The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-04-16

LL.Y w. III - i'-v-'' 49, o \
And what have thoss Who cana aitsr Mr.. Manroi
thought OF tho expediepU Of obtaining Texas Cor ne
nioo' It may b ceneAdad .hal the public at large
do not possess all the materials for forming wise
and well considered opinion. Perhaps man CAP
do vishoW having access to ell the information ID
the archives Of the Sets DsPsslsDsnt il addition 70
that which has already besB made pnhjic. Ca such
subject, in the nature Of things, even theas who
are best Informed must take their opinions somewhat
ut second hand. We ought 70 be- and We will b, TO
great extent, naueaead BY the views and epnenG u
those who have had the best meaas Of forming Opt
Mons, asd whose official duty il he's bean 70 form
thsm. Where they are all agreed, no mater bow
much they differ about every thing else, We may
safely concludp that they ars right eao
Madison and Mr.. Monroe infested on our right 70
Texas. They held on. to il tenaciously, sad Mr.
Monroe slowly and reluctantly gave it up. Our
right to II was contested by Spain, and it Yves pruba@
bly, yielded a. part of Maine and Massachusetts
more recently has been, for peace and for equiva'
lents ~ 81
What has our Government been doing since about
Texas! Let every man who is inclined to doubt the
expodiencyof acquiring Texas-who Is for rejecting
the Treaty (wth0ut knowing what it is] any Trca-
~ for its annexation, pause little have sufficient
portion Of modesty 10 think il is just possible he may
be mistaken, when he is told that since 1924, John
adams, Henry Ctoy, .andrss Jackson, Martin Ts,l
Buren, have at various periods, been, as Presidents
and Secretaries Of State strenuousy exerting them
selves to obtain the remuneration Of Texas to the
Union and that each and all Of them stand commit
ted by the most decided opinions, and some of them
and expectancy OF annexipg Texas to the United
States. w 3 "a
Let all reflect on these facts clearly exhibited ID
the mastery and comprehensive letter Of MIR. Wsik
err and take care how they rush heedlessly, blindy
and ignorantly into the condemnation Of . measure
smh knaw hall akS-,u
cial oxeTons to accomplish, of Prosidents and Soc
retaries Of State of all sections and Of all parties
for twenty years. Let them take care, especially,
how they minge with the consideration and Discus
sion of great national question: any petty feeling Of
party or personal jealousy. 1 fEial gaA1
Nothing can be more paltry than the idea that the
Treaty has been made ssecrsly"- that therefore
it to be rejected and ought not 10 receive the de-
berate consideration and Judgment Of the Senate -
Nothing could be more detestable and treacherous
than to evade decision on it now, lest IL might en-
barrass Mr.. Clay or Mr.. Van Buren, or their friends
in the pending struggle for the Presidency, at the
hazard Of losing the hope of annexation at all, and
leaving Texas to become, perhaps, colony or com.
mercial dependency Of Great Britain.
II is but an &C, of simple justice to vindicate Mr..
Tyler from reproach on account Of having carried on
s.secret" negotiation and made SECRET Treaty.
What horrible outrage for the Executive to make
''secret Treatyp' What insuferable arrogance that
the President should negotiate and make Treaty
with foreign power without sending message to
the Democratic Associations the Wing Clubs, to
know whether it would DO agreeable to their views
of the public interest that he should open negotia
lions, and on what terms they would like him to con-
sent to Treaty! And then see the clandestine
manner in which he has carried on. He has actual
~ corresponded privately and "cLandeineiy with the
President Of Texas, through the Minister of Texas
-kecIing the whole matter to themselves and never
publishing his letters or those of Texas, either
IN the lntp}iiUencer nj Clohp oro he cd;
an, or any other newspaper, as a sound Wing or
Democratic Republican President would have done
Why Treaty got up in this pripots secret and clan
destine way ought to be rejected of course like an
Abolition petition, without reading. printing, or re-
ferring =! -
This seems to be about the amount Of the obiec
ton to the Treaty. on account the in which
it seems to have been Degotialed-f, indeed, there
has been Treaty signed at all.
Was there ever treaty made, or negotiation
carried on, about an important public matter, be-
tween two civilized nations, otherwise than Csc
cretIy" We're not the efforts made to acquire Tex
as by treaty with Mexico by Adams and Clay and
Jackson, made Secretly" Was not the Louisiana
negotiation and treaty secret negotiation-never
promuged until ratified by the Senate' Was not
the Treaty of Washington secret treaty. Is it not
the known and universal practice of all nations to
make diplomatic negotiations and enter into treaties
''secretly;' Even when treaty has heen completed
and is sent 10 the Senate for advice and ratification
not the members of the Senate under the solemn
obligation of oath of secrecy not to dvu'ge any
thing about iii Away, then, with this stuff abou,
"candestine negotiation and 'secretp treaty.
II the treaty is god treaty. the obi ct desira-
BILE one AID the terms udicous and acceptable it is
of no importance how the negotiations we're carried
on, or by what President it has been made. We do
not know, and never will know, until the Senate has
passed on the treaty under what circumstances and
in what manner the treaty has been made, or what
are its terms and provisions 1t cannot become the
Law Of the land until twothrds Of the Senate have
advised and approved IT, II they shall so confirm it,
we shall then know better how to estimate the value
of the judgment Of those sagacious patriots, who,
without having the materials to form Judgment
have denounced their action in advance and threat.
ened as the penalty Of differing with them in this
matter, dissolution Of the
UNION.