The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-31
NUMBER III
COM MUNICsA TI0lN.
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
NO. ii.

L 800 Ao" pioSCCu III my CAduliuotOu VI snO
documents which accompanied the treaty mere
verbal criticism is not my object. / wish TO at
tend to the arguments they contain, the facts
they purport to state, and the conclusions de-
duced therefrom. After a close and attentive
perusal of The whole series, | am compelled to
say. that, in my opinion, the arguments used are
among the weakest and the most sophistcal that
| ever disgraced diplomacy, the facts adduced al
most entirely unsubstantiated, aad the conclusions
arrived at, the " most lame and impotent that
ever were deliberately spread OUT upon paper, land
submitted to rational investigation. gss
have nothing to say against Mr.. TYlerss argyll
ment about enlargement Of territory, his deduc-
tons are common. place enough, and will not give
many new ideas to the Senate. Il entirely dis
agree with him, however, when. he says that this
G view of the subject is the only one which re-
mains to be presented, for he has not yet even
alluded to the CoNsTITUTIoNALIrY of the proposed
annexation. s eS6s ssl i ma
With Mr.. Van Zandt's communication to MT.
Webster, under date Of Dec. 18th, 1912, have
nothing to do, excepting SO far as II may furnish
me with matter for comments on the arguments
adduced by the other parties. | must be excused,
however, in stating that cannot admit that any
"wrongs, however repeated" can "render cruelty
toerable." (using tolerable as sy nonyme ofJnsfi
fa6le) Nor can l allow that any war can be
conducted upon Christian principles" 4 am
writing, however, as politician and not as q ro-
ralist, and the whole tenor and proceeding Of this
transaction lead to the conclusion that politics and
morals are not inseparably coAnected. alsiIitH
Mr.. Van Zandts second note to Mr.. Webster,
under date of oath June, 1043, relates to- the me-
dation of the United States between Texas and
Mexico. It states that Mexico had rejected the
| separate mediatonlof Great Britain and that the
I" triple mediation of the United States, France.
and England" was now "sought to be obtained"
That Great Britain suppressed an ardent desire to
do all in its power, by its good offices Of media
ton, but steamed TO an opinion thatit would be
BETTER on all accounts, that each party should act
separately, but similarly in point Of tone and ar
&c. The French government apprOved rhis
suggestion, and Mr.. Van Zandt asks the govern
ment of the United States to concur therein. Mr..
Webster, in his reply to Mr.. Van.Zandt, refers to
i instructions communicated to the Minister OF the
United States at Mexico,-these instructions are
| under date of Jan. 81, 1643, and concluded with
this sentence :"You will not cease in your en-
deavors for this purpose THAT Of effecting re-
cognition by Mexico Of the independence of Tex
as) but it is not to be expected thatyo will devil
ate from the instructions which have heretofore
been given you upon the subject'I The reader
will please to bear this part Of the correspondence
in mind. 1t will be found to have an important
bearing upon subsequent part of our examna-
ton. The United States Minister at Mexico re-.
Gin obedience to his nstructions,) had, in his Off
cal Intercourse with the Mexican government
alluded, in the most friendly and respectful terms,
to the matter at issue. That 81 he (meanng, it is
supposed, the Mexican Secretary Of State) replied,
very much excited, that Merico did not regard
TEXAS as an independent posoer, butaas .re'eIli-
Gus propince.'" Our government was. therefore,
we'll acquainted with the feelings of Mexico to-
wards Texas, and of the character and estimation
| in which che hpd har 4
| All this part of the business has been most
ABLY and conclusivaly commented upon by Mr..
Benton in his speech in the Senate of the United
States, to which the reader is referred.
The next documents as to date, is Mr. Murphy's
United States Charge dAffaires to Texas) letter,
dated July 9th, 1843, to Mr. Legare, the United
States Secretary of State. This letter makes the
most digracefu admission, that the records of the
legation to Texas have been kept in such loose,
irregular, and imperfect manner, "that you can
obtain no information in any regular or certain
| connexion.' Material papers are not to be
| found, many important papers are not recorded,
some recorded ia the wrong book. out of all con-
nexion," &C., &c. "Under such circumstances"
adds Mr.. Murphy, at is impossible for me to find
out or kno,o, from anything that appears here on
the files or on the records, rDhat has been Uhat
noo u.s. the policy Of the Government Of The U.itsd
Siaies topards this republic, and that Of Merico;
or what questions of negotiation have existed, or
may now exist, between the United States and
this republic" Under these distressing and
harrassing circumstances, l must await instruc-
tons from the Department of State on all subjects
intended for my further action" We are forced
to conclude, from Mr.. Calhoun's note to the
President, dated May g. 1874, that the public
archives have not been kept with much greater
regularity at home, for he states '.that there is
not, on the files OF this (State) Department, any
communication from the Charge FAffaires Of
Texas showing that the proposition Of this Cow
eminent for the annexation Of that country to the
United States was temporarily declined, nor any
thing to show that such communication was ever
| made in writing to the late Mr.. Upshur." We
must hence infer one of two things, either that
this important communication .0as noe maze ~
| ,orifi, q. or that the document has been lost or
mislaid. Neither suppostion is very credltaoie
to our public functonaries. Mr. uPsnui, IN o n.S
letter to Mr.. Murphy, dated January io'n' 1914