The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-04-02
BY THE SOUTHERN MAIL.
arlington.
Correspondence Of the Herald.
WAstttNorou March 2


country is rapidly approaching-that the portentous
comet will soon pass its perihelon, and perhaps
sgraze the sun'-no one can doubt who examines
the Chronological signs" To change the figure,
let US examine the elements which are now at
work like powerful agents in chemistry, foment-
ing, and leavening the lump.
First and foremost, in point OF irresistible ne
cessty are the affairs of Texas Her cisis - come
Her necessities upon her, not IN the future, but
In the present-she wait The casa Is issued,
the sherh's hand is already upon the victims
shoulder, and the only alternatives are bail or J0I.
These are no light assertions, made upon rum0r,
and got up for effect, but make them On the most
responsible authority, and cannot be mistaken.
The time now is come when Texas must and will
either unite with us. or depart from us-be tor US,
or against us-come under the protection Of the
egs of the American Eagle, or crouch beneath
the paw of the British Lion--when her untold,
and incaculable agricultural and commercial re-
sources shall go to enrich either these United
States, or the Kingdom Of Great Britain General
Henderson now here with plenary powers; and
before he ares US, and before thisC Congress adow~s
the fate of Ttras must be defmitipely settled.
Implicated, and necessarily involved, in this fate
| of Texas, are other great and mighty interests.
And among the first, if not the FIRST is the institu
ton of southern slavery. Although the position
has been nationally controversial yetlt is generally
believed, that by the annexation OF Texas, the In
sttution of slavery would take new lease Of its
existence, and acquire renewed strength. Those
who doubt this, say that annexation would merely
change the locality OF slavery, and not its strength
or numbers. As the southern people, who
may be presumed to be the best Judges,
| are strongly in favor of annexation, it is
safe to presume that this measure would ope-
rate favorably to slavery And on the contrary,
that the rejection OF Texas forever from this Union,
would be fatal blow to slavery at the South.
Therefore, crisis is also at hand in the condition
of Southern slavery.
The abolitionlsis of the N, rth are, of course.
deeply Interested in these results. The numbers OF
these people have greatly increased, particularly at
the West, while their power has equally increased
at the East. In many States or sections OF the
Union, they undoubtedly hold balance of
political power. They are, therefore, formidable
to both wings and democrats And 1t is remarka-
BILE fact in the political history OF these identical
| times, that between the Scylla of the aboli-
| tionsls at the North, and the Charybdis of the
| shareholders at the South, both wings and demo-
Gratis equally afraid of shipwreck in the ap.
preaching Presidential election. Both Clay and
Van Buren, are equally reluctant to oppose publicly
either the annexation or the rejection Of Texas.
People OF less sagacity have no hesitation in de-
clarng themselves.
| But time presses-the crisis Apprenticeship sub
ject cannot be kept longer in abeyance-a decision
must be made-peope must take sdes-the Rubi::
con must be passed Even before this letter will
be in type, the die will be cast in Connecticut.
The returns from that State will be looked for
with most intense anxiety all over the United States.
tiers of your reporters read with infinite avidity.
i Another crisis is approaching in Virginia. The
election which takes place there, think on the 4th
Thursday in April, is of infinite importance.
| East-Virginia of the South. Should the same pO-
lltical party WIN in both cases, II will thereby re-
ceive an impetus which it would be hard to resist,
and whose influence might prove balance OF
power sufficient to elect either Clay or Van Buren,.
The fate, therefore, Of the great leading mea.
sures of legislaton-tarif for protection or tariff
| forre ed States Rank suh -fr
and no bank-assumpton of State debts--disribu.
ton of public lands &c, &c.-I say, the fate of all
these great measures - IS rapidly approaching rb
great crisis in its history is also now come. Minis
ter Pakenham is here, and the negotiation is al
ready progressing. Iexas and Oregon are now
other. We now have an equilibrium OF thirteen
slave States and thirteen free States The admls'
sion of an odd State would destroy the equlponde-
rance, and create revolution.
The fate OF men, too, as well as OF geographical
n boundaries and political measures, is also approach
e Suppose thewhigs should win the elections nCon-
= neclcut and Virginia by large majority, what
9 would be the consequence! First II would be re-
garded omen of Van Buren's defeat if
nominated. He would not be considered avaIla-
BILE. Next, Mr.. Calhoun q say it advisedly) would
run for the next Presidency, or perhaps should "a.
ther say, his prominent and influential friends and
supporters would again elevate his name as q can
didate for the Presidency.
In view of these facts, therefore, it is most pro-
bable that Mr.. Calhoun will in no way commit,
either himself in relation to the annexation OF
Texas and the boundary OF Oregon, or those mea-
sures themselves, until after the elections in the
two States referred to- The mean time will be de-
voted to full and searching examination OF the
F.; | whole subject.
The exact position of the two great political
i parties with reference TO annexation, appears at
!. present to be this: Both parties would prefer to
procfastinate, and hold the matter in obeyance !;
: and while neither party is willing to espouse it,
d each is DESTROYS OF driving the other TO renounce
and denounce il, for the purpose OF injuriBg that
party in the South.
But will now state on umdombted authority what
/, you will find it d icult to credit, (although it is
If true )hat the Souhe, ,chigs in the Senate tvu rote
J.. Ripes of Virginia, (of Mangwm know nothing,
:, but presume he will do likewise,) Berisn, OF
u Georgia. Henderson, OF Mississippi; Barrc'c and
Johnson, OF Louisiana, and Critfenden and More
e. head of Kentucky-of all these have certain In
}. formation that they will vote for annexation, and
l. think may also add Bayard and Clayton, OF Della
ware; Merrick and Pearce, OF Maryland, and Foster
and Jdrndgin, of Tennessee-but OF these l have
present means OF Judging, except from the fact
> the others will thus vote mean to be understood
to say that these whgs from slaveholding States,
do all prefer to have the question delayed till after
the next Presidential election; but if 1t cannot be
delayed. it cannot. and they, are compelled to
upon il, then say they will sacrifice all other
considerations and Toio their Uotss favor Of the
peculiar institutions Of the South.
Mr. Clay himself, and all his friends, both in
Congress and out, have done what they could to
create the impression upon the public mind that no
action will be had, or can be had, by this present
Congress upon the annexation OF Texas. Captain
Elliott logged Mr. Clay all the way from New Or
leans up to Natchez, and the Lord knows how
much further for the purpose of extortlng some IN
formation from HIM In relation TO annexation
But all he could get from that wary politician was
that in his opinion nothing would be done by the
present Congress" But the arrival OF Gen. Hen
derson with plenary lowers and me injunction
ir Jm his government to bring this subject TO close
= finally and dehntivey, now places the whoe SUD-
$ ject in a totally different aspect.
Ii will be no party vote in Congress On the
contrary the whole southern delegation wings and
= democrats--T they must uote-wlll, In one unbro-
Il ken phalanx maisre all other considerations, bold
ly throw the white bean Tor annexation. And
neither Clay nor Van Buren, will dare TO object,
L. IL. IL