Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-05-24

DALTlAUREy -ptH AS'1'
We think it due to the Editors OF the
''T rnouircr, that their paper should FIRST give
'a' nn naawerful argument. from great man, &c
ss' The T Chancellor of Kentucky was written
r. ne trends, and the enclosed 1t will be per-
= ,splv. With great respect,
~ : Yours, JAMES NJ. BUCHANAN.
Copy
BALrIaoRE, May go, le44
:, Regarding you as one Ct the best INFORM,
...,.snen, on all questions of constitutional
."on,l policy, We take the liberty to ask
IA - The const,tutlonallty aud expectancy OF
Texas 10 the Union.
IA have perceived that many of the dst'n-
&" =, The nation have already been address
10, responded on this engrossing subject -
A 'ss.efere, YOU will not consider it out oil
vour friends, to ask your opinion
Nth great respect,
JOHN fl. BRlSCOE.
G,cssr NJ. BIB, Ky,
LOUISVILLE, May -, 1S44.
,.,s VI Buchanan and JoHS M. BRiscoE
I ,y op,nion Of the constitutionality and ex-
~ ,nnexing Texas to the United States.
+ ~ esteemed friends, your claim to my opinion
lsdred, and proceed to perform The task.
hing praises in your letter awaken my
- ,be ne rformance, shall show myself not
:. ~. .ncomium you have bestowed. How
...odlv offering will be accepted, although not
..se,;co,,y. will define the sense in which
~ ..tbe United States" They make a ma
80 h. and composed of, the several States,
sod united ucder u Government, pre-
written Constitution, proposed TO the seVe
-: ,nd ratified hy Convention held IN each
.,Ic,sd and dspu!ed BY the particular law OF
no, States have severally retained their Sc
!. ,es,ec,ive State Governments, sovereignty,
an md domain. except so far as curtail-d by
"a del.g.,sd 10 the United States, end the IN
!. overs necessary to execute those expressly
a and the prohibitions upon the States, IN the
SION conisined.
,s5,ilon TO those powers delegated TO the Fedora
..nsn., bv the trainers thereof, there are certain
.-wsfs conferred, and certain obligations I'm
md rights ,herefrom resulting, which belong &c
~ States, as 10 every other nation, arising
> az Of Nature.
r:s-y nation IS under duty TO its citizens, by
# Nature, to take due care to preserve and
.tSel', dnO 10 ucleUu all It's Ss>N :
an,ies, Sections Ia, 10, 10, IL
Sccs then nation is under ths obligation t'
:. Itself, and all its members, i, has right, b
: OF Nature, to every thing necessary to th'
,.a,rxise, The law Of Nature would contradlc
= Prescribing duty, and Withholding the means
ar IT, These means ought not 10 be jumps
selves, nor absolutely forbidden by the law
-rVa,el, Book l, Chapter 2, Page lo.
h ike manner, a nation has right, by the law
w. TO every thing, to secure it from threaten
agsr, and to keep a, distance whatever Is
. cause the ruin of the State, and o5strucs ITS
.n. and the safety of its membsrs.-lS attei'
Chapter 9, Sections 20, 81
Every nation has the right not 70 suffer on"'ne'
:, obstruct its preservation, lis fefteci'on, us
:. from all injuries. This right IS perfect, be-
) given to fulfil natu-.! and indispensable
M 1t is safest to prevent the evil, when 1t can
and 10 use all honest means To anticipate ma
~, with this special observance, that we DO
II 10 force upon vague and uncertain snsri-
vaiel, Book ?, Chapter 4, Section ~, 90,
~, l43l
Nhsn neighboring nation is unjustly threat.
be oppressed and overrun by one more power
N h,d nation, if it can, without exposing itself
Danger, is bound by the law Of nature to shield
end against the oppressor. Natural obligations
,ral duty require, that such succour should be
: tva,,el, Book 2, chapter ], sec. q, page l2o }
Ina, no defensive alliance has been contracted
t.. IS ne cause for Withholding such succout;
he duty exists independently of conventional
ne imposed by the la of nature. Besides, this ma
r. in process Of time find itselfin need ofsuceour;
ENTITY 10 exert and promote the spirit of assistance
i 10 the safety OF the nation SO affording as
To comply with this obligation and duty i'm
: the law Of nature, comedies with good poll
ai,s, Book 2, chapter ], sec. d, page 1851
Nan is SO constituted by nature as to stand IN
the assistance and society of his fellow crea-
On infancy to the end of his life, IN order to
. and perfec, his own person, and to enjoy ra-
sppiucss Therefore, nature has established
aa.usl preservation, assistance and good Offices,
The whole human family. By entering into
Gogernmen,, men do not free themselves from
.a;:ons By which they were bound by the law
re 10 the whole human family. The whole
me nation is bound by the obligations imposed
Law Of nature upon each individual composing
on The duty Of succour and assistance extends,
, to case of danger arising from the opPres-
a more powerful nation before mentioned, but
calamity with which nation IS grieVousiy
Obligation to render succour and ASSISTANCE, De-
The class of imperfect obligations; giving to the
y the right to nsk or expect. but to the other
judye Of the occasion, and OF the measure oil
&c.
the obligation and justification, of this Law
;s 10 render assistance, | mention these exam
q 1912, whe n the united provinces were threat
IN the yake of Louis XIV, powerful league
ned Tor assistance to the United provinces In
hen the Turks had besegcd Vienna, the klns
ID marched powerful army 10 the relief oil the
t Austria, and drove the Turks from Vienna
.lorus conduct saved Austria, and probably al
", and the kingdom of Poland. During ou'
ionary war, France and Spain were Justhee
assistance by them yielded to the u States
4, /; their grudgs against their former enemy
with duty imposed by the law CT nature caasee
weld assistance at such grea. hazard, wh'is
was raging between the United States ane
britain.
: tie general obligation imposed upon nation
nd assist each under calamities, many other IN
OF assistance in cases Of earthquake, famine
;, might be cited from the United States ant
Irope.
ng stated the obligations imposed by the law
lp'n nations, and the rights resulting as conse
Of those obligations, with some Illustrations ant
-, having relation I'd tue suoJSCts ioi S""e'"N .
,;oceed TO the discussion Of the constitutional
espedlency Of annexing Texas to the U. 5.
10 the constitutional faculty and rightiul ou
Of the United States to annex Texas.
Art. Nv sec. ;, declares:
States may be admitted into this Union; hu
State shall be formed CT erected within the Ju
N Of any other State nor any State be lorns'
lion of two OF more States, or parts OF States
the consent of the Legislature OF the State
ed as welt as Of the Congress
ran, of power TO admit new States, in the hrs
Of ,ha, section, is general and unlimited Th
ION against interfering with the jurisdiction o
e,al States without their consent, limits tn
If The Congress, when acting within the Jur's
# the States, and not farther; but does nc
the general power given, when acting in case
ched by those prohibitions. The prohibition
hat the power to admit new States looked be
ose States already embraced by the Union, =
not in the Union, and TO enlargement OF IN
res and territorial extent of the U. >.
er can the general power to admit new State
s.d and satisfied, by con6ning il 10 the terrific
owned by the U. s. Northwest ofthe river OHIO
n \ A.