The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-13


ment.
NOTE FROM ONE OF MR.. CLAWS OR
CANS.
We perceive by an article copied.o the Gin
cnnati Daily Atlas 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
SUPP osed it written by Mr. Clay himself. II
speaks of the I" creatures at the head Of the ma
tion-language quite il conformity with that in
varably used by Mr.. Clay whenever be has Oc-
casion to speak of the Administration, and
which, translated uto plain English, means
merely that they are not Mr.. Clay's =" creatures"
1t is dictated by that kind Of petty spleen which
animates females Of a certain class, when they
turn up their noses, and toss their heads al each
other, and cry crralure!' 1t is no, even good
hearty Billingsgale.
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 expressing "a
perfect assurance" that the whole West will
unanimously oppose the annexation Of Texas,
he says: GAS 10 the South we regret to be com
PEELED to say, that we beiieUe IL niH be guided
on this subject by considerations Of peeuniary
interests. disregarriing The reightg patriotic
considerations inrolred iu a."
We request the particular attention Of our
Southern friends 10 this compliment TO their
patriotism from one Of Mr.. Clays most conf
dental organs.
Having satisfied himself that it would be in
vain 10 make any appeal to the people of the
South, not addressed to their mercenary feelings,
the writer proceeds 10 show the disastrous con-
sequences TO their "pecuniary interests" which
would follow from the anne Ration OF Texas. He
says
" As 10 the South, We regret TO he compelled 10
cay, that we believe il will be guided this subject
by considerations OF pecunary interests disrcgsrdng
the weigbty considerations involved 10 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 are not without
hope that the South will become convinced Of this.
Every man, not a landholder in Texas, who owns
acre Of cotton land 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
fatner tDc want OF IDcFt, al us
land is not brought IN competition with the land OF
tins country. Annex Texas TO the Union, and IN that
instant Is brought into competition with the cotton re-
gion Of this country body Of cotton land as large
FERTILE and convenient to market, as that new
cotton reg on extending from the western border OF
Alabama westward TO the sources Of The rivers Ar
kansas and Lousiana. In that instant the value OF
every Of cotton land within the present limit
Of the Union, will be reduced more than fifty pei
cent and much Of It will become valueess in the pro
ducton Of cotton"
We may remark, in passing, that The oppo
nerts Of annexation do not seem 10 agree very
well with each other in their opinions rs to Ih'
manner in which the measure would affect thu
pccuniary interests Of the South. Some Of then
assert that the Southern people desire Texa
merely rs n slave-market, and that they anlici
pate an enormous rise in the value of their slaves
The gain in one respect, therefore, ought TO be es
tmaled as a set-oG to the threatened loss in an
other. But the answer to both arguments is tn
same the existing relations between the Unite,
States and Texas are such, that that country is
and has been nearly as much slave market 70
the South as il it were actually part Of the Uoit
ed States and to the same extent that Texas j
market for our Southern slaves, her lands ma
be considered as 4" in competition with the lam
of this county," for the slaves are Of no us
without the land.
The injury which would accrue to the Peopl
of the Southern States from the annexation Q
Texas, would be precisely similar to that viii c
they experienced from the annexation of Loui,
lana, and the settlement Of the western an
southwestern portion Of our country. Wh'
the amount of that injury has been to individu'
landowners, it would be exceedingly difficult I
ascertain. All emigration, whether from Mort
or South, must have tendency to keep dow
an advance in the value Of land, which be
comes more valuable as the population become
dense. But human misery generally keeps pac
with the denseness Of population; and we dout
whether the People ofNew England, even land
holders, have been injured by the constant an
large emigration from their section Of the couo
try.
Whether Texas be annexed to the Un,e
Sta ties or not, her cotton lands, or the produc