Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-05-24

lie. ~ other of them and the very defective tile
if any, which either retains over Texas, there cou'o
not be great difficulty in estimating th'' damage.
So far ms regards this account, the just cause
f ono spems 10 be on the part OF France or Texas, u
no d nat reannex The latter, rather than on The par
- Mex.co il we do. The soennily and lnvclnbIiiIy
of the treaty of 1903 must be quite us great as tha
, either 1919, 1928, or any other more recent.
But finally, surprising tina, both these views OF 'h'
h;,c, are nntenabe and, for the sake OF argumen,
;nd,l,,cr \ moment III the idea that Texas was no
embraced within The limits OF LOUISIANA or, II 90 wa'
legally ceded Span, and afterwards became an u"
te1,,i pntt of the Mexican empfe-had she not, whet
tho forms of her coufe deracy with that Government
hscame wantonly violated, her citizens imprisoned, anc
h, ,,,y;leaes ouraGed-had she not right To asseF
md MAINTAIN her independence! Would she not nave
heen false to her American blood, not u have done
on the field Of San Jacinto, as wen as down 10 the pre-
sent moment.
Shs b,s done it, too, in such manner and form, ne
l.ss than substance as in my apprehension Justiis'
other nations in treating her as do Jure as well Is 4"
E,c,o Government and competent under The prlncpie
Of popular Liberty and the souhaeot nefnatlonai aN
IN boih bemispheres cede her territory unite he
Coyernment 10 another, without giving just cause o.
n war TO any power. 80, -. r:.,
n size Of territory she is big as France, and as large
osanv four OF our own States II populations she has
ono r.noinp by different estimates from two 10 three
nnnd,sI ,housand people of all Kinds IL regular
constitution of government and code OF laws she has
Lo,h IF uniform administration Of justice and the
,;rbs Of conscience secured to ALL rather than the
protection of the Catholic hei'son niohe' as III
max,co she enjoys them. She has troops and ships
~ war She has had her independence acknow-
ledred by the United States, by Great Britain France
and indeed all the great powers OF Chrs'endom, moi
under the sway of the Holy Alliance ana che mas
trsntes of commerce and international agents with
n,ost or them Scarce hostile foot even from Mex
;co nrofaned her soil from 1896, when Santa Anna
nubcly stipulated with her to end the war. TO 1917
And the predatory incurs'ons since, IN breach OF h's
oolsmn compact and in manner violating The rules oil
o;y;I,,ed warfare, have secured q lodgmrni
within her boundaries for single month al time No
towers castles, or counties, have there been held b.
bar old enemy in doubtful or divided empire. Her
yoIn,ion is not in embryo but full grown Not gong
on by preparatory steps, but hnlshe d-sioe Notdis-
,rocied by rival constitutions, rival chietnins and
rival ARMIES such long desoated many Spanish pro-
vnces but domestic harmony and peace ;egn through
ort cbsir prisons are filled with political victims
Order and law and the rights oil property are respect
i ed and neither taste, education, nor sympabies
of any kind are lingering round their former Govern
ment and smoothing the way to the remo!sst thought
at reconciliation. Under this condition OF iings, how
properly have the u 81 for years urged Mexico,
bat the independence of Texas ought not 10 be- recog
Missed by her. md further hosl't'es wngec France
and ENGLAND have done the and the LATER, since
1870 has bound herself by Treaty of mediation, to try
to procure an abandonment of the claims Of Mexico
What fears, Ihen ought TO be entertained, alter such
advice from such Nations of our being involved in any
UNSUITABLE war, by means of the annexation ? But
Texas has other qualities characteristics of ma
ton showing her competent 10 enter into any contract
or Arrangement with other nations, as fully ms the old
sst power of Europe Besides having been for several
wears admitted all respects, into the great family o.
