Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-19

object. They wei knew ti'i, HuH'H' ~
Tor oar boundary, the equilibrium OF .he ohloh
u,ould he indes,rar;iblc ard the Souih iuieyci sac
again,, Northern domination. Hence the Tears
thew shed, aud the constitutional ~scruiHcs tie'
m,u,erei. over Mr.. .JcticrSon's vast acquisition o.
territory in he West and Selih. The iernie,
compromising. ShoIt-sigh;cd adinlniStfaiIono NE
Monroe. was a Gol-scnd 10 THIS tani OF poI!i-
Clans. i, sad.ilcd !i.miy upon the country their
darling systems OF a protective tarlii ana ii'eiiini
improvements. Ii inyoircd lis, ~ a treaty WIN
Great Britain for Joint occupation, Iii dliacuiues
| abou;the Oregon Territory, which everybody now
sees ere likely 10 force upon LIS war. or Inc suiIei,
der Of orr RIGHTS 10 q vast domain. Would,o Cod
this had been all! Bul, no! Adcadly blow must re
lc,flll most bunslingly on The equilibrium oil !ne
Conielcracv. ana on The selI-protectlng capaplii-
ties OF the South in all future Time. Al a mo-
men, when Mexico, and al The continental Aiic-
rican donainions Of Old Spain In liiat quarter,
were dropping from her hands, by thc ilreei>u-
Die process of war 2nL revolution-wlien, coii>e,
| Guenily. our REIMBURSEMENT ol our "huoep'er =
right Ia Texas in favor Of Spans mere sil!ca oi
a claim. was lantamount 10 inak1ll" nel hclIl!
| The conduit Of passing the title from us 10 Ihe
| ,hen-gcyo,;cd, and soon-io-be-mdePehmelh' w
yerrment of NIeXico-at that moment II was,
when j, had become broadly apparent that, WITHIN
a few wears at most, Spain would be aS Sidu ~
| cpit-claim Texas TO US, III order TO thw'alt her re-
! bel Mexican dependency, as france hau oeeN' ~
1903. 10 sell lis Louisiana, lest The BRUSH snoul"
copouer i, from her-sucl a moment II was, sly,
that Mr.. Monroo's Administration selected lot
swappinp of Texas for Florida. Is II mol mani
tcstcd, hy Ike after course OF events, thai d ii,lieoi
that wisdom which waits upon TIME 10 "o,Nou'
her designs in our favor, would have enapiea Us
10 get clear oil The Spanish clam 10 Texas Dy
only giving a very small additional price Tor
Florida But the Administration lacked that
kind of visions; or. in lis cagerncss 10 put an
end 10 difficulties with Spain, growing ont OF our
Indian enemies aud their instlgators Ihdlhs d
refuge in Florida. did not exercise II. Inc !esult
was, that We got Florida, and threw away leAaS'
The deed was 10 sooner done, than il was de-
nounced 10y Henry Clay. Opposed as he then
was 10 the severance of Texas from our country,
is il not strange that he should now he unquah-
fcdly opposed 10 a reunion! Nhat Things nave
changed since. 10 produce such a change III MN!
Nosuch change had come ovcrhim as lalea us 1877;
for in that year, h. himself tells lis he made an
effort. as Secretary of State, 10 open a negotiation
with Mexico for itS retroce>>ion 10 Us. A!y. with
Mexico although Spain did not, Tor years ailcr-
wards. give ap her claim, or recognise lhc init
ncudcncc Of Mexico. What things, | aa6 again,
have changed since thai tine. 10 make MIR. Clay
views 81 different now from what they were t!nn !
The answer To Ibis question presents matiero oil
The most solemn import 10 the South. ! have al
ready advcrtcd 10 The hostility which existed 4.
the North against Mr.. .letic!Son's purchase oil
L.nu!sian2-a hostility emanatlnS from lie fisl
s,atesnlan OF thai quarter otihe country, anc based
exclusively on the fear oithe effect OF the measure
in causing the eventual AMI perpetual loss OF
Northern a>cendcncv in the Union. They were
not willing there should he an cquilihriun:-a
adlt.s!cd balance 81 power between toe
North and South. What they wanted WAS pre-
ponderancc and supremacy permanently secure!
