The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-04-12
TEXAS.

such objections as are urged, simply for the pur
pose of Withdrawing The minds OF People from
the consideration of the merits of the measure
The parties who urge them know full well lheiI
vorlhlessness, and in thus seeking TO divert the
issue from The question itself to exlraneous mat
tiers, acknowledge their inability TO coatend
against the advantages which II holds out
The day of retribuion may overtake such
,reachery TO the welfare Of the country.
We allege, in the frs, place, that il is the ha-
bitual course of this as OF every other Govern
meAt TO make their treaties secretly" that
they are "sprung" upon every People in the very
act Of contamination. That in all cases when
such purposes are to be attained, the Executive
should keep il secret, and that such has been
the case. That the treaty for the acquisition OF
Texas is in accordance with presidents, made
by Adams, Clay and Webster. That all three
have sought TO enlarge our territory, by the
same means, and that all three have given their
sanction TO its c0nstitutionality.
We therefore say, with Messrs. Adams and
Clay, that Texas was originally ours, that we
were opposed to ceding territory so immense
ly valuable, and thai the country was not too
large. IT. therefore. in the opinion of Adams
and Clay, our Territory was not too large,
before Texas was ceded by us, neither
1ciH IL be too large after shall hare
been restored. So say Messrs. Adams and
Clay, and they twice, we believe, made the at
tempt to regain it, and in so doing, gave much
more just cause of offence to Spain than Mexi.
CO can now complain of, the power of Spain
being much more threatening to Mexico, and
infinitely more likely to reconquer Mexico than
she to subjugate Texas. We refer to the facts
of history, which should be familiar TO every
one who hazards advice to the public, in con6r-
nation Of these statements. Thus we have
shown that Adams and Clay did no, think the
country TOO large before the cession of Texas !;
that they did not think it would be too large with
Texas re-annexed, and, that in the language Of
the Intelligencer, they ran the hazard of war
with Spain to recover il, a hazard thousand
fold more probable with Spain then, than with
Mexico now.
At the period, too, when Adams and Clay
sought to regain it, while Mexico was hard
pressed by Spain, she claimed absolute sove-
reignty over her entire territory, to govern and
dispose Of ii as she judged best, aud she con-
tended that II would be no just cause Of offence
10 Spain, for any other nation to treat with her
a. absolute, independent sovereign of all her
territory, to do with il as she chose. Apply
this principle, contended for by Mexico herself
and II must be as papable as the MONDAY
sun, that if Spain had, in the opinion of Mexico,
no right OF complaint with the United States for
making, or seeking to make with Mexico, q
treaty, which only an independent and absolute
power could make, then has Mexico forever
closed her own mouth against uuering com
plants against the United States for making
treaty with Texas. We hope that, SO far, our
demonstration has been complete.
In regard to the secrecy with which il has
been asserted the Treaty with Texas has been
carried on, II, even il were not universally the
course OF all Governments in such cases, il were
unnecessary IN this case to have given 1.-THE
OF the publicity which II did receive. The fol-
lowing are some of the reasons: The cesson of
Texas was violently opposed by many eminent
Statesmen; Messrs Adams and Clay sought to
recover II, while both Houses of Congress were
most bitterly opposed TO them, and permitted NJ
act OF theirs to pass without opposition or de-
nuncialionj they knew full well that if the an
neXation Of Texas TO The United States were
injurious 10 this country, or If even it were of
questionable value TO the Union, it could not
hope Tor confirmation, or if advantageous, and
u involved the hazard Of a war, they. would
have received abundant insure. But the mea-
sure appeared to them so perfectly free from OBJ
jections, so fraughI with great and obvious ben
ehts, that hostile Congress could not hesitate
TO sanction il, and that thus they would snatch
an honor by force from triumphant opposition
The whole Treaty, or rather the attempts to
make one, were carried on with such secrecy,
that visilsn, and prying opposition were igno-
rant Of the matter, and, had success attended
their efforts, the Treaty would have been
quietly laid before the Senate for conirma-
ton, without opposition having been afforded tn
opportunity of making upon it the indirect
and insid,ous attacks to smother il, which
the Intellgencer aid some other papers hay,
made upon the present. The secrecy of Mes.r,
Adams and Clay met the approval of the InteIli
genser, nor did an exasperated and triumphan
opposition ever object either to the annexation
Of Texas-wbich they sought--nor to the Sc
crecy with which negotiations were commenced
and carried on. Nowhere do we find eyidenc,
that any party or class Of men objected '',o III.
enlargement of our territory, by Adams and
Clay, by the annexation OF Texas, and the
hazard Of a war with Spain" If the cession
sought by Adams and Clay was not, in their
judgment or tina, OF MEXICO herself, good
cause of war by Spain, a fortiori, Adams.
Clay. and Mckee must, as an inevitable seoul
tur. admit that a treaty with TeIas now Ia NJ,