nations she liable for her own wrongs to them, and
il held So and not Mexico, appears by her Treaty Of
indemnity to us in 1888. She is authorized 10 seek
dtess for injuries to herself and not Mexico for her
and she has this way, and by treaties binding her
commerce. limits, soil, and Jurisdiction, been much
wider acknowledged, and longer in the independent
Government of herself than had Bonaparte in France
when he sold Louisiana to US. Such, admit was
no, the position Of her affairs when annexation was
proposed and declined in 1887 but their sHairs have
made great strides and one unfortunate mistake
with some, the consideration Of this topic, appears
10 be in not eectng enough on the changes IN her
relations and national maturity and stability, made by
the progress Of time and events, during the past
SEVEN years. II manifest, that if people have, BY
sound principles right TO seli-government, and, when
oppressed cam like the U. States, properly revolt from
England or Mexico from Spain, Texas from Next
CO. and having declared their independence, do main
tain till they give, in this case, all the usual md
cn,ons among nations of manhood-dscret'on, power,
Justice and order, the question OF their dc Jre sove-
eign,y thus becomes as clearly settled 10 respect TO
all third persons as their de tacto sovereignty The
assent or acknowledgment OF their old masters does
no, constitute the rig INT, but merely admits IT. us Inc
minors apprentices, claiming to be adults ana ree,
and acting as SUCH derive their rights from the iacts
of the CASE whether acknowledged or not by those To
whom they were once IN subjecton. The world must
otherwise become divided into mere holy alliances,
with all their monopolizing dogmas on the one hand,
and moi Other only such they consider mere re-
bels pirces and bandtti breaking up IN ths way OH
reform or progress aud yielding to the claim OF the
divine right Of kings all the human race till vo-
i unfairly relinauished The of opinion on lhs
question was settled favor of the people, after sixty
years Of desolaon and carnage on the plains oil hol-
land nrain at Lexington, Saratoga Yorktown; again
IN Europe after delugng France in blood; ana again
and again on both slopes Of the Andes, as well as IN
Mexico herself on q basis never again to be shaken
IN the New World. The American side OF this
question: rather than The British side, or the SIDE OF
any of the Depoisms Of the Old Old World, must be
considered as adopted here forever What other con
clsions could have influenced both Mexico and our Gov
ernment in 1926, when applied 10 her to sell Texas
to u.s. without asking any assent By Spain, or sens her
engagement not 10 mako war upon US and thls 'houeh
Mexico had then maintained her independence near
so long as Texas now and though Spain was sun en-
gagged in actual hostililies with her, and occupying
fortress considered the key and Gibraltar oil Mexico
and though! Spain recognised her independence tl
eleven years after On what principle could we MAKE
or Mexico receive the application which wouiu mol
tfy still stronger the present annexation OF ic1a oh
what principle, but this, could apply again 10 BUY,
in 1925 and 1890, without obtaining the consent or
recognition Of Spain first But if some concede tha'
VIC erred in making cur negotiations IN e23 ana 1872
by no means follows that now. On lie contra
rs, now Texas before explained has been much Ion
ger and wider acknowledged than Mexico was at that
tine; has internal stability and peace, and is feer
from actual probable invasion and her independent
rights have become ripened fully into national manhood
But some indulge in apprehensons that, as war
exists between Texas and Mexico, or an arnIslce
exists unexpired, in more danger OF becoming
involved in actual hostes. Yet, in e25 Spain and
Mexico at war, and The former in actual posses
sion Of the most important fortress of the country and
in 1899 poured her troops into Mexico in agraate 6eio
And that state Of things urged by our TO-
vernment additional nducement to Mexico alone
10 cede Texas rather than regarding il, as would seem
now, insrperabe obstacle TO proper cesson with
out the consent of both belligerents Unfortunately,
ALSO for the force of this obiecton actual war nov
exists between Mexico and Texas Indeed, no regular
Of civilized character has prevailed there for The
last six years. AT times there have been paper war
and maraudine and TO put end 10 the irregular and
occasional incursions that have sometimes happened
during that PERIOD armistice has been proposed By
Mexico, which being exceptonabe in lis terms, is re-
ported never TO have been ratified BY Texas. So that
the question (whetherit may be aided by urmstice
which admits temporary peace, and in the case be-
tween Holland and Spain usted twelve years, and was
~ Il. bo ,hnrr aaeh