The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-06-06

and when that body have rejected it, and
the nation comes to a calm estimate of the
event, there will be a universal expression
of wonder at the temerity of the men who
sould so seriously trile with The honor of the
country.
The project has been sprung so suddenly
upon the people and has been so little con-
sidered in past time, that there may be said
to be no real public opinion upon it. All are
taken by surprise, and many who would alb
hor the scheme upon mature deliberatlon, are
now in a state of passive reliance upon the
authorities here,-too willing, perhaps. to
abide.b by the Judgment of Congress on the
question. 1t was to obtain this advantage
that the polite Mr.. Tyler has been SO cum
ming TO keep the Treaty secret. ThisIs one Of
those strokes of craftsmanship that have
made our polonious President so often the
wonder of his times,-a coup d'etat by which
the second hand hero of The Vetoes has
hoped TO win that most impossible of honors,
a vote from some State in favor of another
term. The scheme thus sets out under the
very worst conceivable auspices. 1t would
miscarry on that ground alone.
1t is said that a messenger has been sent
TO Mexico 10 propose some terms Of accom-
mediation with that power TO bay out her
claim on Texas. If this be tue, what a
confession is it of the injustice ofthe treaty?
| think they greatly miscalculated the tenn
per of the Mexican Government and the dis
position of that pc ople, who suppose that this
overture will produce any effect but exas-
perate defiance. Perhaps some ebolution of
such a feeling is desired by the patrons OF the
plot here, in tn hope Of finding, in an exhi-
bition of resentment from Mexico, a topic 10
kindle a war fever on this side.
Has any one counted the probable cost OF
a war with Mexico? Annexation, without
the consent ofthat government, would newt
ably involve US in immediate strife. She
} would invade Texas without delay, and we
should be bound by every consideration OF
pride to protect our new acquisition. 1t cost
{ us thirty millions to expel u few Indians from
Florida. Twice that amout per dnnUm.
would not more than suffice to carry on hos
%tilities upon the remote plains of the Texian
border and TO defend ourselves against the
privateers which would swarm like musqui-
toes on the path Of our commerce. We
should be obliged TO maintain armies by land
TO pursue The alert and sleepless g%uerillas
Of the Mexican frontier, and squadrons TO
blockade the coast. Fever, famine, and tenn
pests would be all On the side of the adyer-
sary. Thousands OF our troops would perish;
iinany stanch ships would be shattered by
storms, wrecked or driven away; many ofouI
seamen overthrown by the pestilence of the
gulf. The treasury would be drained by
hosdes of contractors, speculators, job agents.
the natural canker of war; and at the end we
should come out of the contest loaded with
debt, weary with disaster, and loathing every
recollection of the folly which had brought
us into such a barren enterprise. What is
not amongst the least of its notifications,
we should come out Off without the sympa-
! thy OF a single nation upon the globe, OF even
of a single individual beyond our own con-
fines. All the world would watch the contest
with a prepared smile al every discontinue
which might befal US, with a sincere Iegretat
every success.
Whence has this scheme obtained any ia
vor? In part, doubtless, from the inffinities
which subsist between our people and the
settlers of Texas. This is natural and hon
orable. No small share of the favor it has
won, however, is to be traced 10 motives of
personal interest. Upwards of twenty mil
lions of acres of private land claims,I under
stand, are 10 be recognised; ten millions of
public Texian debt. The bono holders and
the land scrip holders have interest enough
! TO make great efforts in the cause, and TO
f win much influence over the popular mind
oil the country. 1t would be much cheaper
perhaps, and more honorable for US TO pay
all these at once, out OF our own treasury,
and leave Texas as she is,-since by such a
course we should know the extent of our
losses in the beginning, and do 40 violence
to the laws. of nations or the duty we owe a
friendly power. Why should we embroil
ourselves for the spectators in Texian lands,
or the holders of Texian Bonds?
The influence of the annexation upon the
slave question, it strikes me, has been very
much oyerrated both in the South and the
North. | cannot see that it would either
augment the influence of the slave States on
the one hand, or that the refusal 10 annex
would mitigate the evil of slavery on the
other. Texas,in a state ofprosperous peace,
whether a part of the United States or an in
dependent power would, IN the long run,
equally attract emigration and settlement
from the present population of the Union
1t will draw many slaves along with their pro-
~prietors from the Southern States, and with
them substact a proportionate amount ofpo-
litical power.
Every slave Withdrawn from the present
slave States will have his influence in lessen