The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-05-23
TO THE HON. THOMAS II. BENTON.

the same famiiy,) should address you, publicly, "a
poor letter." My object in this poor letter" to
add 10 the lights before me the Texas question:
Like you, " consider what | am about''-I have
great deal of sagacty and know thing or two
My opinion the Texas question consider parlicu-
larry important, and therefore wish to have it as
perfect as possible. a great deal depends upon my
oPision-,he fate Of nations certainly and perhaps
of the human race
| Your late admirable speech on the annexation Of
Texas has suggested to me some doubts, which you
will no doubt most cheerfulIy solve.
| In the first place, observe that more than two
" mortal columns" of your speech occupied with
discussion of the proposition that the boundaries of
the present Republic Of Texas are not the same as
those Of the old Spanish Texas" They are more
extensive-and this you consider great objection to
the annexation. Others might consider it an atd-
tioual argument in favor of the measure. Every
man has his taste.
But what is the ground Of your objection That
question OF boundary would arise with Mexico p
That question would have arisen any time, even il
" the old Spanish Texas" had been annexed, or had
never been ceded by u.s.
Your objection cannot be that our Government in
tends to insist perinacously and uncompromisngly
upon the boundaries claimed by the Republic of Tex
as for you yourself quote from the despatch of Mr..
Calhoun to our Charge in Mexico the assurance that
our Government has left the boundary Of Teras icit
oui specification, that shat The line Of boundary should
Be might be an open question: 10 be fairly and fully dis,
e,is'sd aud settled according to the hts Of eaeh aud the
mutual Interests and security Of the t,co counirits-
You say indeed that the letter Of the Secretary of
State commits of fact nt;n his
Mexican boundary open question :" but on the
other hand you say that ait is not OPEN but closed
by the treaty. TO remain closed if the Senate raties
it, until opened by future treaty" You admit,
thsresore, that it may be opened by future treaty
and TO this is added the Of Government
that it scH be
1t seems TO me- Therefore, that this objec ion a. to
the question of boundary has no more force now
than 1t would have had at any time heretofore or than
it will have had at any time hereafter. The same
objection existed to the acquisition of Lou sana-
We did not know what the boundaries of that pro-
vince were, and we might have occupied all that We
claimed and have claimed almost at discretion
So far as Mexico is concerned, (and the opponents
OF annexation seem to consider her interests and
welfare Of infinitely more importance than our own
il would be much better for her to permi, US 10 re
| ceve Texas now, with indeterminatc boundary
Than TO wait until Texas has actually conquered and
occupied all the territory that she claims and per-
hsps more, and have determined her boundary beyond
dispute
A question Of boundary is no doubt troublesome
thing but il is necessary evil which attends amo.
every transfer Of landed property even in private lie
In the present Government, has don. all that
IL could to propitia,e that of MeIco by assuring il
tina, it does not intend to insist uncompromisingIy
upon specified line Of boundary.
Two more mortal columns Of your speech are de-
voted to the establishment Of the important poin,
which your friend and leader, Mr. Van Buren,. mod |
esty confessed that it would require him TO ''be vri
ting book in order to elucdaie, viz: that the bel
hgercnt relations of Mexico and TEXAS at presen,
are not The same those which subsi.ted between
Spain and MEXICO when Mr. Adams and General |
Jackson endcavorcd TO acquire TEXAS.
To prove that an essential distinction erists won
quote convention between O'Donoiou, the Lieu.
tenant General Of the Spanish armies in MEXICO and
liurbide, Afterwards Emperor of MEXICO. But ,II the
world knows, and even you yourself admit, that this
act of D Dchojou was dissvowed by his Government
and that Spain continued FOR many years snerwsrJ,
to carry on the war against Mexico and even to pro.
secue 1t vigorously and that it is only within few
years that she has ACKNOWLEDGED the indep ndenee of
MEXICO.
Is II not giving rather too much weight TO IN,
promptly dssvowed act Of an unfsitbful or ipcomte
tent General, to consider il equivalent to solemn de-
clarstoo of the S2sni Government, or Of il, snsci
Plenpotcntlsry, fully empowered 10 cede It's posse.
sionsr
Bu'even admitting that eItrsvsgsnt supposition.
parallel may be found in the history of IN, war he
tween merico and Texas. You no doubt rceoll,c,
TIE letter written to General Jackson by Santa Ann,
dated at Columbia, in Texas, on the i,h Of Julv
1886, and Of which he following is an extract:
When | offered to res, with this Go,.rnmen,
was oonrinetd hat na, useless or .H,rieo 10 eoutuu,
ia> "d fhere acquired eroef iafor,noion ,rsp,efipq
me country uheh did not possess four months ago
700 much real tor The interests OF my country 10
Wsh ior any thing which is not compatible Win q
them, Being always ready TO sacrifice nys,If q, d
us glory and advantage, never would have hesit,ted
w. subject myself 10 torment. or death rather han
nse"' to any compromise " Merico could thereby b
. 'ne shehes' benefit am firmly oonrine.d that
iation" "'s'
This The voluntary declaration, not m,,,lv of Il
'iescan "eneIal, bu, Of the head Of the Mcricap p
'o'e'hnen'o Of The same individual who i. now at, o.
nc heeo OF mat Government, and in the ENJOYMENT .;
almost despo''o power Iii, be urged that this un or
allied for d,elarstisn TO General Jackson /. anon,
he acts for which Santa Anna pr,t ndeJ not TO h. 10
'spon'be, on account Of his captivity and Jur,ss %.
may be urged on the other hand that the oo,y,n .p
on signed by ODonojoo vss estor,cd from him h, wi
'e triumph OF ilurbiJ.s arms The dia,,.oe, ui, ei'
'iss, IN favor Of the superior legality Of snp,x,o
o~i That the one vas the unauthorized act Fl ND Or