Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-05-16
COL. POLK's LETTER.
COLUMBIA, Tennessee,
Anril OF. 1914,


GnxrLEMtN: Your letter Of the Both
ultimo, which you have done me the hon
or TO address to me, reached my resi-
dence during my absence from home,
and was not received until yesterday
Accompanying your letter, you transmit
to me. as you state, "a copy of the pro-
ceedlngs Of a very large meeting Of the
citizens 0f Cincinnati, assembled on the
29th inst. to express theif settled oppo-
siton to the annexation CT Texas to the
United States You request from ME
an explicit expression Of opinion upon
this question Of annexation. Having at
no time entertained opinions upon pub
lie subjects which was unwilling TO a.
vow, it gives me pleasure to comply with
your request. have no hesitation in
declaring that am in favor Of the jmme-
date remuneration of Texas to the terri
tory and government Of the u. States
/ ! entertain. no doubts as to the power or
exped!ency Of the rc1nnexatioG. The
proof is clear and satisfactory to my
mind, that Texas once constituted part
of the territory Of the Uuited States, the
title to which regard to have been as
indisputabIe as that 10 aCy other portion
OF our territory. At the time the nego-
tiation was opened with view TO &C
quire the Floridas, and the settlement ut
other questions, and pending that nego-
t!ation, the Spanish government itself
was satisfied Of the validity Of oar title,
and was ready to recognise line far " est
of the Sabine, as the tue western boun-
Diary of Louisiana, as defined by the tfea
ty ofl8O5 with France, under which
Loui!ilra was acquired, ~
This negotiation, which had been first
opened at Madrid, was broken off and
transferred to Washington, where if was
resumed. and resulted III the treaty of
Florida, by which the Sabine was fixed
on as the western boundary Of Louisiana.
From the ratification of the treaty of
1905 with France, until the treaty Of
1919 with Spain, the territory now COM
shutting the republic Of Texas belonged
to the United States. In 1919, the
Florida treaty was concluded at Wash
inston, by Mr.. John Quincy Adams,
(the Secretary Of State, OF the part Of
the United States, and Don Louis de
Onis on the part of Spain; aud by that
treaty this territory lying west Of the
Satiue, and constituting Texas, was &C.
ded BY the United stetes to Spain
That the Rio del Norte or some more
| western boundary than the Sabine,
could have been obtained bad i Been ln'
sisted on by the American Secretary OF
State, and that without increasing the
consideration paid for The Fioridas. IN
my Judgment, the country west OF the
/ Sabine, and now called Texas, was most
unwiseIy coded away. 1t is par; OF
the great valley Of the Mississippi, di-
rectly connected by It's natisabc wa
ters with the Mississippi river, and hav-
inc once been part, Of our Union, II
should never have been dismembered
from it. The government aud people Of
Texas, it is understood, not onsJ give
their consent, but are anXlouSlv dcsir0us
to be reunited to the United States. II
the application of Texas for reunion
and admission into oar confederacy shall
tie rejected by the z. States, there is
imminent danger that she will become a
DEPENDENCY, if not colony, OF Great
Britain--an eyeut which no Americas
patriot, anxious for ihe safety and pros
perlty OF this. country, could permit to
occur without the most strenuous resia-
lance, Let Texas be annexed, aud the
authority and laws Of the United States
be established and maintained within her
limits, as also in the Oregon Territory,
aud let the fixed policy Of our govern
ment be, not TO permit Great Britain or
any other 10 plant co'ony or hold do
mutton ovst any portion Of the people Of
territory Of either These are my opn-