Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-17
RICHMOND, VA.
Tuesday Morning, December IL.
"IHe Danger mol re. Orer.'

J NN-'Ns ~~'-
are about TO tear each other 10 pieces. This IS the
prosnostic of the Wings. The annexation OF Tex
as is TO be defeated BY the collision between the pro-
| positions OF Messrs. Benton and McDuilie. The
I Washington Correspondent of the Philadel-
phia lneuirer" writes on The 10Th inst that Every
effort will be made 10 clear the way for Mr.
! Polk An effort will he made this session 10
annex Texas by joint resolution, and thus re-
! lease the new administration from all RESPONSE
! bility on this subject. Mr. Benton will oppose
annexation as advocated by McDuie, Tyler u
! Co, with his characteristic energy and delcrini-
/ nation The Texas debale, which will open in
| a week, will producc great excitement in Con-
| gross and the country. know oil no change OF
opinion with the Wings on this question; they
will oppose it as vigorously as ever, and will
| throw it upon Mr.. Polk and his friends in the
next Congress-
Their. Wing ofyeslerday also calculates upon
defeat OF Annexation by the agency OF Mr. Ben
TONS bill. There is no mistake, indeed, in the
following paragraph:
"The Madisonian expresses some alarm Tor the
fate OF immediate annexation, and is OF opinion,
is fearful al Least; that Col. Benton bill will prove
the devised ways and means OF defeating it,
that Col Bcnlon's form oil annexation will he
sustained b the Senate, while McDuihes and In
sersoll's will he sanctioned 10y Tie House. and that
! thus any annexation al this Session, will Tall be-
tween HE TWO Houses We hope Ike ALARM of
tie Madisonian is we'll founded and what W. hcaf
verbally from Washington aulhoriscs the OPT
nion thai Ii i: ard if defeated at hi, session. we
perceive no reason Why the unprucipled and pi-
ra,ical scheme Of The immediatls;s, piraical in
| effect il not in intention, should not be defeated
Il, the Ee&,, and the neSl; and the next after that:
lie, the American People have time 10 deliberate,
and they will renounce it,
, Thus annexation is 10 be eiernally defeated,
and Texas is 10 he forever lost 10 us We know
no, what our Republican friends will say 10 this
exultalion of the Wing presses, or 10 the expected
defeat ot a measure, IN which, no. only the South,
bul the hole Union, is deeply interested; but we
can say, truly, that such were rot The prospects
with which The People went into The recent cleo
lion nor The lesson which it appeared 10 lie the
disposition oi either oil the great parties 10 imbibe
in the first moments Of our victory. Immediate
! Annexation was the rallyng cry OF the Rerub-
! icans in almost every quarter during the cam
pagn, and many Wing, although he voted for
! Mr. CLAY, avowed his wishes 10 lie in the same
I direction. Immediate annexation was the avow-
ell object Of General Jackson. II was virtually
! inscribed on the banner OF the Baltimore Conven-
tion and it was the measure proclaimed Ey Mr..
! Polk in hi, letter Of April last.
! Gen Jackson, in his letter Of March II, lSli,
! declares
THE present golden moment 10 obtain Texas
must rot be LOST, or Texas inrs,, from necessity,
/ he thrown into the arms OF England, AMI be for
ever los; 10 the Uni;el States. | say,
again LET NOT THIS OPPORTUNITY SLIP To aEIA,S
/ Texas, or il may clnde our grasp for ever or cost
I us oceans of blood and millions OF money, 10
free us from the evils that may be brought upon
! US | hope and trust there will be as aanv
PATRIOTS in The Senate as will ratiiy the treaty,
which, have no doubt, will be promptly entered
| into"
The following is Mr.. Folks letter. We repnb-
lish il Tor The purpose Of refreshing the memories
Of some Of the Republicans:
"ColuMBrs, (Tenn.,) April %, 1914.
