New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-21
rbe pretexts for Annexation.

The Pretexts for Annexation.
In the Globe of Saturday night VIC have two
more Letters in favor of the Immediate Annexa-
ton of Texas-that Of Hon. LEVI WOODBURY. OF
New. Hampshire, and that of Gen. NATHAN Tow
SON of the IT, s. Army, who is moved thereto by
an intiInation from the Loco-Focos OF two vicn
ties in MARYLAND that he is their favorlte candidate
for President. Those of Randallstown, Baltimore
Co. resolve that his services soldier in the
Last War and Paymaster General since have
been admirably discharged-a hint, probably
that in case they should get him nominated for
President, he would be expected to prove himself
a generous paymaster to the dlscovcrers Of his fit
ness for the Presidency. Gen. Towson, in reply,
of course goes the whole hog for Annexation i'm
mediately, and quicker if possible, and gives
England and the Aboitionists specimen of his
punncry We can afford to let him slide.
Senator Woodbury's letter is of another sort.
He devotes three columns of the Globe to an
gumcnt against what he declares TO be the obec-
tons urged against Annexation, stating them
very lamely, and emitting most formidable one
the Debt fTexas-entirely. Why do not our
Loco.Foco politicians look this in the face ?
They are vociferous enough against the Assump-
ton of the Debts of our oirn States, Of which
there is not the remotcst probability; then how
are they so ready to assume without inquiry the
heavy debt of a foreign Nation -! True, the Ty-
Ter Treaty limits our payments on account Of that
Debt to Ten Millions of Dollars, but that is noto
riously below the amount--wc believe one-half
Recollcct that the Debt draws an interest Of ten
per cent which has been running up for several
years Now suppose the whole amount to be
Twenty Millions of Dollars, (and 1t will be far
more than this if we include the payment of
claims for Military Services, losses by Mexican
and Indian depredations, Sc what will be the
course of things We shall first borrow Ten
Millions of Dollars and pay SO much pro rata,
which the land.holders and claimants will take,
readily enough. But the moment they have
pocketed this, they will rush upon Congress with
their claims for the balance of their debt-and
they will get it. Why should they not! If
we take Texas, we take her Debt, and VIC justly
owe it, every farthing not a part of it. man
of property who marries wife, knowing her to
taking to compound BY paying half-the lawyers
of the debtors would laugh at him. Let us play no
such silly game but if VIC take Texas let us be-
have manfully and pay her debts dollar for dol
lar. Let us not dream of repaying ourselves
from the Proceeds of Texas Lands, either; for
the Government OF that Country admits that
over Sirtuf four Millions Of Acres have already
nassed into private hands, and that amount CO.
vers all that can fairly be claimed us comprised
within the actual limits of Texas. And when
we have paid off the lucky shavers OF Texas
Scrip at sixpence on the dollar, let us cease abu-
sing the alEdozen individuals who thought we
ought to do something to relieve the American
name from the infamy cast upon it by the con-
duct Of our own repudlating States. Surely,
when we can pay Twenty Millions for the Debt
of Texas, and adop, !, War for the privilege OF
doing it. ii hardly be capital offence to pro.
pose Five Millions 10 cover the nakcdnesS OF
Mississippi.
And then, again, the prctext of danger 10 our
South. Western frontier from the want of natural
defenccs, so prominently urged by Gen Cass-
there never was an argument more fallacIous.-
we insist that our frontier can never be so cX-
tended as TO render it stronger and safer than
now.-The genius who undertook TO plant corn
so as to have no outside rows would be puzzled
to improyei,. The deep, wet soil, unfa,homabe
swamps and lagoons of our Mississippi and Sa-
binc region, are more formidable to modern
army, (Which is nothing without cannon and
munitions) than mountain barrier; while the
Fevers Of tina; region would weekly decimate a
strange army on the march, and the Mississippi
would afford TO our defenders base of Military
operations worth all the iortresses OF Prussia
But push our boundary to the Rio del Nor,e, OF even
the Colorado, and our South Western borde!
would then be weak enough, and greatly exposed
to incursion. We can easier concentrate Half q
Million men, we'll armed and provsioned, on
New. Orleans or Natchez, than One Hundred
Thousand on Austin or Nacogdoches. The mo-
u,ent our jurisdiction is extended to the Colorado
our exposure to enemy's attacks viii have
been greatly increased and our ability to defy them
Proportionably weakened.
But we had intended to speak Of the article
from Frazer's Magazine so characteristically
pressed into the service Of Annexation by Gen
Cass but of which the Dirt, was to show tina,
~ Cheat Britain could not afford to wage ano,he,
In N