New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-30

Annexation of Texas,

southern AOStraCtOnlSlS ana SlllCL CONSTRUCTORS
lists, of whom Jefferson may be considered tie
idol. and Calhoun and Tyler the high priests.
or the sincerity of Mr.. Jefferson in his views of
the Constitution, have no doubt He was uni
form and consistent in maintaining them, and
was never known to abandon them when they
happened to interfere with any tavorte purpose
or object of his own. But Mr. Calhoun and
John Tyler have subjected themselves to more
than the suspicion of hypocrisy IN the use they
have made of Nj. Jetfersons principles
Mr. Jefferson is well known to have believed
/ and to have maintained that Congress possessed
no powers except those which are conferred upon
them by the express words OF the Constitution
He equally believed that the President could do
no act unless he was expressly authorized to do
it bv that instrument. When he was applied to
to recommend national fast, he refused to do so,
because he found authority to dol in the Con-
stitution. And, ii | mistake not, John Tyler
under the sage counsel of the Richmond Enqul-
rcr has refused to do the same thing, for the same
reason.
1t was in consequence OF the solicitude Of the
School of which Mr.. Jefferson was the head, to
guard against the assumption Of powers not ex-
pressly conferred upon the Federal Government
bv the Constitution, that the following amend
powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by to the States,
reserred TO the States respectively, ortot the Peo
plc.'' This amendment was proposed by Con-
! gress to the States on the fourth day Of March,
| 1889, the very day when the Federal Govern
1nent was first organized.
For this principle Of strict construction, we are
indebted to Southern Abstractionsts, and we Of
the North have always seen 1t most vigorously
! insisted upon whenever It's relaxation would have
been likely to benefit our portion OF the Union.
By its application our great Commercial and Man
utacturing interests have been crushed. The
Bank was broken down, because it was unconsti-
tutional; the Tariff was broken down, because it
was unconstitutional. And in vain did we plead
that the Government, in all its branches, Execu-
tive, Legislative, and Judicial, had repeatedly re-
cognized the Tariff and the Bank as consttu-
tonal.
And now the South wishes to have Texas an
ncxed to the Union. 1t is Southern measure
it is for their interest. We Of the North are OPP
posed to it; we regard it a clear violation Of
the Federal Compact; we find no authority for it
in the Constitution, express or implied; VIC think
it would leave us a country not worth living in ::
country dsgraced throughout in all its parts by
the voluntary adoption and establishment OF the
Institution Of Slavery.
Does the South pause to inquire whether it is
constitutional Oh, no-they do not condescend
to discuss the matter at all; they DO not even
deign to take US of the North into their counscls
They have long ago separately resolved that Tex
as is to be admitted and, without the knowledge
of the North they have been secretly intriguing
and negotiating for its admission: they are on
the eve of Treaty with that country for the pur-
| pose.
But Texas will not be admitted into this Union
without a strugge-a struggle which will begin
pcaccably, but the end Of which 1t IS not so easy
10 foresee We shall first plant ourselves upon
the Constitutions ground which the South have
SO often occupled-and we shall insist upon pre-
ciselv the same measure as has been melted to u.s.
Mr. Jefferson is the authority always invoked
by the South when the construction of the Const!-
tuition is in question. And upon the admission Of
Texas, Mr. Jefferson is an authority exactly in
point
1t is well known that about the year 1901
Spain ceded vast tract of territory, including
New Orleans, to France. Up to this time our
citizens in the valley of the Mississippi had en-
loved every commercial facility and the right of
dcpositng their goods and produce at New Or
leans. 1t was a privilege then lndlspensably ne
cessary to them. They had no other outlet to
|
Immediately after the cession by Spainto France,
this privilege was taken away-and it may well
be imagined what were the consequences antici-
pated by our government from this new state Of
things. Mr.. Jefferson Justly regarded New Or
leans, the right of place of deposit at the out
let of the Mississippi, as indlspensably necessary
to the United States and he loresaw that if it
remained in possession of an ambitious and pow
| 10 bo no of
perpetual collision and war. In his own Ian
guage there is on the globe but one single spot,
| the possessor Of which must be our natural and
habitual enemy. 1t is New Orleans, through
which the produce of three ighths of our terri
tory must pass TO market, and from its fertility it
will ere long yield more than half Of our whole
produce and contain more than half of our in
habitants. France, placing herself in that door
assumes to us the attitude of defiance"
Mr. Jefferson, conscious of the vast impor-
lance of possessing New Orleans, the moment
the first collision occurred, set himself about its
ACQUISITION. He directed our Minister at Paris
at once to traat for and obtain it if possible. He
did so and succeeded. Mr.. Jefferson did not con-
suit with Congress or the Nation, because he
feared that discussion here would only open the
eyes OF France to its immense value to US, and
| that that needy power would be induced to de-
mand more than we should be able to pay.
But Mr.. Jefferson well knew that he was ex-
ceedng his powers and that the acquisition of
territory was not power delegated to the Federal
Government by the Constitution He felt and
declared that he could find no justification for his
conduct except in the extreme emergency and
necessity of the case, and that it could only be
sanctioned by an amendment of the Constitution.
1t was not that we wanted the territory, but that
we could not live nor breathe without New Or
eans-New Orleans was all that our Minister at
Paris was directed to negotiate ior-but contrary
TO his expectations he not only got New Orleans