"Genilemen Your letter of the 30.! ullino,
which you have done me the honor ~ address 10
me- reached my residence during my absence
from home ana was not received until Yesterday
/ Accompanying your letter, yon transmitted 10 me.
rs you state "a copy OF the proceedings of very
large meeting of the citizens ol Cincinnati as
scmbled on the 29;h inst. 10 express their .e!cd
opposition 20 the annexation Of Texas 10 the
| United STATES You request from me an explici.
expression OF opinion upon this question Of an
neyaon. Having al no time entertained op.-
| ions upon public subjects which was unwilling
| Ia avow, il gives me pleasure 10 comply with your
request, have no hesitation in decarin. that !
Texas 10 The territory and Government, OF the
! United States | entertain no doubts as TO the
! power or expeaiency q. the remuneration. The
proof is clear and satisfactory 10 my mind. that
/ Texas once constituted part Of the territory o!
the United States, the title 10 which regard 10
have been as inGisputatle as that 10 any other
portion of our territory. AT the lime the ncSo-
tialion was opened with view 10 acquire the
| F1oridas, and the settlement OF o:hcr questions,
al hot pn..f,,i,tiap .ba SpapisI,
eminent itself was satisfied of the validity of our
title and was ready 10 recognize line far ives, of
! the Sabine as the true western boundary Of Lou-
sana as defined by the treaty Of 1903 with France,
under which Louisiana was acquired. This nPgo-
| tia,ion, which had been first opened at Madrid,
was broken off and transferred to Washington,
where il was resumed and resulted in The treaty
Of Florida, BY which the Sabine was fixed on as
the western boundary Of Louisiana From the
ratification of The Treaty of 1903 with France,
until the Treaty Of 1919 with Spain, the territory
now constituting the Republic Of Texas belonged
10 the United States. La 1919, the Florida Treaty
was concluded al Washington by Mr.. John q
Adams Qhe Secretary of State.) on The part Of
the Cniled States, and Don Louis de Onis on the
part of Spain; and by that Treaty this territory,
lying West of the Sabine, and constituting Tex
as, was coded by the United States TO Spain
! That the Rio del Norte, or some more Western
lained, had il been insisted on by the American
Secretary Of State and that without increasing
the consideration paid for the Fluridas, have no
doubt. In my judgment the country West OF the
Sabine, and now called Texas, was mos! unwse-
" coded away II is paIt of the great valley Of
Ire Mississippi, directly connected by its naviga-
bic waters with The Mississippi river, and, having
once been 4 pait Of our Union il should never
have been dsmcmbcyea from it,
,,,,t &
understood, not only give their consent, but are
anyouslv DESTROYS 10 be reunited 10 the United
States. If the application Of Texas for re-
union and admission into our conlederacy shall
be rejected By the United States there is imminent
danger that she riN hecomc dependency If nat a
colony Of Great Briiain-an event which no Amc-
rican patriot, anxious for the safety and prospe-
rity OF this country could permit,o occur without
the most strenuous resistance. Let Texas be re-
annexed, and the authority and laws Of the Uni
ted States be established and maintained within
her limits, as also in the Oregon Territory, and
let The fixed policy of our Government be, no, TO
permit Great Britain, or any other foreign power,
10 plant colony or hold dominion over any por-
ton of the people or territory Of either. These
are nv opinions and without deeming it 10 be
necessary to extend this letter, by assigning The
many reasons which influence me in The cCnclu-
sions 10 which come regret 10 lie compelled 10
diiier so widely from The views expressed by
yourselves, and the meeting OF citizens of Gin
cinnau whom you represent Differing, how
ever, with you and with them. as do, ii was due
to lrankness that should be thus explicit in the
declaration OF my opinions.
| am, with great respect,
Your obedient servant
JAMES X. POLK.
"To Messrs. S. P Chase, Thomas Hea,cn, &c,
Committee, Cincinnati"
What says the resolution OF the Baltimore Con-
ventionl
"Rcwired, That our title 10 the whole OF the
territory OF Oregon is clear and urqnestionable;
that no portion Of the same ought to be ceded 10
England or any other powcr: and that the re-oc-