Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-03-29


Or Thomas Gibson, ir /, +. Taalerro, Col. Roe, Il.
+. Willis, II. Willis, G. Pannell, jr, J. Newman,
A. Madison, l.. Henshaw, R. Brown, and J. NJ
Chapman
Johh Mason the new Secretary of the Navy ard
family arrived 1T Washington on Sunday last and
put up at FulIer's Hotel.
FOR THE ENQUIRER
Tie HcGsfer Ltaer-Densing lie POuer 10 Re-anner
1tros- OPposedby tie Tsnohings Of History Cana
da-1ae Conftdc,ation-. Mr.. .H0dison's Ltner-Lomi
siana, ami me Navigation Of the mississippi Con-
Jartnes ca'cttn Mr.. Madison and Mr.. Gdrdoqui-
Inc .'oice Of the Conrenti0n specially drann TO the
necessity Of .7nne1aioa, &c.
WAsnIScros, March 90, 1914.
Dear SIrs In Mr.. Webster's recent letter TO the
citizens oil Worcester county, Massachusetts,, in oppo.
sition 10 The Remuneration Of Texas, find this pas
sage:
"Ihe Constitution Of the United States provides
that new States may be admitted into the Union, bu,
no new States shall be formed erected within the
jurisdiction oil any other State any State be formed
by the junction of two or more States, parts Of
States without the consent of the Legislature Of the
States concerned, as well as of The Congress.
"it would seem very reasonable IN conine this pro-
vision TO States 10 be FORMED ont If Tcritories already
beongngfo the United Statcs and in regard to which,
the old Congress- by accepting the cession of Terri
tory rom INDIVIDUAL States and agreeing 10 the pro-
posed terms of cession had already stipulated that they
might be created and admitted into the Union. fay
ether construction rodd be forced and unnatura and II
would imply, that the trainers of the Constitution and
the people were locking to the extension Of their terri
tories, although those which they then held were ore
half Wilderness and The other half very ,hInly pee
pied 1t not al all probable, from the history o! the
States, from The circumstances in which they were
placed in 49, (qu l7S7 from Gihat IS to be learned
Of mons opinions md e1pctutonS at thai day. dt any
idea loas entertained Jy any Jody IF bringing into tie
Union States formed Of The Territories Of Foreign
po'oerS,"
Il has greatly surprised M, that gen,lemln, to
whose common fame, for quatsr of century, has
cribed deep and thorough knowledge Of our Revolt
tonary and Constitutional History, should thus dis
cla'm all knowledge of some OF the most striking and
events and passages in those kistorS or
having that knowledge, il is painful 10 reflect, that he
should have been 50 uncandd to have made Il state.
ment like this, when asked for his frank and deliberate
opinions by his fellow citizens Did lir Webster in
the course Of his varied reading upon these topics
never come upon passages in which our Colonial
States evinced strong desire, and fixed expectation,
that Canada mi gh at some day, and whenever she
ready, confederate in union with u.s. and share IN the
benefits of our National independence: Ii is very
strange if he did not
Perhaps Mr.. Webster may have heard of such Re.
