Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-11-11
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.

ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
The newspapers generally are pohending the
rapid approach of the day when strenuous effort
will be made TO attach Texas TO the Union. By
one it is asserted that an agreement to the annex
alton win be made the means OF reconciling and
uniting one Of the political parties in its choice of
candidate for the next Presidency. BY another
il is claimed equally a matter OF justice TO The
two countries, upon the ground that Texas, ofriglt'
is already a portion OF the United States. l. is
alleged by the latter that the purchase Of he
French claim or south western territory included
Texas. This allegation rests upon the fact that
La Sale, French adyeturer of the seventeenth
century, entered the port of Matagorda-ths first
port of that now Republic ever known--thereby
establishing claim which was afterwards reii-
pushed but never abandoned, and by which Tex
as was legally included in the purchase Of Mr..
Jefferson.
We entertain no favorable opinion of any policy
which contemplates the increase Of our slaveholG-
ing territory. Let our western frontier push on
ward until arrested by the waves of the Pacific
in that direction it can progress with safety
But how can we extend our southern boundary
without danger both of increasing the dissatisfac-
ton of the north to clamor and the irritability OF
the south to anger. With whom wherever this
movement originates, its object is one which the
south cannot claim upon any ground of light or
justice aud 10 the attainment of which the north
should never consent. In the light Of an acquisi-
ton, Texas would be something much worse than
worthless. No country possesses so great an extent
of sea coast with so few harbors, and even that
few are generally Of the most Objectionable char
acter. Traversed, the width of her inhab;-
able territory, from the Cordilleras to the Gulf
by ;hiee considerable rivers, neither Of them are
navigable except at a stage of water which rarely
occurs odener than once year. The surface of
the country is unequaly divided into three dis
tinct sectional desert, rich, alluvial soil and
wide extent of barren mountains. The first oil
these IS a belt of country productive only in the
uring about forty-fve miles in width, from east
to west, and stretching the entire distance Of the
Texan coast, from the Sabine to the Rio Grands.
The surface Of this district is composed of white
or coast sand measuring in depth about eleven
inches, underlayed by stratum of firm clay which
very rarely exceeds an inch in thickness. AT this
di stance from the surface bed of quick-sand is
encountered, the depth of which no examination
has vet ascertaned. These facts render the di-
vision in question matter of the frs, importance
to him who regards Texas in reference to her fu-
Iure, or as a prospective portion of the United
States. The second division is that which has
smployed so many pens and exhausted so much
eloouenee in It's praise. Ii is indeed rich in every
thing thu. can render country productive or beau
tiful, bu, loses its importance in commercial point
of Wow when we reflect that both its imports and
exports have all to cross the ms, named division,
or A distIct exceeded by none other in unheai;3i'
ness. aud over which none but the most rude and
expensive means Of transportation will probably
ever be saabled TO pass. There are other impor-
tant objections TO Texas as country, among
which is an extended frontier, infested by numsr
ois band of hostile Indians, who mhabt an i'm
pregnable country aud whom il is difficult TO COM
ba, aud impossible 10 conquer--the intelligent,
reckless aud INDECENT character of the Texans
themselves and the fact thar this step would be
ealded abroad as the commencement OF a scheme
Which AIMED at the acquisition of North America.