The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-05-08
Lindonwald, New York.
L1NpENwALp. April 20, 1871.

My DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 18th of
March was duly received
Acting as an unpedged delegate to the Balti-
more Convention, you ask my opinion in regard
10 the constitutionaljty and expediency of an
immediate annexation Of Texas to the United
States, or as soon as the assent Of Texas may be
had to such annexation. Upon the receipt OF
your letter, caused you 10 be forthwith inform
cd that your request should be complied with in
tuli season for the convention. This promise
Shall now perform. But, lest nv motives in
making public ayowal of my opinions whilst
aaegotiation is supposed TO be pending. should
be msconstrued, | shall send this to friend
who will delay its delivery as long as that can
be done consistently with faithful compliance
with the requirements Of your letter, and the
general objects for which il was written.
You by no means oveuate the importance ol
the subject upon which you have been pleased
10 address me. 1t is not only question Of in
te;:se interest TO every part Of community, bnt i:
unhappily also one in regard to which we may
not promise ourselves that unanimity in opinions
which is so important when great national qucs
tlons like this are TO be decided. That those
which am about 10 express will, at least in one
important particular, differ from that of many
friends, political and personal, whose judgments
and purity Of views hold in high and habtuaI
respect, can well imagine; and it is quite ev
dent from the tenor Of your letter, that they
will not IN all respects correspond with youi
own. IT, however, such Of my fellow citizens
as are neither influenced by prejudices, nol
warped by selfnterest, concede 10 ny opinions
the merit of having been formed under views d
rected to the preservation and advancement O
the honor and best interests of our common
country, as whole, and expressed with sin
cerity which has overlooked, as far as our feeble
natures will permit US TO do, all personal consid
erations, my most favorable antcpations will bt
realized.
II has already been made my duty to act off
cially on at least two several occasions, but il
different forms, upon the subject matter to whcl
your questions have reference.
Having charge of the department of State il
1929, prepared, by the direction of the Presi
dent, instructions TO our Minister at Mexico
by which he was directed TO open, without de
lay, negotiation with the Mexican Government
for the purchase Of the greater part of the the
province of Texas, by which be was Ikewis
authorized 10 insert in the treaty provsio
similar 10 that in the Florida and Louisiana trea
ties, for the Incorporation of tho inhabitants {
Texas into the Union as soon as it could be don
consistently with the principles of the fedeE
constitution. The reasons in favor of this me;
sure stated at large in that document.
10 taking this step the administration of Pro-
ident jackson renewed (but, as we supposed
under more favorable circumstances) an attemI
10 accomplish the same object which had bee
made by its Immediate predecessor Insiru'
tions, similar in their general object, had, in th
second year Of the latter administrations, bee
sent from tho Department of State to the sam
American minister at Mexico. am not awal
that there were any nymaterial differences betwee
them, other than thoseof 1927 proposed an az
QUESTION Of territory as far west as the Rio d
Norte--being, | 6eGeve, the extreme westel
boundary Of Texus--whilst the cessation aske
for by President Jackson extended only as
west as the centre Of the Desert of Grande Pa
rie, which lies east Of the river Nuocos; and illa
for the former the payment Of ono million