Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-06-14
POLITICAL.
DEBATE ON THE TEXAS TREATY.
SPEECH or MR.. ltDUF'EIE,
or SOUTH CAROLINA,

Mr. McDUFFIE rose and addressed the Sc
nate nearly as follows: In proceeding, MIR. Pre-
sidenl 10 discuss this great national question, |
shall commence by laying down Il fundamental
proposition which will cover the whole ground Of
controversy. affirm then, that II was not only
The right, but the duty of The President OF the
United States 10 initiate This inchoate Treaty for
the annexation of Texas lo these United States,
and il is how both he right and the duty Of this
Senate To ratiit and confirm it. In saving this,
! have exposed lhe whole I'll our line u. battle
Before, however ! proceed 10 defend il against
the direct assaults oi the adversary, ] shall a.
TEMPT 10 dislodge the honorable Senator from
Missouri, (Air Benton) from position, skir-
inshin9 POSITION whicli h. has assumed upon
our hank. The honorable Senator, a if TO az
slavate li.e cno.niiy of the alrocious violation
of our naiona! faith. which would le involved
in the ratification ol such a Treaty, has given Us
IA learned geographical diSGuisilion on the qurs-
ton ofboundaV intended To show, that in receiv-
ing Texas we have moi taken the Republic oil
Texas only, but also large portion oi New
Spain. shall no. enter upon any geographical
iii, cu>>ion a. 10 what aye the true BOUNDARIES oi
Texas. hccausc consider that whole question n
having hccn perfectly exhausted by ihc able AMI
conclusive argument al the honorable senator
from Mississippi, (Nr "a!k"r( But be the
boundary Whit il may. - IN as the Argument al
the honorable scu:tOl nom Missouri J. concerned.
i, i, perfectly immaelial Ia Inc issue. What j.
his argument That This Treaty conveys Ia the
United States large potion I'll New Spain, un-
der, general nanc OF the territories oil Texas
and he then proceeds gravcly 10 demonstrate, that
this Territory is no, embraced under the dcnomi-
nation OF Texas Why. Sir. Texas processes,
and the Treaty Processes, in it, very terms, To
convey Ia Us AL The territories al the Republic
of Trxa>" ana nothing moe. B,;; the Senator
from Missouri has discovered that, BY some IN
c0mprchcn:hlc lug-!c She has actually conveyed
more tiian herself Now, il i >oll-eylt,cnt. un
Inspections ha the Treaty Meilhcr docs convey.
no, is intended II convey enc solitary square loot
of land which does NJ! rigll.ul!v icorg - Texas.
The honorable Senator, 10 Strengthen his assumed
position Introduced an illustration, most unto.-
iuna,c iur his Own rurfo*c. but admirably adapt
c,i 10 mine. He presented the case III land
owner who has Il good AID valid title 10 po:-
ton al his estate, and 4 mere pretended and I'M
founded claim 10 tic residue, and sells the whole
hy a general designation, spesityin. no bounds
rics. And he maintains that The purchaser, in
thi, case. would take not only The land covered by
4 good lille. bit also the land covered only by a
lal.c claim. This may he law in Missouri, but
il certainly is no, in South Carolina.
The question here is. What has Texas convey
81 to the United Sac>l And the true answer Is.
Al tic territory belonging 10 lhc Republic. We
take Texas a, She *. and whatever She IS and Eo
more. Ii the honorable Senator has succeeded IN
shown. that The true boundary oi Texas IS moi
the Rio del Nortc, he las only shown thai We
have no made quite 50 good a bargain AZ some
gcnlrmcn NAV have supposed. Yet it is 10 I've
lrulnpetcd throughout The Union that, Is this
treaty. we have SEIZED upon gIeat part OF New
Spain.
E,i this is not all The Government Of the
United States. in This treaty, with iceling oil be-
coming resaru 10 tie rights ot Mexico, as well as
those of Texas, has mol designated the territory
conveyed Is; specified boundalc, but has lett The
whole question olbouhGaIy al open question. The
houndary OF Texas Is hot referred The treaty al
all; while. u, the same time, the correspondence
which accompanies il clearly shows the dAihnS-
tic true intent and purpose, with which thai matter
was lei an open question it i, that j, should he sub
>equeniiy settled On equitable Just and literal terms
with Mexico FROM this view OF H., c;TCn.n>'an
ceS. il is evident that DO additional atociiv l.
given 10 oar Imputed violation oil good faith IL
this transaction from al aitcmpto purchase wha
we know Texas had no right 10 convey.
leone. now, To the positions assumed by honor
able Senators oh the other side. in direct oppo>i
ton to the ratification Of The ueaiy.