IL their side. Tins object they saw was defeated
bv The acquisition al such 4 vast and fertile South
crH territory "a that which stretched rom lie
Perdido 10 lhc Rio Grande del NoIte. BGt they
took heart, and became reasoned after the cc>-
sion OF Texas 10 Spain by Us III lSl9. Incy SHT-
vevcd he wide cxpansc OF all The State and re-
naming national domains OF the mon; ana were
satisfied ihat. the DEGREES OF Nature had placed ihe
North in a perpetual supremacy. PROVIDED 'hc
prohibition Of slavery could .c effected within a
certain line of latitude. Hence The Missouri ON
promise. and the fearful struggle hciwccA the North
and South tv which it was preceded. Ii was a
struggle Tor political power surely. Abolition had
not then reared lis Snaky crcS, in tie lan&.
Wei. gentlemen, that compromise VAS a great
thing: and even greater - a s'gn ll.an "a IN
event. 1t provcd. beyond I'll possibility ol duuii,
thai. roth in the North and South. slavery, ar the
S,ayrholdin" institution. was ttlt as The crca,
Political tie. u ali other. among hose
Si;.cS in which il existed. II proved that i, was
Il tic 50 strong rs 10 band together The STATES in
which il existed, on one side, ana those in which
il did not exist, on the oiher; and 10 array them
as two great sections OF country in an atti,nhc OF
permanent opposition ard contest tor power in
the Coniederacy. And il any man will JUS stake
up the map, and compare the number Of The
States and the extent ard character Of the terrific
~ on the North side Of The line NJ The coinpro-
mise, with TIE same things on the South s:1c, a
sill further train viii bafSt upon him. with over
whclmia9 >elfcvideEcc, 10 wit: that from the
rnomcn, of the loss of Texas b. Mr.. Monroe
treaty. in February. 1919, the doom al the South.
a. The weaker. >uhlcct-scciion Of the Ccnicdcra-
cy. became a. firmly fixed q. The boundaries ot
the county themselves.
The map will also ShoW him how widely Gillcr-
en-, her fate and relative strength would have per-
manenilv been. but fof The loss OF Texas. Yes:
i; will tell him that, bu; for that loss, tie Sonth. in
the Federal Legislature, would always havc been
strong enou-h-not, indeed, TO be al oppr"Ssor, hnt
tail strong enough for sclfproieciion against the
wrongful and oppressive legislation OF the North.
So far. Their, as The balance of power between
the two great sections is involved in The question
Of Texan annexation. all that The South asks is,
that The Government shall not lei slip the prescn,
u dIi>lt'.' opportunity VI lEiiINlCNIb- w III 4i'HN
boundaries which jefferson gaze. which Monroe
lost, and which Adams and Clay sought TO r.
store. 10 this NOS; reasonable and Just demand
of the South, the Nerth-particularly the Whig
Party Of The Noith-haS answered peremptorilr
No., and 50 pcremplo.y was the temper in
which the answer was given, that Mr.. Clay, who
had lhrGwn himself into he arms of that party
for his election, found himself obliged 10 echo the
response, OF compromise all his prospects for the
Presidency for, bear in mind, Mr.. Clay had no
hand in forming or directing Northern Wing SEN
timent ON the subject of annexation. ii was per-
fectir formed, and ineyorahlv settled, as it now
stands. a long time in advance of the publication
of his sentiments.
Now, gentlemen, | appeal 10 You 10 say whe-
Their there is any Circumstance, in the presen;
situation OF our country, To- render the possession
Of Texas less polite or desirable than in ls2e
and 1927? Nj. Clay has not attempted 10 point
out any such circumstance. No man can point
oul any such. What. then, has changed the Opt
Mons and course of Mr.. Clay? What has
caused him 10 declare himself against The policy
of annexation, present or future Z The cause is
To be found in the necessity under which he lay,
of bowling to the behests of the Northern Wing
party, in order TO retain their favor and receive
their >uiirageS. In no other way can we account
for the gross contradiction between his late anti
annexation bulletin, and his opinions Of The poll
cy and importance of orr possessing Texas, as
expressed in 1890, and afterwards still more
~so!c,nrly repeated and acted on in 1927. In no
other way can We explain The extraordinary fact,
that such a man as Henry Clay should sue for
the Presidency hy assurances and declarations,
which, in the event of his election, will complete
IL tie up his hands from ever cndcavoring Ia rem |
der his country vastly the most valuable and Go
rious service that any Csiel Magistrate has had
the opportunity of attempting, with probability Of
success, since Tie purchase Of Louisiana by Mr..
Jefferson. And, gentlemen, it does seem 10 me
that, by So tying up his hands, he has disqualified
for the high Office 10 which he aspires.
AT all events, il deserves 10 be 50 viewed and
treated by all bit those seclionalis,s of The North,
who, with words Of liberal and enlarged Amcri-
canism continually on their lips, reject a noble
acquisition of territory, lest its incorporation into
The Union might make a permanent Southern
coun!erpoise 10 their present Northern plcron-