The North-Carolina standard., 1844-05-08

f0sHleasuF6 (which ia various and appro-
PIRATE forms, the sanction Of every department of
iitbe government, whose coOperation was neeessd-
fry to validity. and had my hearty concuttence
From this act d our government lust and pro-
iper in ali respects sit Was an inference has,
however, been drawn; and brought to bear upon
the present question, not only vefy ar beyond its
real bearing, bur by which Its .true character is
entirely reversed Many personS whds enter ND.
on the consideration of the suhecf with the purest
intentions, and are incapable of knowingly EiyinE
false Interpretation to any thing connected with
It take it for granted that the United States, ir re-
Iccgnising the Independence of Fexas, declared to
the world, not onlysthat she was-independeFl -
taet but also that she; vas such Of right Act
iRg'u upon this erroneous construction, they very
Hat6ralfy> conelude, thai, having gone thus far,
having examined into and passed not only upon
the existence.of her independence, bat also upon
her right to its enjoyment, it is now land mere
especially afeF the lapse Of several years. too le
% hesitate upon The Question of enne1alion on
poiRts The failacy of this reasoning will be ap-
parent when II isccnsidered that the usage of ma
tions to acknowledge the government, de taero,
of every country, was establishedfer the- express
purpose Of avoiding all inquiry into, OF the sx.
pfesslon of any opinion upon, the question Nf
a between shecontendng parties, They ae-
knowiedge no ether power In any country thap
that which Is iR.laet supreme. They cannot in
qGire beyond that point, without interfering with
the WterDRl concerns Of other naticns-a practice
whitehall diselaiaE, and disclaimer whichit has
been our irSarinble usage not only 70 make, but
to enforce with scSuPulous fidelity To recog-
Mise the independence of the government De taeto,
Is aiSo matter of state neeesstys, for without it.
neither c6Fnmtrcial nor diplomatic Intercourse
between any such power and the nations of the
world couid be carried on with success, andthe
sociat iRterests Of mankind require :thar these
sheuldlot be arrested bv quarrels. betwee1 con.
testing paroles, in regard to their respective right
to the supremepower. In respect TO all beygRd
this, the laws and UsageS of nations require the
observance ofa strict neutrality Between the con-
tending parties, as long az the war lasts. 1t is
due, Rlso from every government to its own citi-
zens to declare when a revoked colony shaH be
regarded as an independent nation. Because :: 4
belongs to the government alone to make the dec
laFation !" and becatse until it is made; or the
parent State relinquishes her claims courts Of
lusfce must consider the ancient state OF hfpgs as
Frenaining unaltered, and the sovereign powef
of the parent State over that colony as still sub
ssting.n> But nothing canbe farther from giving
to the act of recognition its true character than to
auppose that it-has the slightest bearing npon the
rights of the parties; it being as have already
said reSorsedto forthe express purposeof avoiding
an such construction. Such is not only the law
and usage Of nations, but suchalso have been the
reiterated a7ewaIs.of. our own goEetaHient~ / de
not remember that the recognition of Fexan' m
dependence gave rise to any correspondence be-
tween Mexico and our government; and if it did,
have not the means Of stating lis character But
the principles upon which all such acts are based
were fully set forth by this government upon the
.eccssion of the recognition Of the ihdependehce
Of the Spanish Ameriean States In tie message
Of President Monroe: tn the House of Representa-.
tiEes suggesting t pIopfiety of that recognition.
it. was expressly declared thzt in proposing this
measure, 1t was ssnot contemplated to- change
thereby in fire slightest maHner, our friendly re-,
'iations with either Of tKepaftee; but to observe
in all respects as heretofore should ths wat be
continued; tSe- most perfect nestrality betweeR4
thefn", The Con4dAittee en- Foreign affairs, in
4he3r elaborate report upon the subject, say our
recognition Hsustnscessarify be cosxistent only with
the fact on which it is fouHded, and cannot survive
Ge. While the nations Of South America are acs
&aafy indePendent It fs simply to speak tiI<rrMh
10 ackno@ledge them to be so SAp0ld Spain,
contras e. her oeo,red principle and 0dknotcteags
ed satersss, rsntso MeAoor for the conquest Of
South AmcTtcG, tae shall, indesa, regret it; but
ace shall o6serrA as Ue hare done 6etaceeA the
independsnE parties, an shOnest and smp0rtiHI
neutreIitg" The Secretary Of State, n defence
of the act Of reEeeAition, said to theSpanish min
lister "This recognition, is neither intended to in
validate any right Of Spain. nor to affect the en-
ploymvat Of ssy nse0as schieh she may get be dss
posed or enabled to use NTH the rtetS Of re~Hit-
ing those preuineesxo tAe-rest of her devstnions"
That these a~owals weresint strict conformity to
the true principles Of the law of nations, there
can be no doubt They were, at all events, those
which this government h&s soleufnly annoBnced1
as As rule of action IN regard to-contests between
rival parties for the supreme powersin foreign
States Thatths admission Of Texas mem
ber Of this eonfederaey, whilst the contest for the
maintenance Of the Independence she had acqrir-
ed was stil pending, andya coRseaueHt assump-
on of the responsibility Of proterting her against
INVASION, would have been a plain dspartRFe from
the laws and usages Of Hations and violation of
the principles to which we@ had -avOwed oRr ad-
herence in theface of the world, Waatoo clear to
be douhtea Thas befistfng. I haa; on the ocea
sion to which Il have referred, in the faithful dis
eharge>sf thestrusk which the people had repossdl
IN me, bat one course to pursue; and that was
but respectfully adopted.
. return now question, Has the eouditionof
the contest between Fexas and Mckee, for the
sovereignty of the T6rmer, no far. -ehauRed aeta
render these principles now inapplicabfeT What
Iis,the attitude Ateh these two states At this mo
rnestt occupy towards each othet7 Are they al
war, or afS they notA We cannot evade this ques-
tion II We would To. enumeFate al the cir.
cumsssnces bearing upon It, in a Communication
like this would be impTacticable, ner is it eces-
-aala. IL Il Al