And first, il has been conienGed, with all the
variations Of phrase. all the llour>hes OF rhetoric
and all the emphasis Of Pronunciation, that shouic
this ,,ca!.- be ratified the GcveinMcni and people
o.. tie United States will I've obnoxious TO tho
charge Of /; gross violation OF The public faith
and will make themselves the object of universe
scom and dci,stalon throughout the civilized
world. Whv, Sir have honorable Senators for
uoiicn the history vi ouc own country the orr
A. II. ;bn al
independencc? What was our condition in l1SS
We were wasing an unequal war with the mos
powerful nation Of the world her fleets dalkeneo
our coasts her armies dcsolatcd our fields; AM
distant nations, while they witnessed with wonder
The boldne>., Of our defiance, looked with conf
dence to the hour v hen We should sink in the con
hict, and be completely subju@atcd by tie SiSan-
lie power of Britain. AT that dark hour, prcS
nan, as il was with our future fate, France gene
ro,l>ly stepped forward. and rendered 10 us The
hand Of friendship, at an hour when We were no
recognized nv the other nations OF The world. an'
were scarcely known Ia some o; them; ana in Tho
VERY az, of recognition she At the same time
formed with ON infant States q treaty 81 ALLIANCE
oll,i.,iye and defensive.
And do Senators find in any historian who ha:
mentioned this cven;iul transaction. the Snalles
impu,aion upon the Government or people
France. as having been guilty ot breach oi nation
al faith. and an obnoxious violation ol her treaty
obligations with Great Britain Do they charst
her with having furnished her cscucheon by al
act o. public periidy! have seen no such charge
On lie contrary. believe the ac was regarded a:
magnanimo,l> and righlinl BY the common con
semi of civilized nations. France clearly had tn,
rjght 10 enter into sach treaty, without incurrin:
III" slightest imputalon of bad faith, he'll iheS,
Senators they are talking about question Whlcl
is not involved in this treaty 3tall. Iheir chafS'
involves total misuse of words, and Is iollnAe'
ON 2 total mi>conccrion Of things. lflhis govern
mcni lad even contracted IN alliance offensive
and defensive with Texas, Il. The time tia; SAINT
Anna WAS marching 10 meet disastrous ana GlS
Graceful defeat al san .lccimto. She would nave VI
o!a;ca no u inciplc al national faith. nor any cic
tate of International law. She woaid have dont
,iai and that only which she had ali indi>pllab'
ri,,hi 10 do and which al that time, many amor:
us 10! whom vas M; onel held 10 be aS nlaci
our dniy aS il would be that al 4 parent 10 rescue
q child from the tangs q! rat'lesnaae or lic crush
ING folds oi boa constructor we sec, men, a
nn7. that This assumed violation Of faith is Who'll
IL gra'uiou.. and rests on total miSconcefiion
Naiiora faith is no part OF the issue. II, indeed
wa had recently entered into Il treaty with Mex
e.. nuarantying to her hi, very territory III Tia
ease. and in that onl;. would The ratification o
This treaty raise 4 question of faith between the
States and that country.
have assumed that We had done in ls:'b VIA
We then properly refused 10 do. have shown tina
even this would have been no breach oi our ma
,ionai faith will now consider this impuiaiiol
a> founded upon the facts as they exist at this mo
ment.
What is the condition OF Texas now! Since
the period 10 which have referred, the memora
bic hal!c oil san Jacinio has been fought; and
contrary 70 the general expectation at the time
contrary. acknowledge. 10 my own anticlpa
lions-i!c power Of Mexico over her then revolt
al province was (as subsequent events have lulI'
iemonslalet) stricken down forever Even at
Ter that battle was fought and won hy Texas, dis
astrous a. il was to Mexico. 10 Santa Anna am
his invading army. believed that the pride o
Mexico would have been reused 10 redoubed eA
e,1ionS. and that. in The next campaign. Texa
would have been overwhelmed in the unequa
contest That was the general expectation il
this country and great sympathy was fc't in al
paris Of i, with the weaker party. Yet our 90
vernmen, scrupulously ahslained from ln,erier
H., iii - ,ha lance If tu.,.lvr months 5,