The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-06-11
TWENTY EIGHTH CONGRESS-,
FIRST SESSION.
MONDAY. JUNE 10, 1874.
SENATE.
As soon as the journal was read,

Mr. BEN TON rose, and asked leave TO intro
dnce bill to provide for the annexation of
Texas to the United States" Mr.. b. prefaced
the introduction of this bill with long expana-
tory speech, OF which we give some of the lead
ing p,ns.
The basis Of the bill might be found, he said,
In the message Of Mr.. Jefferson ia 1905, and the
resolution adopted therein bv the House, author
izng the President to acquire foreign territory,
and liking, as The limit to be adopted in settling
the boundary with Spain. all the territory watered
by the tributaries OF The Mississippi; and IN the
negotiation for this purpose the House of Repre-
/. sen,atives declared that the President should
have their appreciation
Mr.. E. followed the basis thus laid down BY
Jefferson, and made it applicable to Mexico and
Texas. While he did not attach so much i'm
porIance to the consent Of Mexico as to make it
an ndeleasiblc condition, he yet regarded it as
something 10 be sought for, earnestly sought for
but, il not obtained, then he left it for the House
of Representatives to say when that consent be-
came necessary.
Abiding to the value of Mexco's friendship,
and the manner in which those who were unac-
quauted with the commerce of the country had
moderated it, Mr.. B. stated that in 1921, when
Mexico first became independent, we received
! from her $4,000 in exchange for our products
Since that time there had progressive increase
of the trade between and Mexico up to 1885,
when il reached the amount of eight and half
millions. When the Texas sympathy began this
trade commenced running down as rapidly "a it
had formerly increased, until it fell to little more
than million and half Mexico received from
us the products of our farms, and gave in ex-
change the solid silver from her mines. He was
in favor of preserving peace with Mexico, not
alone for the advantages Of this commerce, but as
the surest means OF bringing about the annexa-
ton of Texas to the United States, a measure Of
which he claimed 10 be the early and consistent
friend.
II Mexico, blind to her interest, shall refuse to
let Texas take her natural position, as part of
the valley of the Mississippi, and if she peril
nacously insists upon her claim to extend her
sovereignty over this territory, then he would
leave 1t TO Congress to say when, and in what
cas-, the consent OF Mexico may have ceased to
becnme necessary 10 the annexation of Texas to
the United States In leaving this TO Congress-
il was referred TO the constitutional authorty-it
cannot be constiiutionally decided by the Presi-
dent and Sen t..
Mr. B. was extremely severe in his censure of
thar third power which, while armistice was
subsIsling between Texas and Mexico which
might have led to perpetual peace, had rushed
in with a firebr md t. disturb their prospect of
amily. 1t would stand condemned, he said, ia The
eyes of all Chrislendom, no one could yet tell
for how great a crime Returning to he subject
of annexation, every wise man he thought, must
see that Texas and Mexico were not mutually,
or geographically, one country. and that after the
battle of the Alamo and San Jacinto, their sepa-
ration vas eternal.
Speaking of The slavery aspect of the annexation
question, Mr.. b. avowed that, while he was not
far from the opinion of those " no viewed slavery
as moral evil, he was far from being fanatic on
either side--he would neither run muck for or
against slavery,
Turning significantly towards Messrs Wood
I,,., ally n of HON, ,kaI
exceedingly blank, while the latter tried to shut
his eyes,) Mr.. 3. said he not in the condition
of the /" Texas Neophyles," compelled to show
excessive anxiety for immediate accomplishment,
by any means, OF measure which he had advo-
Gated years ago. Here he read an extract from
one OF many articles published by him many
years since under the signature of La Sale.
He said the first time he knew of this polltico-
Texas scheme was from a speech, about year
since, at dinner in Virginia, in which it was
affirmed that the consent Of Congress was not ne
cessary; he had denounced it then, to his friends.
Ii was not with him as with the Texss Neo-
phytes, here Mr.. Woodbury. looked gravtly in
the air, and Mr.. Buchanan eyed the speaker ask
ance,) snow or never"-but Texas now, then,
aud always.
Having finished his remarks, Mr.. B. sent to
the table the bill, which was read first time,
aud Is, in subs ance, as follows, viz:
1st. The boundary between the United States
and Mexico is fixed in the desert prairies Of Nue.
ces, and along The highlands which separate the
tributaries of the Mississippi from those of the
Del Norte, 10 the 42i deg, north latitude.
3D. Mexico to give her assent, by legislative
or other form.
81. A State, Texas, not exceeding in magni-
tube the arges OF ours to be admitted at once I-
to The Un,on.
4lh. Tue rest of the country to be called the
Sou hwestern Territory.
5th. This latter territory TO be divided into two
equal portions, and slavery to be forever excluded
from The north aud northwest portions.
9Th. Congress decide in what case the as
sent OF Mexico may be dispensed with.
7tb. Other articles to be adjusted by treaty
Mr.. ALLEN moved that this bill should have
its second readug Tomorrow.
The Clerk OF The House of Representatives
here announced the order taken by that body ON
the decease of one of It's membeis 8, and Mr.. STU h
.l.Nlt hac ,.cf,t ,IitfIn