Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-08-23
LETTER FROM GOV. MCDONALD.

hENSEStH. JUNG :. u III.
Gentlemen: have the honor 10 acknowledge
The receipt OF Your kind invitation to dinner 10
lie given in Newman on the ith .luly next. By the
irnd> Of the immediate annexation oi Texas 10
this country, irrespective OF party. Nothing could
give me more pleasure than To min"le with the
people Of Cuwcta on the OCCASION the more cspc-
cially IL invitations are cytened 10 all parties.
And why should this be question OF party -
Every administration oi the Government. whose
attention has been al all directed 10 the subject.
ha, considered the acquisition OF Texas great
deSidcratuin and all have REGARDED lis immediate
annexation desirable. They have sought 10
obtain ii by III" Use OF the usual pacific means by
which one nation may acquire the territory Of
another, and by which our Government on former
occasions, entitled itself TO delightful portions Of
this Union. The measure has, therefore, been
considered on all hands, piece OF seli-cvident
national policy, and none III The disturbing topics
which the spirit OF party now throws into the dis
cUssion. has ever interrupted The efforts Of the
public authorities TO achieve The object. In fac,
the public mind in this quarter OF The Union, was
20 nearly unanimous in support o! the course Of
the administration, tha.iew dissenting voices were
heard prior 10 the publication Of tie letters Of
AIcssrs Van Buren and Clay. Though these
statements shed no new light upon the subject,
Immediately following the publication, zealous
distinguished gentlemen. But they could rot
have /; controlling influence. The friends Of Mr.
Van Buren,. notwithstanding their >ilon2 and
Justly mcriicd attachment 10 hun, passed by ms
prelcnsions, and conferred on another, harmonic
ing with them IN opinion on this great national
measure tie honor vi q nomination Tor lie Pre-
sideGcr. Had the pa!1sans CT Mr.. Cha: done
the sain- thing and placed before the nation The
nanlc Ola candidate agreeing iii opncr Wilh 4
$3.50, = .tsst
pablo importance. wonit ACt have been INTRO
duce, INTO the cauya>s; AMI the interest OF par
" would not have been thus aTayed aeainst the
interest of The country. Dut II is otherwise, ami
the conflict between patriotism fnd parry has al
ready commenced am. however, much dc
cci;ed in the integrity OF The people. II ;hey Will
abandon opinions, disneres;cd!r and lmpauially
orule,i. ior The pcrishablc pleasures Of 4 mere
parts triumph, OF ii they will barter the rights and
glory Of the nation for the qualification OF any
man. aspirations.
The objections urged in this section oi the
Union against annexation at this time arc, that
il cannot be- done without breach of national
faith 10 Mexico ana that il will rndangcr the
peace OF the country. National faith oneht al.
ways 10 I've observed AMI no greater liberty should
be taken with the rights Of 4 feeble, than with
those Of L powerful nation. IL our national otli-
cations To Mexico. or Other powers, intcrposcany
obstacle to the measure it ought 10 bc abandoned
You will pardon me while l. for moment, ex-
anime this subject. Mexico and our Government
are nj peace. The former dams hui does moi cr-
cycise dominion over Texas. No convention With
Mexico iorbids this Government from regarding
as an absolute sovereignty, any Stale OF the Mex
lean Empire which throws of lis anhori.; and
establishes its independence The law OF nations
does not oppose it, Texas has declared its indie
pendencc OF Mexico and this independence has
been acknowledged by screral of The most impor-
tant powers OF the earth, and amongst them the
United States. She has without material inter-
rup,ion for several wears enjoyed this ndepcn-
dence. governing herself without any dependence
OH Mexico. Fatel, in The Isl chapter OF his 1t
Book saws that every nation that governs Itself.
under what form soever. without any dependence
on foreign power, Is sovereign Stale lis
rights are naturally the same those OF any other
state" Again, he says, 10 give 4 nation a rish,
10 make an immediate figure in This grand socie-
ty'' (ol nations III is sufficient if it bc really
yetcign and independent; that *, ii must govern
itself bv its own authority ami laws. Texas Is
real: sovereign and independent, and IN regard
IL herdumeslic concerns, exercises all the powers
and attributes oil an absolute sovereignty, and Is
entitled to respect as 4 sovereign State from To-
reign nations.
But there is view OF this subject, which, il
seems 10 me must put TO rest all questions IN regard
70 the sovereignty OF Texas, AMI her right 10 act
independently OF Mexico and every other power.
On The 18th of April 1913 the people of Texas
| declared their independence, not in conjunction
with the other Mexican States, but separate and
apart from them. They say, iha, the ties which
held us under the dominion OF Spain and Europe
are forever dissolved; that we possess right TO
| establish Government toI ourselves that in iu-
lure all legitimate authority should ernanate from