The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-08-08
SPEECH OF MR.. BUCHANAN,

the United States, the injunction Of secrecy be-
ing remosed.)
| Mr.. President The present is question Of
traDscendant importance. For veal or for wo--ior
good for evil, II Is more mome0tous than any
question which has besn before the Senate since my
connection with public affairs. To coDfne the con
sequences Of decision to the present generation
| ould be 10 take narrow and contracted view oil
the subject The life Of great nation Is not 10 DC
numbered by the few and hecting years which INIT
| The period Of mans existence. The life OF such
| nation must be counted by centuries, and not by
years. Nations unborn aud ages yet behind" viii
he deeply affected In their moral political, aud social
relations, by the fina determination OF tins question
Shall Texas become part OF our glorious coniede-
racy shall she be bene OF our bone and hesh of our
flesh, shall she become our dangerous and hostile
nval1 Shall our future history aud that OF hers d.
verge and more from the present point, and ex-
| hib those mutual Jeaousics and wars which, &C
cordng 10 the history of the world, have ever been
the misfortune Of neghboring and rival nations or
shall their history be blended together in peace and
| harmony These the alternatives between
which must decide. do not mean by thsse
MARKS merely to refer to the vote Of the Senate
which will be recorded to-day upon the treaty, but
| TO that ultimate and final decision of the question
which must be made within brief period.
| Texas now presents herself before YOU and asks
TO be admitted territory into your conederacy.
How natural is il that she should desire this reunion,
and be ready 10 rush into your arms! sister sepa-
rated from the family, and in land of strangers,
loves her happy home with more intense ardor than
those who have been deprived of its blessings
She longs TO return to it, and counts the days and
months until the blessed period of reunion shall ar
rive Such the feelings OF Texas; since
she become independent of the foreign nation to
whom we had bartered her away, she has cast a
longing lingering look" back upon the family al
tar. She has again and again applied be restored,
and has as often been Tepulsed by her sisters. But
all this has not yet estranged her heart from her fam
lily. She now makes fear, last appeal; and shall
strangers 1 trust not. We ought to be careful
how longer repulse her advances and eject her
suit. We ought 10 remember that love turned TO
bate is the most bitter feeling Of the human heart
know that il is generally in bad taste for any
nstor to speak of the purity Of his motives but
the Senate trust will pardon for declaring that
kept my mind entirely open-entirely free from
prejudice or prepossession-on the question Of this
treaty, until had made myself acquainted with all
the facts and circumstances which could enlighten
| my judgment. Indeed, until the present moment,
stand wholly uncommitted by any public declaration
on the subject, although my opinions have been often
asked for publication from the most respectable quar-
tiers. deem myself justified in making these re-
marks by the playful allusion which has been made,
IN the course Of the debate, to my position a
ddate for the presidency, and to the influence which
| this might have exerted on my Judgment. But |
have not been candidate for that office since De-
cember last, when, II Is well known, voluntarily
Withdrew my name from the canvass; and never have
for single moment repeated Of that act. A large
majority Of the delegates 10 the national convention
had then been either instructed had declared their
intention to support the nomination OF MIR. Van Bu-
rem and was not so selfish as to suffer my humble
preteDsions IL become obstacle the harmony of
the democratic party The delegates from nv own
State we're afterwards instructed TO support him and
have since exered myself, more than one occa
sion, to prevent hostile movements against him. and
TO keep my own name frosn being even mentioned
as his competitor before the Baltimore non ia
any contingency. But enough, and too much, of my
self
In discussing the present question: shall not stop
to inquire into the character Of the message and cor
respondence which accompany the treaty neither
shall investiga e the motives which impelled Mr..
Tyler to enter upon The negotiation. Ii sufficient
for me tina, the treaty bias been concluded and is now
eonsitullonally before the Senate for ratification
or rejection. Upon this treaty, must vote ay, or
no, on my responsibility as senator; and shall be
governed, in my vote, not by the arguments which
have been urged in its favor by the present admins
traton, but by the provisions of the treaty ITSELF
he M ans employed in obtaining but the seat
folding 10 this magnificent edhce erected the uni
on permanence aud security Of our gorious confede
racy, and have now become useless rubbish 1 bus
SIR relieve myself at once from the discussion OF
the volumnous correspondence accompanying the
treaty which has engaged SO much of the attention
OF other senators.
In order clearly to understand the origin and ma.
ture oil the question, II may here be proper to PEE
sent brief sketch Of the history Of Texas. BY
the treaty OF Louisiana of Goth April, 1909 the
United STATES acquired this province from France.
Every American statesman who has treated Of The
subject, from Mr.. Jefferson down to the distinguish
ed senator from Miss auri, Mr.. Bentou,l is clear
and strong in TINS CONVICTION. " he facts and prin-
cipes which justify this conclusion" say hIe,srs
Monroe and Pnckney to the Spanish commissi Toner
IN 1906, are so satisfactory to govern me ut as
TO convince II that the United States have not a bet
ter right 10 tie and Of New Orleans than they have
10 the whole district of territory west to the Del
Norte." And what was the eloquent language OF
the senator from Missouri, in view Of the neeo,ia.
tons pending in 1918, and VIII CHI resulted in the
cession OF Texas TO Spaini The magnificent val
ley OF The Mississippi is ours" says he, "ah all
IT. fountains, springs, and floods and wo to the
statesman that shall undertake TO surrender one drop
Of its water-one inch of its soll-to any foreign
power" Under ,hs treaty Of Louisiana we en-.
tered into solemn agreement with France that the
inhabitants OF the ceded territory /" should be in
corporated into the Uuion Of the United States as
soon as possible according TO the principles Of the
federal constitution y and should IN the mean time
be protected IN the free enjoyment of their liberty
property, and religion.
In what manner have redeemed oui faith thus
plighed 10 Francei Texas was ours but il is GUS
no longer In violation Of the tr,a,y Of Louisiana,
we ceded Texas 10 Spain by the Florida treaty of
\ 1919. We thus dsmembered the valley of the
Mississippi, and extended the boundary Of foreign
nation along our most weak and de fenceles from
tier. IL is not my present purpose to INQUIRE who
or whether any person 10 blame for this drsmem-
oerment OF our territory. Il is sufficient for me
! to state the fact
In The course OF human events, this territory has
again been presented to US for our scce ptance-
when we ceded II TO Spain, II almost q wilder
ncss but II is now peoped by sons our brothers.
and our kindred, who have convinced the world
ny Their bravery, that they are worthy of their
breeding. They offer TO return 10 our bosom them
selves and 10 restore In ne this fine and fertile coun-
try which We had lost--o country more extensive
than France. and naturally as beautiful and blessed
with almost every variety Of soil and climate. And
shall we reject this munhcent donatlopi They
justly appreciate a union wnh us as the highest
privilege which any political community on earth
can eiJoy, and are willing to surrender themseyes
and their all to become free and sovereign States of
our conIedersey. And yet such a union has been