The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-07-09
W A S HI N G. I @ N.
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 9. 1914.
ANNEXATION.

in the Augusta Age. The article was editorial,
and not communicated, as he seems to suppose
and SO far from advocating annexation, it was our
direct purpose to convince the Southern people
why and how the measure conhcted with their
sectional interests 1t is quite apparent that the
editor, Mr.. Severance, one of the able Wing Re-
representatives. from Maine, who was not at his
post when the article appeared, had never seen it
entire, and that he had not read the concluding
remark of even the portion copied into the Age.
We, perhaps, differ with the editor of the Journal
as to the manner in which Annexation would af-
feet the Union, but we arrive at the same result.
We are both opposed to Annexation, because it
would, in the first place, endanger the peace and
stability of the Union and in the second, because
it could not be effected at present without in
fraction of our treaty with Mexico, and by that
unjust and dshonorabe act, incur wasteful and
expensive war. We likewise, are both opposed
TO the Treaty of Annexation, because it proposed
to assume heavy debt, at time and by party
who deny all assistance to the indebted States of
our own Confederacy-b party who have falsely
charged the Wings with design to assume the
debts of the States, and who have all along refus-
ed to restore the public lands to the States to
which they rightfully belong These are the
grounds upon which the Wings, North and South,
oppose Annexation, however much they may diff
fer as to its consequences.
The avowed object of Annexation is to weaken
the North, relatively. The object is sectional,
selfish, and unpatriotic and nothing can be fair
than for the North to oppose it on that ground,
if it be true that the measure will have the effect
intended. The North, in such contest, would
be fighting defensively-an attitude far more JUS
tifabe than that of the friends of Annexation,
who proclaim their object to be, to render the
North relatively weaker We have attempted t.
show that the ultimate effect of Annexation will
be to render the South weaker, and the North
stronger. We, at some length, as the editor Of
the Journal will perceive, attempted to analyse
the process by which Annexation will eventually
| weaken the South, narrow its limits, and proper
tionally strengthen the North We may be mis-
| taken. 1t may be that slavery, instead Of becom-
ing extinct in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and
Missouri, as argued by US, would be invigorated
by draining off the surplus. Our argument was
based on the supposition that the drain would be
so much greater by Annexation than it has hither-
to been, that the Northern tier of Southern States
already entertaining latent distaste for the in
sttution would be enabled to shake it off This
is an effect of Annexation in which we differ with
Northern Wings and concur with Northern Lo-
cofocos. The latter, who have been dragooned
into the support of the measure by the "Chval.
ry,'' against their wishes and prejudices, have
been compelled to place the defence of the inca
sure upon grounds the very opposite of those
which actuated its projectors Their position is
between Scylla and Chary bds-bound to support
a measure, the avowed object of which is to
dwarf the relative strength of their own section
of the Union, they have placed its defence upon
the ground that it will have the contrary effect
Can there be any honest cooperation between
these two wings of Locofocoism! Are they act
ing in good faith, when, on one side, they advo-
cate Annexation to strengthen, and, on the other,
to weaken the South The Wings place their
opposition to the scheme on no such narrow, sell
fish, or sectional grounds, while they hold it fair
to undeceive those who act from such narrow
views Such was our object in the article to
which reference has been made.
| MIcHIGAN.-The Wings of Lenawee county,
Michigan, held a Convention at Adrian, on the
29th of June, and were addressed nv tho Hon