Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-04-20
JAMES G. BIRNEY AND TEXAS,
LowGR SAGINAW, Mich, I
February %, 1874.

February %, 1874. :
GENTLEMEN--It is but short time since | re-
ceived your note, written on behalf of a meeting
of the citizens of Allegheny county, Of all parties,
requesting to know of me, as one of those who
have been spoken of by their friends for the Pres
dency, what are my views upon the proposition
to annex Texas to the Union.
In complying, as | cheerfully do, with the re-
queSt-to your first interrogatory, "acould the pro-
posed annexation be Constitutional" answer in
the negative.
Oar Government is strictly one ofdelegated au-
thority. The powers" impaired to it are care
fully described and embodied in the Constitution.
None of them authorises the government, in any
way, to accept ota cessiOn of foreign territory.
50 far from it, theY'bear no relation, nor do they
contain the slightest alluson to such an event.
do not forget that Louisiana aud Florida, once
foreign territory, were1anncXed to the Union;-
but the President who proj Gcted and cOnsummatcd
the purchase ofhe former, both knew and ac-
knowledgcd, while he was negotiating it, that it
was unauthorized by the Constitution.
Nor am | unaware that some among us, of
high authority in such matters, maintain that, as
the Constitution confcrs on the government the
power of making treaties, it consequently confers
the power to acquire territory by treaty. This is
tWo-edged sword For if the power to make
treaties carry with it the incidental power to &C.
qusre, without stint, territory Of other nations,
equally does it carry with it the power to cede
without stint, the territory we already possess, TO
other nations. FIVE adopt the construction, that
the reaty-naking department is not to be limited
10y the Hpowers" impaired by the people to the
! GOUernnent-then may the whole States be trans
ferred to other Soveregnties-then is the integri-
ty Of the Unon-nay, our political existence itself,
in the hands of the President and tWo-thirds of a
quorum of the Senate.
am not averse to liberal construction of the
powers Of the government. wherever the objects
sought are plainly allowed by the Constitution
But when they are unknown TO the Constitution,
the liberal construction which becomes necessary
to authorize them is but another name for usurp-
alton.
1t ought never to be lost sight of, that in this
country, the sovereignty, in substance, as well as
in name, abdes with the People; that the powers Of
the government are but emenatiOns or portions of
that sovereignty impaired to such of the citizens
as may be duly called to administrative functions;
and that these powers, while they are to be eXer-
cised solely for the general welfare, must not be
exercised at random but ,cjthin The limits marked
out By The people Themselves IN the Constitution.
Should experience prove that these limits are too
narrow, the people, on being duly resOrtcd to- will
through their own nstrumcntality, the States, en-
large them as they deem it eXpedient. Meantime
the Inconvenience arising from powers thought
to be too much restricted, but which are suscepti-
BILE ofso complete remedy, ought to be patiently
borne with; for they are nothing, when com
pared with the uncertainties, the disorders, the
lperiiS, the expressions attending government all
at loose ends, yacIlatng ard distracted by the va
riOus opinions and conflicting theories of those
5 who may successfully be called to administer it
Governments without number have been brough
to nought by what is called a liberal construction
of their powers; but few have suffered loss by {
rigid one. The liberal construction of TODAY j.
~ InuHa tbn md
+ liberal, if not a licetious one Tomorrow.
= To your second question" Surprising it Con
stituonal, would you be favorable to annexation
u on any terms ?"-l reply, would not.
The permanent success of government mus
have some relation to the extent of its territorial
e limits. While they may, doubtless, be too marrow
! for the highest development of national prospert
so may they be too large. Without saying tina
our territory is too large, say, it is large en0ug
. for all the just aud useful purposes Of Govern
d ment
know no good reason why we should desire t.
= have Texas united to us. The United States npj
: Texas are not connected by large rivers waerin
= both; nor are they separated from other nation
: by deserts, or by chains of mountains forming Join
= barriers of protection, and Indicating that the
v ought to be ONE nation. If we desire anneXatio
- because she is contermnious with us.-Texa
d once obtained, we shall, for the same reason, bur
- for the annexation of Mexico; nor shall we b
# able wholly to quench thirst but in the Ocean
which wash on all sides, the continent which w
J." inhabit.
lie SO far am | from thinking the annexation
,e Texas would be beneficial TO u.s. wish she wer
"a reunited to Mexico, and that, one people, the
were rapidly advancing to the highest grade of it
! telIcctual and political power To have such
at power on our borders-one whose character an
OF whose rights we could not help respectng--wo
h. most favorabIy affect US, think, in variety
" ways One only shall allude to: it would re
{ strain that Nid buccaneer spirit of adventure III
e. happily existing to great extent in our country
1e a spirit that is at war with all solid improvement
w and true civilization, and which, unless juster ut
of tions can be made to prevail will soon begin to st
at defiance the restraints of our own government
cd and render the condition of weak communit'
r? on our borders one of constant insecurity an
r. alarm.
:, As private citizen, would do all that | homo
-" ably could, to defeat the scheme of abnexatio
H. So would in any other public station than Il
ms one to which your note refers. The President
c, department of the Government, and stands in {
altogether peculiar relation to the country
" PoWers' are entrusted to him, not so much wi