The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-06-18
COM M u NICATION.
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
NO. VI.

nor, and with due regard to existing relations
with Mexico, be party to a treaty for the an.
nexaton of Texas to her territory, and also that
If the plea of urgent necessity could be allowed to
justify any departure from the usual course of
proceedings between nations no such necessity
exists in this case, it appears unnecessary so far
as the treaty is concerned, to look at any other
points connected Herewith. 1t is to be hoped
that no considerations of present or prospective
advantage will ever induce the Government OF
the United States to depart from the direct course
of honor and good faith Under many points oil
| view the annexation Of Texas is probably desira-
| bic, but were it ten times as much SO, we must
not tarnish our national character by the obtain
ing it. The consequence of such annexation at
this time would be war with Mexico, unjust war,
and conslitutioally made, and arising from " an
avowal by Great Britain that she ,Dishcs TO see
Slavery abolished IN Ieras, declaring that all the
means she intends to use to bring about this re-
suit is advice, where it may be acceptable"
| must refer to the debates in the Senate for
arguments respecting the cOnstitutionality of an
nexation--our leading statesmen are divided upon
this pont-nor will do more than allude to Mr..
Calhoun's and Walkers negro statistics, and the
conclusions they have drawn from them; since the
former have been proved to be incorrect, the lat
ter of course, fall to the ground; nor to Mr. Cal
houn's letter to Messrs. Van Zandt and Hender-
son of the 18th Of April, the day before the treat,
,oas signed, in which he says, "the Secretary Of
the Navy has been instructed to order strong
naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, to meet an,
emergency, and similar orders haze been issued by
the Secretary Of War to move the disposablt
military forces on our Southern frontier for the
same purpose" | will only ask the reader t.
bear in mind that all this was done before kht
signing of the treaty, although Mr.. Tyler says
| that these naval and military preparations were
oulv, in IF inch
arising ouf of tie signature Of the treaty." such
treaty not being signed when the preparations
were made! But this was President Houston's
sine qua non, without which the Texan commits
sloners would not have signed the treaty / will
just give passing notice to the Presidents no..
vel ideas of what constitutes treaty. These
ideas tend, as Mr.. Benton has we'll said, "to the
solecism Of considering the treaty as treaty IN.
til rejected by the Senate, instead of being nothing
until ratified by it. thus reversing the power Of
the Senate, and reading the Constitution back
wards. 1t makes an act of defeasance from the
Senate necessary to undo treaty which the Pre-
sident sends to the Senate instead Of requiring
the assent of the Senate to glue validity. 1t
assumes Texas to be in the Union, and to remain
so till the Senate puts her out by rejecting the
treaty" Mr.. Tyer's views upon the subject are
too papably absurd to need arguing upon, and
the error into which he has fallen is conse.
missing the army and navy to President Houston
to aid him against Mexico, nation with whom
we are at peace, and ordering them to be sent to
the probable field of action, before the treaty was
ratified by the Senate, or even signed by the con-
tracing parties
But the Executive could not wait for the con-
currence of Mexico to this treaty. "Circum.
stances mould not permit" the delay necessary to
"obtain the previous consent of Mexico" and
what were those circumstances? Nothing more
nor less than that new issue was to be raised,
to be applied as test to Presidential candidates
at the Baltimore Convention. The annexation Of
Texas was to be the political capital to be manu-
featured and rendered available at that conven-
tion "Tyler and Texas" was to be the cry
which was to carry forward the champion Of an
nexation to victory. The Texas bomb" must
be got ready for the Baltimore Convention Its
explosion was to blow up all competitors sky
high and Mr.. Tyler was to be declared the vic
tor, amidst the smoke, the noise, and the confu-
sion.
The Baltimore Convention has met, the bomb
has exploded, and what has been the result? Mr..
Van Buren,, the Presidents most powerful COM
petitor, puts forth very able and statesmanlike
manifesto, in which he declares himself adverse
to annexation under eristing circumstances he
is therefore exposed to the operation of the "Tex-
as bomb !" but the mantle of Democratic nomi-
nation does not fall, however, on Mr.. Tylers
shoulders, but is caught by new aspirant for
Presidential honors; and the political capital,
which had been manufactured out of breach of
national faith, and sacrifice OF national honor,
becomes the property Of another, to the discom-
ture of lite inventor and fabrcator.
1t is now generally admitted by thinking men
of all parties, that the project of the immediate
annexation Of Texas was intended, in the first
instance, to have most important bearing upon
the approaching Presidential question; although
some of its most influential supporters may, since
that time, have been governed by other, perhaps
T'eras" has, no doubt, procured nomination,
such as it is, for Mr.. Tyler; but he enters upon
the contest, crippled in his expected resources,
and shorn Of his anticipated strength. From the
Baltimore Convention arises another, and loud
err cry, Of Polk and Texas" Mr. Tyler is de-
frauded Of his war cry and his banner, and Of the