evolutionary document "The articles Of CoRttdera-
ton If not inform him, that there are several
of his countrymen who d, know, and that those
cles adopted by the Colonies on the 9TH of July
lis, just two years after "rhe Declaration of indie
perdence," and the commencement of the War; ard
that the th article Of the Confederation was in these
words
"Caaada, acceding to this Confederation, and join
ing in the measures Of the United States shut BE- al
mitted into nnd euhaed to nil The adrania4es Of his
Uniom; but no other Coioay shat he admed into TIE same,
unless Such admission be agreed 10 by nine Saies"
THIS should think, evinced pretty strongly the de-
sire that Canada should into the Union, when she
thus authorized 10 co 1t, on her terms and at her
own OPTION provided only, she joins in the "measures
of the United States while other Colonies shorn
of that privilege unless two thirds OF the Conederatng
States assent thereto Aad yet Canada then, as
she stlll is Foreiga p0,-er. 1t is seen, too that
the Colonies not mean to forbid the accession tn the
Union OF other "f0r,iga powers, By the express au-
thorzlton 10 admit tEem if nine Of the States assent
thereto. Henceso long at least, the Confederation
lasted, which, be II remembered continued until il was
superseded IN l7c7 by the Federal Cons,!tution-the
Thirteen Colonies refused to deprive themselves OF the
capacity to admit into the Union, either Cdnadr, the
Spanish domnions Of Orleans and the LouiSiaa0S Me
FioridaS, or any other "Foreign power though the
Revolutionary was closed by the treaty of peace oil
1888 from which time, therefore, these "foeign powers
were no longer needed allies, 10 enlarge the
sources OF 10 ensure the triumph of the bagrrent Co
onies then, up u the very hour OF the adoption OF
the Federal Const futon, the Thirteen States held
the capacity of admitting 'foreign powers into the
Union their option what should have induced The
TO deprive themselves OF that capacity then Was
there any great change wrought the of the
Confedefang States any great change wroughin the
condition of the Canadas, the Lou sanas the Flo
ridas abou! the period Of the assembling or during the
continuance of the Federal Convention 10 which the
aofjrs othe deprvng themselves Of such capacity could
be reasonably attributed !, is believed not At al
events ii NAV he avouched- that if any such change.
took placethe history OF those times has not charged
itself with their registration But It IS still rnte
resting to inquire whether IN point Of fac,, the Con
venon did, in purpose or IN terms, deprive these States
Of the capachy TO ADM, "Fcreiga po,ce,s into the
Union b. virtue of the Constitution winch il adopted
will address myself 10 this inquiry specially, bye and
bye. In the meantime and without iediously eajora-
ting THIS discussion 100 mnch LIT present proof
s.. within al men reach, that the th Article Of the
Confederation, in relation TO The admission of Canada
and other Colonies, did not remain dead letter exact
Iy-but thu, purpose was manifested in various ways
OF bringing il into exercise, as soon as the opportunity
presented itself
/. NAV he remembered, unless by those who, like
Mr. Webster afflicted with the depyations incident
to short memories, that quite early The year 1852, very
significant prognostins a,esed, that the British Co.
vernmen like the British Tories sadly worsted
by the contest she had been wagng with the Colonies,
for six long years and had become crippled in oil
the sssnews Of war, by the gallant and victorious
ss,ance che encountered-that her very eXlanslions
might drive her, long, 10 put ali end to the war
though the thirteen Colonies uhoud be sundered from
n, Empire, and though even the loss Of Canada ii,
crifces. Some proof Of this, may be III the fol-
lowing extracts of letter from james Madison Qhen
a member CT the Congress Of Confederatlon) to Ed
mund Randolph, Chen Governor Of Virg,nia,) dated
"Philadephia August 18th, l7o2,' follows
"Dear Sir--I transmitted to you few days ago, by
EXPRESS the contents OF letter from General earle
ton and Admiral D'gby &c Gen. Washington, announ-
cling the purpose of The British Court to acknowledge
the Independence of the thirteen Provinces, &c.
"a Mr. Blake, an opuent citizen of South Carolina,
who came from Great Britain under passport from
Mr. Laurens 10 New York and thence hIlher, assures
us tia: the Administration serious with respect Ia
oeace. and The Independence Of this coun!rytha the
poipt, however, carried IN The Cabinet ay mo
;or;ty Of two voices ony-,hat their finances are go
disotaered that the continuance If the war is in a
manner impiacticabie-iiot the militia IF .New YORK.
Lore hem Mqaked for Mer past sfrricfS, and told ex
plr,,ly, that they would no. he wanted in future,
&c DC.
"Tbat Carleton told him, and desired him to men
ton il al lrse that he real friend 10 America,
and wished her 10 be powerful rich, united, and happy
and secure against all her enemies. That he also IN
tima'ed in the course of his conversation, THAT CASa-
u, WOULD PROBABLY he GIVEN rP, As THE FOUR
TENTH MEMBER OF THE CosrEpERAcY. You will
draw such conclusions from these particulars, as you
will see fit The gentlemen of South Carolinn. vouch
for the veracly of Mr.. Blake, &c.-See the Madison
..,oxe /. :, volume narps 1Js and q.