The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-04-30
col. BENTON UPON TEXAS.

L.. i
Following the example Of Messrs Clay aud
Van Buren,, Col. Benioa has come out ia the
Globe IN opposition TO the annexation of Texas.
The Colonel has never been set down as a con-
summa,e ego,ist, and therefore we will not even
hint that he has thrust himself among great
men, and blown his own trumpet
We make the following extracts from his let
ter for the qualification of our readers
"You have judged rightly, gentlemen, in address
ing your communication To me, and proposing to
make the organ Of your wishes to the American
Congress- being, as | AN, the FIRST OPPONENT
Of the treaty which disme nbered, &c the FIRST
ADVOCATE for its recovery; the SUPPORTER
OF all PRUDENT MEASURES, SO; the Enc
MY of all movements which, SC. and the FIRM
sEtprK in the sc; $50 instantly raised my roies
against il in articles Published ia the 81 Loui, ysper,;
young and ardent. and had some fire in me, and
only orois against the treaty but against its au.
ihors. and their motives; aud even impreealsd a
WOE upon the heads, sc. The roiee Of u
mere individual no impediment to the progress
Of the treaty. II went forward, SC. But all this
made no impression me continued to assail the
treaty Such sacrifice gave the first great shock 10
my confidence; the treaty Of next year gave me the
second great shock, and two shocks together shock me
SO much that ! into public life in 1920 with
very little concern for my position (he was for
Mr.. Clay--Ed Mad.) when should chance TO find
myself standing SOLITARY AND ALONE. Lcoue to the
u S. Senate in the fall 1.-THE day not remembered-Ed
Mad of 1920, the recovery Of Texas being lead
ing object Of my mini. Mr.. Clay being Secretary of
l. 49,
had been lost, and gave faithful support to The ef
fort by WRITING ARTICLES in tho newspapers.
"Recognition of Texan independence and admis-
sion OF Texas into the Union, land this before
Texas applied for admission,) were urged by
them stimuli taneous acts--twin operations, to be
accomplished together. could not agree TO it. 1
could not 60 for admission.
"The next year, (l837, being the first of Mr.. Van
Buren's Administration, a Texan Minister General
Memucan Hunt arrived here 10 solicit the admis-
sion Of his county into our Union. He did me the
honor to speak to me the subject counting largely
upon my cooperation, from the ,cekno,rn detesta-
ton which had expressed for the treaty which gave
Texas away. But told him from the beginning that
it cas IMPOSSIBLE that much as desired the
restoration Of Texas, my first duties were to my own
country that Mexico and Texas being at war,
COULD NOT LEOPARD THE PEACE THE United
STATES, Compromise ITS HONOR THE EYES OF
NATIONS, and injure its commerce, BY TAKING srEr
which should give Mexico right to treat US an en-
envy. Mr.. Van Buren's administration gave the same
answer, and all America approved it.
THUS, rhiie being ineonestibIy the frs, opponent 10
the loss Of Tsras and the first allocate for its recovery
hare yet already hciee found il impossible to sup
port propositions for its admission into Union
"For myself, it might be supposed that take some
pride in seeing so many marching up now TO the
point at which stood SOLITARY and alone" twenty
five years ago bu. it ia not So | am too old for
that puery, and too much friend to popular GOV
eminent to rejoice in anything which is DISCRED
TABLE to it.
"With respect to Texas, her destiny is fixed. OF
course, J. uho consider uhat am about always speak
Of Texas as constituted at the time of the treaty Of
1919, and not as constituted by the Republic OF
Texas comPrehendins the capital, and forty towns
and villages Of New Mexico now and always
as fully under the dominion Of the Republic Of
Mexico as Quebec and all the towns and villages
Of Canada under the dominion Of Great Britain! 1t
10 Of this Texas-the old Spanish Texas-of which
always speak and other say her destiny is fixed
"a short time, and either the acknos dgment Of
Mexico or he consent Of all nations will give Tex
rs all the rights Of sovereign power the question
Of admission will then be OF exclusive arrange
nent between the two countries for no earthly pow
er, except Mexico, has right TO interfere in this
question; and, in fact, know Of no that wishes
TO interfere in it
Suffice il 10 say that since Mr.. Van Buren, has
seen proper TO abandon the footsteps Of his once
iuslrious p edecessor Mr. Benton has judged
il advisable TO follow Mr.. Van Buren,, and is
now disposed TO ''shatter" General Jackson's
other arm. We presume the old hero will not
be particularly Jrig4tened.