestern portion Of our country. What
the amount Of that injury has been to individual
landowners, it would be exceedingly difficult to
ascertain. All emigration, whether from North
or South, must have tendency to keep down
an advance in the value Of land, which be.
comes more valuable as the population becomes
dense. But human misery generally keeps pace
with the denseness of population; and we doubt
whether the People of New England even land
holders, have been injured by the Instant and
large emigration from their section Of the coun-
try.
Whether Texas be annexed TO the United
Sta ties or not, her cotton lands, or the produce