The Arkansas banner., 1844-07-03
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
For Me Arkansas Banner.
THE TEXAS QUESTION.

M R. EDlTOR.- .--I admire ttl6 Hf11 dHu ue~ cided stand you have taken in favor of the an- nexation of Texas to thls Union. To pro- mote, by all laudable means, the consumma- ton of such an event, regard as the inrpera- tive duty of every southerner as the duty of every one friendly to the institutions of the South and solicitous of their perpetuity as the duty of every one desirous of an augmen- tation of the resources of national prosperity: and as the duty of every one having at heart the interest and welfare of our glorious con- federacy, and who wishes to see 1t made se- cure eand permanent by havinga barrier thrown around 1t that will enable us efectually to re- rist the inroads nd aggressons of external enemies.
 This is a question of vast magnitude. It is a question which should be considered, calm lv, deeply, profoundly considered by every citizen of this republic. It is question be- tween American republicanism and indepen- dence, and colonial vassalage and servitude under some foreign protectorate. It is a question of self-preservation to the States off of the South-it is question of self -preserva- ton, and of union to the States of the whole confederacy. It is a question, the final set llement of which will either forever establish our independence and union upon basis as firm as Gibraltar7s rock, or render us an i'm potent and submissive prey to the inordinate ambition of European Powers. If we aban- don all right and claim to the territory of Texas, We had better far at once voluntarily place ourselves under the dominion of Eng land, than await our ultimate subjugation by her. To overthrow the institution of slavery in the South, and finally to subvert our Union, all that England desires is a foot-hold upon our southwestern border. Let her once firm ly establish her power there, and all these things can be easily accomplished and she IS now concocting and maturing the plan by which they can the most speedily be effected. But 1t may be said that England has declared she does not want Texas How vain and H. lusory! Have we not learnt enough of Eng ligh diplomacy to convince Us that duplicity and a spacious show of disinterestedness and patriotism are the artifces by which she ever seeks to promote her selfish purposes Do we not know that whenever she Is extrayagant in open protestations of love and affection, in secret she is giving mortal stab? Let Us not then be deluded by her empty declara- tions-let us not rely upon her honesty, for we have long since found her to be false and perverse. The despotic spirit and thirst for universal dominion of England, and the know ledge of the power over us that would ac- company heracquisition of Texas, constitute all argument, in the absence of all other, sul- fcient to prove that she is anxious to obtain that territory; and if we are fully convinced that she is desirous to obtain 1t, then let Us thwart her ulterior designs by immediately possessing ourselves of 1t. If either England or the United States are to have Texas, let 1t be the latter, to whom it does rightfully and naturally, and to whom 1t did originally, be- long.
 England is a subtle and crafty nation; and her vision is so extremely penetrating, that whenever an opportunity Is presented for her to gratify her ambition, she soon discovers every unfair advantage that may be obtained over her prey which will the more easily and readily place it within her grasp. The United States now are the object of her jealousy and ambition; and she Is at present engaged in forging chain to bind them down and make them victim of her oppression. Canada al- ready constitutes one link, and if her efforts be not counteracted, Texas will soon consti- ute a second, then will follow Oregon as a third, and Cuba as fourth. When at last she has obtained absolute possession of all these places, she will then have almost completely surrounded us with herpowerand domlnions and then she can from every quarter blow upon our happy country her siroc breath of monarchy and oppression, to blight the growth of the tree of American Liberty. Then, she can attack us on every side, divide our forces to impair their strength and render their resistance less formidable, and make an easy conquest of us. This is the plan which England has conceived for our final over throw; and shall regard the colonization of these four places by her, if l should ever live to witness it, as the signal of the downfall of this Republic. When England is allowed thus far to fill the measure of her ambition, we may then ourselves sound the death-knell of our Union, for it's dissolution and devasta- ton will most assuredly follow.
 But it is alleged in objection to annexation that our immediate acquisition of Texas, be- fore the recognition of her independence by Mexico, would be gross injustice to the lat ter, and in direct contraventlon of the laws of nations. This objection, although apparent ly tenable, yet under the existing peculiar re- lations between Mexico and Texas, might be considered inapplicable, or at least not very forcible. Texas, in fact, obtained her inde- pendence at the battle of San Jacinto, and has ever since that time, period of eight years, maintained that independence. During this interval Mexico has made no formal or gen eral invasion of Texas in order to re-subjugate or re-conquer her, or to submit the adjust ment of the difficulties between the two coun- tries to the arbiHament of arms. But her hostility to Texas has in no other way been characterized than by the inroads and incur sions of small predatory bands actuated solely by the spirit for rapine and plunder; and these sometimes have been accompanied by small detachments or fragments of the Mexi- can army, acting without the authority of their government, who were incapable of any thing like magnanimous conduct, and in their