The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-09-21
W A S HIN G I @ N.
SATURDAY EVENING, SEPT. 81. 1874
SMUGGLING THROUGH TEXAS.

as Is the aliegeu Necessity VI BudlutHS wi oou1h
western frontier from the nroads of smugglers.
ANY person who will be at the trouble of exam
lining the maps and geographical delineations OF
Texas, Mexico and the Southwestern States OF
the Union, will see at once that annexation, SO
far from precluding smuggling, would afford the
greatest facilities to that species of illicit trade
There is not upon the whole coast of Texas a
solitary port of entry of sufficient capacity to be-
come an emporium Of foreign commerce. The
entrance to Galveston, the most considerable har-
Dor, is SO obstructed by sand bars, that ordinary
merchant ships, if we are correctly informed, can
not enter; in consequence Of which impeachment,
the cotton produced in Texas is shipped first to
New Orleans, from whence it is reshpped to Eu-
rope-an indubitable proof that Texas will never
import directly from Europe even for its home
consumption, far less, become depot for SNUG
CLING into this country. The great probability is
that the very reverse will be the case, unless ex-
.iraordinary Efforts are made to prevent it. #
But if British goods could be conveniently and
safely imported INTO Galveston, further imped-
ment to smuggling would be presented in the
small unnavigable rivers of Texas, which can
never be ascended half the distance between the
coast and the frontiers of the United States The
most considerable Of them, we believe, will not
admit of steam navigation for more than hun
dred, or perhaps two hundred miles; whereas,
from Galveston to our frontier, in the direction of
the rivers is at least four hundred, two thirds of
which is broken by hills, which can never be
overcome by railroads without an outlay of ex-
pense which Texas will not be a6le to meet for
years.
Another obstacle to profitable smuggling in
that quarter is its vast distance from Europe,
whence the smuggled goods must be obtained.
New York is but about twenty-five hundred miles
from Liverpool-Galveston is two thousand miles
further and not only further, but situated in wa
tiers which are inaccessible without rounding
Florida point, and mourning all the hazards of the
Gulf eff Mexico. Such are the numerous impe-
diments to smuggling through Texas
But if Texas be admitted into the Union, we
shall still have Southwestern frontier, and that
frontier be bounded by noble river, the Rio del
Norte, two thousand miles in length Such a
stream would afford facilities of smuggling far
beyond the little rivulets of Texas to which we
have above adverted. The Rio del Norte takes
it's rise far above Santa Fe, in the latitude of St
Louis. and when it is remembered that consid-
cradle trade is now carried on between those
places, it may be supposed that smuggling to
some extent would take place, if the intervening
country were annexed to the United States and
peopled, as it would soon become. Smuggling
would, therefore, be facilitated by Annexation.
But we look upon 1t as frivolous affair, at
most, and unworthy of consideration, in connex-
ion with great national question
The smuggling CROCHET was conceived in total
forgetfulness of the grand fact, that we have on
the North, in the Canadians, neighbors possess.
ing thousand times more facilities and induce
ments to smugge than Texas can ever have
Canada borders our frontiers for more than a
thousand miles, and for several hundred the two
countries are separated by the narrow lakes,
which can be sailed over in a few hours. These
lakes communicate with the st. Lawrence, which
emptes into the Atlantic at point some hundred
miles nearer Liverpool than any of our CONNER
clal cities. And then Canada possesses that in
comparable advantage for smuggling which has
heen SO magnhed prospectively in the case OF
Texas-that OF belonging to England and re-
ceiving English goods free of duty. But with all
these advantages for smuggling did anybody ever
hear that our national Golfers have suffered from
that evil We think We have heard of SNUG
Cling through Canada, though rarely, and never
TO an extent calculated to affect the revenue
Prcposterous this pretext for annexation
must appear, when examined into, it has, never
tbeess, been gravely and repeatedly urged in
high quarters, and appealed 10 with an air Of