The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-08-10
MR.. ADAMS AND ExAs.


We adser,ed the other day to an incendiary and
reasonable address to the People of the free States
Of tho Union, put forth in May s43, by The Hon.John
Quincy Adams, signed by himself and twelve Of his
felIow-rep sprits-n tho late
Congress- Ii appears the address, shortly after its
first publicson received the signatures of light other
members OF the same Congress; and probably addi-
tionaI names have since been affixed to it,
The document is therefore of some importance,
partly from the fact that many men possessing
weight and influence in their respective sections oil
the country, have thus publicly and soiemnly pledg-
cd themselves to dissolution Of the Union, in the
event the adoption OF measure which they were
pleased 10 condemn in advance Of any discussion Of
1t and partly because MIR. Adams, the leader of this
movement, notwithstanding the doubts of his sanity
occasionally expressed, rather in jest than serou y
has still large body of admirers, who entertain
great reverence for his mental powers, and who be-
iieve that, however apparently extravagant be may
be at times he never deliberately position
which is not logically and legally unassalable.
We will, recur, therefore, to the resolutions of.
fersd by him 10 the House of Representatives on the
2eth of February, l843 which are in the following
words;
"ResotUed, That by the Constitution of the United
States no power is delegated their Congress or to
any department or departments OF their Government
to afix 70 this Union any foreign State, or the peo-
pie thereof
Rssoivsd, That any attempt of the Government of
the United States BY an act Of Congress by treaty.
10 annex to this Union the Republic of Texas or the
people thereof, would be violation Of the Constu
ton of United States, null and void and TO hich
inc Tree States OF this Union and their people ought
not 10 submit"
In the first of these resolutions, which we presume
were carefully worded by great precsian in lam
guage, Mr.. Adams lays down the proposition that il
would be unconstitutional 80 afiix 10 this Union any
foreign Siats or The people thereof" He does not
afhrm that 1t would be unconstitutional to annex
ftrrtevy TO the Union which, indeed, would be as
serted with an illgrace by the man who negotiated
the treaty snnexiDg Florida to the Union and would
be equivalent to confession that in order to retain
his pest at the head Of Mr. Monroes Cabinet, he be-
came willing and active instrument in infctipg
most serious wound on the Constitution. And man
who was in public life when the cesson of Louisiana
LOOK place, would ind II difficult TO convince the
world that at this late day, lights had broken in
upon him respecting the constitut,onalty of annex
ing territory TO the Union. The question of const-
tuonality a. to King territory to The Union has
been settled BY prccedents which are in their nature
irreversibe; or which could be reversed only BY ex
Polling Louisiana and Florida from the Union
But it is unconstitutional, Mr.. Adams says, to afix
any foreign State to the Union.
The answer to this is obvious There i. no clause
in the Constitution expressly permitting the annexa
ton Of territory to the Union. II is altoge her silent
s,rNnr h. snks ~.
between State and Territory Nor could any di.tiuc-
tion we'll be made, or any limit conditions mpos-
ed on the acquisition Of territory. II We have
right under the Cons .itution to ax single acre of
ground, or single square mile of territory to the
Union, we have the right to six ten or fifty thousand
square miles. If we have a right to purchase any
portion Of the territory OF foreign government we
have right TO purchase the major portion, or the
who'e OF H. We have as much right TO purchase or
acquire In any way, the half, three-ourihs or Che
whole Of Texas, as TO purchase or acquire single
acre OF it and circumstances might arise which
would render the acquisition of part of il ind,pe,
sable.
The second Of these resolutions of Mr.. Adams
corollary or protrac'ed application of the first
II would be unconstitutional "to annex to the
Union The Republic Of Texas, or the People
thereof
II is plain, we think, that il would be quite as con-
su'ut'ona TO annex any part or the whole of T,xa,
10 The Union as IT to annex the Floridas or Iou
snna. II by anncxing the Republic of Texas to the
Un,on Is meant perpetual alliance offensive and de-
isn''vs between Texas and the United States. we
can only express doubt whether any one Yin ouy
country has dreamed Of such annexation. Bot we
cou'd constitutonaly annex the whole territory of
Texas and as to the People of Texas we have az
much right to admi, them into the Union as Citizen.
as we had to admit the inhabitants of Louisiana and
Florida
These propositions seem so plain and indisputable
as hardly TO require argument if it we're no, cy;d.n,
'ns' mr.. Adams IN these resolutions seeks to draw
qu'ob''ng distinction between eDiring ga foreion
STATE and snnexing territory.
The question Of consttutonalify, as 10 aonexirr
Territory TO the Union has been so much debated and
so eifectualy decided, that would be idle to A.
tempt to reopen it. The practice Of annexation
mas oeen continued up TO the late treaty of Wash
ington by which a portion of British territory 10
copied BY British subjects, was "saixed 10 IN.
Unionr
But Mr.. Adams maintains further. in this ,aa..
10 the PEOPLE OF the free ses, that il would be
constitutional to annex the Territory Of Texas TO IN,
Union, because Texas is and would lie sIayebold;or
State at would be violation Of our national com.
pact, its objects, designs, and the great elem.par,
principles which entered into IFS formation Tn.
Constitution he says, adopted expressly to a..
cure the blessings Of liberty and not the perpetua,ion of
slavery
might be sufficient answer TO this argumen, 10
say, thst |" would have applied equally well to the
annexation Of Florida, in which Mr.. Adams bore so
consP'cue" part. But we cannot help rcmarkng
that the view here taken OF the Constitution and il.
objects, is one which no American can counienapce
without inviting and jusifyng foreign Interference
IN our affairs The trainers of the Constitution were