Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-19

/ ,.ylr QUEENS ilidt IA ''"' N''N
IAN and thus affect, according 10 The argument OF
', oan,lamen the value OF our lands. We
s,nkour Correspondent for his seasonabe reply
l .} s,licita continuance ot his taroTS.
1 -, u, Editors Of The Enquirer:
CARoIlSE COUNTY, JULY II.
Gentlemen: The canvass for the election oil
p,.,ien, and Vice President Of the United States
/ milk opened in the county OF Caroline, ana Is
&c beine conducted with unexampled UNION en-
/ 5u,iasn and ability So far "a The Democrats are
i ~. losing none, they are daily gaining new re-
j lbs m their ranks This county will render
~ account of herself in November next
Ne are in line spirits, and never more certain
an losr SATURDAY. attended at Needwood a
,,as,;np of the Democratic Association when II
max expected that James b. Thornton, ESQ., who
lad been previously invited there, would address
~, meeting. When arrived there, | found
nlmber OF persons in attendance. Az O'CLOCK,
Wr Thornton commenced his address. ana en-
med the attention of his audience for several
mrs combining himself exclusively 10 the discus
.;,o cf The immediate annexation OF IexaS Ills
;su.s mon this subject were enlarged, statesman
,.a and natriotic. The accuracy OF his iniorma-
,;,, as II regards the political relations OF Texas,
V.y;co and the United States, invested the Ell
~, with unusual interest and weight to his
carers. do Mr.. Thornton but justice when |
.,v he was perfectly master OF his subject IN all
T.. haarings--and in its discussions, his powerful
+ni terminating mind shed floods OF new light
,,o,nit Upon This subject, Mr.. Thornton Is des-
49, ,, rA,der the most efficient service To the
,auss Of Democracy. and of Texas. Without
,sfsn4ino "a do ius,ice TO the remarks OF Mr.. T.,
i,,rn;>h Won with sort of skeleton OF them, with
80, non. that he will furnish the address entire for
Nr r commenced by saying that since he
la, addressed the people upon the subject, Inc 81
,,,,,nn ot things had materially changed. linen
" CLAWS letter had Just been published, and
,r,,b all lis influence fresh upon the public MIND.
p,nry one then saw and felt that he was opposed
:, rho measure of annexation, and the enquiry
MA. ought the measure TO be adopted. lie, MI.
= had on that occasion addressed himself TO that
roe,,,,u But now, every boly was in favor OF
aooeya,ion. though many Wings had brought
Themselves to believe that Mr. Clay, their great
;,aisy notwithstanding his recent letter upon ,hat
,lh,ect was still in favor OF that measure. In
o,isr however. to disabuse their minds OF these
er1oneous impressions, he. Mr.. Thornton,
would examine Mr. CLAWS letter from Raleigh
which was the only recent declaration OF ms
vi,nes on the subject In that letter. Mr.. Clay
had frs, considered the subject in It's foreign as
iect. and secondly, in its domestic tie he'd me
position that it would be dishonoraole III The =.
states 10 secure Texas without first obtaining The
as>en. of the Mexican Government. Inns, MT
L demonstrated could never be procured be-
cause that obviously depended on the assent OF
Enq;aDd. and that condition would forever pre-
..Iaie Inc annexation. But Mr.. /. said, that
il the consent of Santa Anna could be obtained,
Mr. Clay would not then be satisfied. He would
mo-. even then admit Texas unless the Abolition
ISIS would consent also. Every one knew that
they never would consent, ana this condition,
therefore, would operate perpetual bar 10 an
nexa,ion. This conclusion, MI Ciay virtually
admits in this very letter-tor, feeling that these
.,,rc,ions would forever exclude it, he concludes
his letter by expressing the opinion, that Texas
,lnuh remain an Independent, Republic. The
g1ss,ion then. of annexation, said MIR T., in the
n-asant attitude of affairs, can only be settled by
III people. Mr. Clay upon the one side, who is
The treat leader Of the Wing party, was opposed
q, il, and Mr. Polk on the other hand was IN
favor OF it The public sentiment was TO be
;e>ei in this form II Mf; Clay was 70 oe elesi-
Ell: the measure would be forever lost; Tor, with
his letter before the public, Mr. Clay would very
Iu,,ly feel himself instructed not TO open negoia-
ions ON the subject and would certainly reject all
oyertures, should any be offered
Oothe other hand Mr. Thornton said, Mr.. Polk
would consider himseino only committed but
instructed TO different course, II elected, ana
would use every effort TO gain that hne Country
Those. therefore, in favor OF annexation, 10 carry
an, ,ba;r nrincinles upon the subject, would vote
Tor Polk, and those opposed 10 1t would cast their
SURFACES for Clay.
Mr. r. thea sail he would notice some OF the
omec,ions which had been urged against I'M
mediate annexation. He said that up 10 tie pup
LEGATION of Mr. Clays letter, the only reason oler-
e. against annexation was that ii would he a
>aveholt;ng territory, and he conhdentv al
hrmed and proved, that this objection in It's ten
denotes was direct attack upon the institution oil
Southern Slavery. To prove this, he read The re-
monslrances of the State Legislatures in 1888, OF
Massachusetts, Vermont. Rhode Island, Ohio and
Michigan The only States that had formally
opposed it throughtheir Legislatures tthat period
He also read TO the same effect the speech oil
Mr. Webster delivered in 1897. OF Mr. Adams,
and Of VIM. c. Preston, all sustaining this
position. He introduced likewise the proceed
iassoi great number OF public meetings eS'ao,
fishing the position he had taken beyond
question He read from card addressed 10
the free States in 1913 By John q. Adams and some
other fifteen members OF Congress taking this as
the only objection, and recommending disncm-
bermeni OF the Union in preference 10 annexation
Upon this paper, Mr.. Thomton's remarks were
peculiarly striking and impressive. He then re-
ler,ed to the Editorial of the National Intelligent
Ger. approving this card He used with cmpha-
SIS Mr.. Preston speech IN reference 10 TINS SUD
lect in which he said, 1--WE neither can nor ought
IL continue in political union on such terms
Mr.. T. considered the objections which had been
urged. and met them with strong and conclusive
arguments. He earnestly commended, and elabo-
raely argued that Santa Anna never had, and
never would have, any just claim 10 the territory
OF Texas. We regret that We cannot follow Mr.
Thornton further We were, however torciby
struck with his exposure of the contemplate n.y.
pocri>y of the charge OF contemplated dlsunion
an the part OF the friends of annexation. He
proved that Webster, Adams and Clay, ard all
that class Of politicians. had, on behalf OF the
Tree States, threatened disunion in the event OF
annexation He said that he had heard that John
NJ. Bots had been exceedingly indignant at some
meetings in South Carolina Tor speaking OF dis
union; with what diSinterested motives, brief
recital OF single fact would show This gen.
,eman was member OF the 9th Congress To
that Congress Mr. Adams presented the follow
ing petition "To the Congress Of the United
States: The undersigned, citizens of Haverhil,
in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts pray
that YOU will Immediately adopt measures peace
ably 10 dissolve the Union of these States
Mr.. Adams went on to say that ne had two
other petitions in his possession to the same pur-
port: one from New York, and another from Penn
ssylrania, which he should offer at another time
Mr.. Gilmer OF Virginia, moved, "that IN present
ing petition for the dissolution of the Union, the
member from Massachusetts had Justly incurred