The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-05-03
TO The HON. HENRY CLAY.

SIR Your letter published in he In,clligencer of
Saturday, has placed us and many of your warm
supporters also, who in common with ourselves, had
asserted that you were still favorable 10 the annexa
lion of Texas, under The necessity of giving
sons for this conviction and as we did so upon the
authority Of your owl language, which appeared to
admit of other interpretation, we respectfully re-
quest of you .uch explanation shall render consis
tent your apparently irreconcilable declarations
of 1925, 1927 and Of lS44 We proceed to state what
we conceive your views and language exhibited of
your purpose ct the former periods and then refer
your late letter.
We commence with the first declarations made by
you the value and Importance of Texas to this
country, and your determined opposition to its Co.'S
sion.
In your speech the treaty ceding Texas to
Spain, after descanting upon its value you add in
these words:
al remains only TO state that, by the Spanish
treaty ret fore alluded to- claim to Isras cas
giren up TO Spain by Mr.. Adams, in roiaon of the
dear rights Of the counf'y, but in perfect keeping with
The settled enity that has heretofore constantly
exhibited 10 the South and Vest"
The 70 regong is explicit declaration as even
your eloquent tongue make, that the cession of
Texas ga riola ion of the dear rights of the coun
try and sacrifice of the cherished interests of tho
South and West, to settled snnity TO those portions
Of the country The only change necessary to make
perfect the truth of that statement substitute for
the name of John Quincy Adams, the names Of Ru-
fus King, Tim. Pkin, and the other Senators COM
posing that unhoy, that reasonable caucus, which
having failed to exclude Missouri, sought, by this
mode, TO ihflict vital wound upon the South and
West, "by the violation of the dearest rights of
country" The bolts of your anathemas fell rather
upon Rufus King, the actual consprator against the
South and West, than upon Mr.. Adams.
Upon the 4th March, 1925 Mr.. Adams was inau-
guraed President and, in some ten or twelve DAYS
succeeding, you fairly in charge of the State
Department. Now, sir, it is only simple justice to
Mr.. Adams and Yourself to assume that after the
charge against MIR. Adams, above quoted in your
speech, mutual respect and cordality could only be
stored between you by such explanation should
relieve Mr. Adams from the impua,ions thrown by
you upon his motives. And that such was the case,
you, yourself, very shortly after your nstamen into
the Office of Secretary of State afford the best evil
dence for early as 26lh March, 1926 by direction
of Mr.. Adams President of the United States YOU
address instructions our Minister to Mexico an
ihorizng and directing him to conclud. treaty with
Mexico for Texas. These instructions in regard TO
the right Of Mexico to cede and of the United States
to receive Texas, without reference to any claim by
Spain are absolute and unqualified
Nor doss there exist in the instructions by yourself
to our Minister in Spain, any of evidence that
ne was to inform the Court Of Spain Of the cesson of
Texas, which the United States then sought of Mex
leo; nor can we anywhere find that even Mr. Everett
hime elf advised of this attempt SO little neces
sary do you and Mr. Adams appear to have thought
the assent of Spain requisite this cesson that no
only was this assent asked but Spain was kept
IN the most profound ignorance of this "secret" al
tempt to acquire Texas in direct opposition to the
sovereignty which abe claimed over Texas and Mex
ico nor was the "Senate consulted" as 10 the pro-
prety Of the making such a treaty with Mexico,
while yet at war with Spain, and her independence
disasowed by that Government, nor uas public opa-
SON m any ,oay consulted the contrary, far as
public opinion had been manifested was in favor OF
the treaty because in spite Of all your efforts to pre-
vent its ratification, it confirmed Thus, while
the People were in utter darkness as 10 this matter
you, as Secretary of State 10 Mr.. Adams were
seeking TO make treaty with Mexico in distinct vo-
llion Of the rights claimed by Spain and by an net
declared by her TO be fsgran violation of her sove
Iegny and cfour treaty of amiiy with her We subon
an extract of your letter OF 26;h March 1926 which
shows that, whatever may have been the views of Mr.
Adams at the period of the cession of Texas it was
wholly in accordance with your own in 1926 and
that was TO be recovered needless of the remonsran
ces of Spain, and the consequences Of her dispea-
sure Is Mexico mole formidable than Spain, or NAV
treaties Of amy with Spain be disrep rded and those
with Mexico kept sacred Or was it a violation of
Spanish nights and is it violation Of Mexican
rights
"Mr. Clay TO Mr.. Poinsen-Eriraot.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, March %, 1925.
Some difficulties may possibly hereafter arise be.
tween the two countries from the line thus agreed
upon, against which IT wuulJ he desirable now 10