The Arkansas banner., 1844-04-24

minion of Spain, and Congress recognised the acts, and assumed and paid the debts of the insurgent convention; and the legislature of Louisiana, after the adoption of her consti- tption, and admission into tbe Union, without this territory, subsequently,, by mere legisla- tive enactment, with the consent of Con eress, annexed it 10 the State of Louisiana.
 3d. The annexation may be accomplished bv one of the States of the Union, with the sanction of Congress each of the States possessed the power,to extend her bounda- ries before the adoption of the constitution. will not be denied; and that the power still exists, Is certain, unless 1t is abandoned by the State i'll forming the government of the Union. Now, there is no such abandonment, unless it is found in the following clause of the constitution {" No State shall, without the consent of Congress, enter into any agree ment or compact with another State, or with q foreign power" Each State, then, may, with the consent of Congress. {. enterinto any agreement or compact with with another State, or with foreign porcr." Texas, if not ours, is foreign power; and if she, by law, assents to the remuneration, in whole or il part to Louisiana, or to Arkansas, and those States. by law, agree to the annexation, 1t Is san agreement or compact between a foreign power and State of the Union, and IS clearly lawful, with .lthe consent of Congress" It would not be treaty, which is the exercise of an executive power, but compact by law, and precisely similar to the numerous com pacts, so called, by which, by acts of Con gress and of State legislature, so many agreements. especially with the new States, have been made by mere legislative enact- ments Nor need the assent of Congress be aiyen i'll advance; 1t was not so given on the admission of fTennessee, Arkansas, and Mich igan; but if given subsequently, it would rat ifv the previous extension of their boundaries by Louisiana or Arkansas. There are, then, these these three modes, by any one of which Texas may be reanneXed to the American Union. 1st By treaty 2d. By act of Con- gress and, Sd. By the act of a State, with the sanction of Congress But, if 1t be oth- erwise, and the constitution only applies 10 territories then attached 10 the Union, and delegates no power for the acquisition of any other territory, nor prohibits the exercise of the pre-exlsting power of each State to ex- tend her boundaries, then there would remain in each State the reserved right of extension, beyond the control of Congress. l have not asserted the existence of such right i'll a State but if the clause quoted do not con- fer the authority on congress, and the rean- nexation is refused on that ground, then the annexing power, as a right to enlarge their boundaries, would result to anv one of the States, and, with the consent of Texas, could be exercised. Perceiying, then, what power results 10 the States, from the denial of the power of annexation by Congress, let us agi- tate no such question in advance of denial of its own authority by Congress, but discuss the question on its merits alone.
 Is it expedient 10 reanneX Texas to the American Union? This is the greatest ques- ton, since the adoption of the constitution, ever presented for the decision of the Ameri- can people Texas was once ouf own; and, although surrendered by treaty to Spain, the surrender was long resisted by the American government, and was conceded to be great sacrifice. This being the case, Is it not clear that, when the territory, which we have most reluctantly surrendered, can be acquired, that object should be accomplished: Under such circumstances, to refuse the remuneration Is to deny the wisdom of the original purchase, and to reflect upon the judgment of those who maintained, even at the period of sur sender, that il was great sacrifice of national interests.
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