Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-05-14
NEW sERIEs.-VoL. ~. No. AZ.

soon after it took place, rOmmuniefIe1
Ito Congress, and although the public
mind was at that lime in state or ,Ghe
highest excitement, and the adminiara-
lion daily assailed through every avsnuo
BY which II was dsemed aPpyoaehable, ]
am yet to see The frst sentence Of COM
plant upon that point, ia say quarter Of
the Union. Even q resolution onleTed
The Senate, declaring annexation,
"Whenever it could be effected consists
emily With The public faith end irsaIy
sliPulatiOns OF the United States, dssirs.
Die, was ordered TO be laid upon stho
table; and similar disposition was mASs
10 tbe House Of the papers upon tbesub.
lect, which had been referred 20 thaCon.
mII'ee on Foreign Reaiiousy and iha,
committee discharged from the further
consideration Oftbe matter, upon lis own
application. Nor were the friendly rela.
lions then existing between that IeOub.
lie and The United Slaes--to iIs honor b
1t said--in any PerceptibIs desres i'm.
paired BY this decision.
Standing in this position before the
country, il becomes my duty IL consider
whether either the nature Of The uuea,
lion, or the circumstances Of the csss.
have so Tar changed as 10 justify me- IN
now advising policy from which then
in the most solemn form, dissenied.
In giving 10 you, and through you 10
The public, the result ola veTy careful
aud dispassiOnate examiGation of this
grave question, should neither do Jus.
lice 10 yourself, 10 the patriotic Stats
which you,in conjunction with others are
10 represent il. the convention. 10 the
people Of the United States, nor nv own
position, il failed TO accompany il with
brief exposition of the grou6ds uOou
which proceeded. II is in lha, way oDlv
that justice can be done 10 my intentions:
aud that is all desire. The annexation Of
the territory, and the consequent %.
sumption by Us ofa responsibility TO pro.
tect and defend its inhabitants, would.
10 respect 10 The consideration to which [
am about TO refer, stand upon the same
footing with that Of its admission a. "A
State. The recognition Of Texas as an
independent State, was M asure which
received, in various and spDFoDriata
forms, the sanction Of every department
OF the government, whose cooperation
was necessary 10 its validity, and had my
hearty concurrence. From this act Of
our government, just and proper in all re-
s2ecis asit was, an Inference has, how.
ever, been drawn, and brought 10 beaR
upon the present question, not Only very
far beyond its real bearing, but by which
It's true character is entirely TeveTsed.-
Many persons who enier upon the con.
sideration Of the subject with the pur-
est intentions, and are incapable efkDOW.
lne'y giving false Interpretation to ahy
thing connected with it, take it for gran
ted that the United States in rscoaniz.
ing the independence Of Texas, declared
to the world, not only that she was in>
dependent in fact, but also that she was
such Of right. Acting upon this erOne.
Ous construction, they very naturally
conclude, that, having gone thus far,
having examined into and passed not
only upon the existence OF her independs
ence, but also upon her right TO its en-.
joyment, il is now land more especially
after the lapse Of several years) too late
10 hesitate upon the qdestiOn of snnexs
alton on the ground ofany existing conG
troversy upon these points.
The fallacy OF this reasoning will be ap
parent when it is considered that the
usage of nations TO acknowledge the Rovs
eminent, de- faciO, of every country, Was
for the express purpose Of
avoiding all inquiry into, or the exPrsss
sion of any opinion upon, the question
IF right between the cOntendihg parties.
They acknowledge no other power IN anv
country than that which is in fact supreme.
They cannot inquire beyond that point
Without interfering with the internal eon.
erns of other natiOns-a practice which :
II disclaim, and disclaimer which il
as been our inVariabe usage not enly to
rake, bat to enforce with scrupulOus q.
elity. To recognize The Independence
{ the government de iactO, is alsOa
natter of State necessity; for without iG
g ither commercial nor diplomatic inter.
curse between any such power and The
atoms Of the world could be carried on
18th success. and the social interests Of
lankind require that these should NOT be
rresfed by quarle els between contesli ne
lrIies, in regard to their respective rightte
lesupreme POwerIn respect 10 all beyond
lis, the laws and ususgss of nations re-.
uiFe the observance Ofa strict neutrality
etween the conlendiDg parties, as long;
IS the war lasts. Il is due, also, from
very government TO its own citizens, 70.
eclare when revolted colony shall Re
egarded asan independent nation. Bes,
ause''it belongs TO the government alone
. make the declaration;" and because.
until it is made, OF the parent State
her claims, courts 0fiusliea.
aus consider the ancient state OF thinas
$ remsining unalsered, and The sovSrs