Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-06-15
Senator Barrow'n Letter on The subject 0
Texas Annexation
TO THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA.

4 ELbOWA ELGBFT3 ~ HHFE WiWHYH DNEI
and, | trust, | shall always be, ready TO max
knswn to my CONSTITUENCIES freely and unresgl
vodly, tho opinions | may entertain upon sue
subjects az may be brought before mo as on
OF their Senators IN Congress. In eonso1aac
with This rule Of my political life, I am anx
ious to communicate TO yod, at the oarlies
moment propriety would permit, the reason
which have influenced me In my .arsd purpos
to v6le against the ratification Of the treat,
now before The Senate for the ath1axati0fi o
Texas TO the United States and | avail my.
self Of this mode of address in preference IL
the alternative Of waiting f0f a1 oppbrtunitj
to make d speech, which might be- laid before
you by the removal Of the injunction Of s6efs.
Cy from our proceedings.
Permit me to say, In the outset, that, while
| consider the manner of negotiating and con.
summattng the treaty no highly eac6ptionable
and WhllB | believe. that the Executive and
his advisors we're influenced by the most sci.
fish and ambitious motives in originating and
completing It, and praciised the grossest fraud
upon tho Executive Of Texas to induce him 10
consent TO the negotiation, | am free to admit
that, had there existed no objections 10 the
terms Of the treaty, aud none Of d higher order
emanating from our treaty obligations to Mex.
leo, and bad others, based upon considerations
connected with our domestic and foreign poll.
ey, been removed, | might have felt II to be
my duty 10 vote for the annexation of Texas.
When the question was first presented 10 my
mind, and before | had examined it in all its
bearings and probable results, I confess That /
thought favorab1y Of annexation, and so expires.
sod myself to several of my friends and assO.
eiatos but, after mature and calm reflection,
| have arrived 1t the conclusion thai there exa
lists no State necessity for the measure, and
that the ratification Of tho treaty now before
the 5Gnate would not only involve the nation
III an Unjust war, but would, in an especial
manner, PROSTATE the best interests Of Louigi-
ana. These being my solemn convictions, |
have not stopped to inquire what effect their
avoYal might have upon my popularity at home
as, however gratifying q coincidence of opin-
ion between my constituents and myself might
bet my own Belf.rospect ard tho approval of
my own conscience are stiIi more important.
The ratification of tho treaty Of annexation,
now before the Senate1 will inevitably, IN my
opinion, involve US IN d war with Mexico, and,
IN all probability, In n war with England, and
perhaps with France. Every we'll. wf6hef To
The prosperity Of our country world consider
A war with the two latter PoWer6I or either Of
them, as a national calamity but IN waging it
in the event supposed, no breach Of treaties,
no violation Of tho laws Of %nationat could be
Justly charged against Us while III the contest
with Mexico, our national honor would BIO tar.
nished, If not destroyed, by the infraction Of
solemn treaty stipulations. Is national honor
Are treaty obligatians to be disre-
garded whenever 1t suits our convenience
A -. .. w.anaaaJ a. aL,ts, ta Eba' .yasIi has ..p
acts, that We are ready at any time to wage
an unjust war whenever we believe that we
the physical power TO crafty an inBat.
liable lust for territory, or when we may consis
der that additional territory 10 needed TO pre-
serve a political equilibrium, or TO interpose d
protection TO the peculiar institutions Of the
or for any other Of the thousand purpo.
ses for which reckless ambition might suggest
the acquisition Of additional territory. Say
that Texas IL annexed within MI eye to The pre-
servation Of the balance of political power,
how many slave States can we make out Of 4
Four would be a liberal number. But, while
are carving out these States. would moth
ing be done in the Northwest When the
vast country north and west of Missouri, to the
OF the Rocky Mountains, to he peo-
pied and formed into States, to cay nothing Of
The Oregon Territory west Of The Mountains,
what becomes Of this equilibrium? To main.
il, we shall have 70 acquire, by war or
New Mexico, California, &c. and,
our brethren at the North would probably
be as anxious for the preservation of an equil-
.bri0f8 as ourselves to what point would such
/ wild and rfonstFous doctrine lead us2 To
he PURCHASE or conquest of Mexico oWthe one
and of the Canadas of the other ; while
such a course Of national policy, TO say nntI
of it's ~iniquity, were war necessary to ef
il, must bring about a combination Of
he civilized world against as, if not internal
lissentions and a dissolution Of the Union.
Such a course would not he dissimiIar from
hat | have sometimes known purgGedb by plan.
ers in the South, who. ~instigated BY vanity or
lvarice, have gone on purchasing plantation
,fter plantation, in order, as they said, to re-
move a troublesome neighbbf Or to round Of
heir landed estate, until they have involved
themselves inextricably in debt, and have ter
minated their ambitious efforts to acquire bar
,pial estates in Bankruptcy and utter ruin.
But this is not ali. We know that, in some
If the States; such as Kentucky and Tennes.
the disposition to get rid Of their Slaves
ind to turn their attention to manufactures, is
Increasing and that in others, such as Mary
and and Virginia, slave labor produces but
mali return upon the capital invested. IT is
rom these STATES that the South has been
principally. supplied with tln slaves that she
Let Texas be annexed, and euciTa
will be presented that, in all probahil-
ty, somey if net all Of these States, will be
Of their slaves, ais the South does not
,ossess more, if as many as she requires, and
would not bet therefore, able to furnish them.
What, then, becomes Of this bugbear Of the ba-
ance of political power, should all or the most
# these States join themselves, as in the course
# time they would probably do, to the nom
laveholdinr StaiesT The beam will be kicfs.
ID with a vengeance, and we shall run the
isk of losing from our side and support States
.lready popuions and influential, for the un-
prospect Of securing the aid of a coun-
nv vet unsettled, and to settle which will ne
~.essarily weaken ourselves.
Let me examine this question, of a political
in another aspect Southern gentle
men have affirmed, that unless Texas is an
lexed, the North will havelhe prepondefanee
n both branches of Congress, and that then
laverg will not be- secure from the ruthless
stacks of the abolitionists. Ny ancestors
migrated from England more than one hum
red years ago, and settled in Virginia and
heir descendants, without a single exception
hat I know of, have from that period resided
n the sIaveholding portion of the United States,
The destiny of the South will bs the destiny
if my children. + am. naoreoReff ode of thofs
Who believe that the physical and moral con-
lition Of The slaves of the South is superior to
hat Of many ofthe manufacturing and laboring
.lasses of the old; and new world and | do
lot believe that slavery is a political or moral
,vil. Whenever, therefore, the institution of
t~iaveryf guaranteed by the compact of our T.
L. nn.ia,,sIr nnnailad shall he