The Port-Gibson correspondent., 1844-05-04
PORT GIBSON, MISSISSIPPI MAY 4. 1914 .

l.
VefGions. There was 9hereno' disputed
1 bodhaary, for The call was Tor d certain
parallel of Iaiitude--a mere question d
measurement-which, when made. plac,
led this territory within l6s uGdoubied
limits of Canada; in consequences ot
which, wo had abandoned the fortress
ferecting at Rouse's Point, and the ground
II occupied, (which was q part Of thai
lterritOry,) which We acquired by the
treaty Of l842. The question Of the
power Of annexation BY treaty. Is settled
ndincorporated into the very existence
iof the government and of the Union.
Cd. The object may be accomplished
by act ofCongress, without treaty
The language Of the constitution is;
l'New States may be admitted BY the
Congress into this Union; t,u. no new
State shall be formed or erected within
the jarisdictia , of any other State; nor
any Slate be formed BY the junction oi
two or more States. or parts OF States ltes
without tho consent Of the legislatures
of the States concerned, as wsIl as OF
THE Congress" The grant is unlimited
excep: that the boundary of an existing
State cannot be disturbed by Congress
without the assent Of the State Icgisla>
lures. "New States may Be admitted by
the Congress into this Union" This is
= The broad language of the constitution,
and, TO confue it to territory then ac,
quired, is to interPoIate most important
words icto that instrument. Nor could
il have been the intention OF the framars
of the constitution TO prevent the acoui
sition Of new territory. Louisiana was
not then part Of the Union, but il was
Z most important part ofthe vaIey Of the
Mississippi, containing New Orleans
and the whole of the western, and the
most essential part Of the eastern nor.
ton ofthe territory, with Goth banks Of
rs ssre~t river Cor many hudred mites
above the mouth, and the only outlel of
The products df tt.e mighty valley starting
at The Younghiogany in Maryland, and
Allegheny in New York, uniting at Pitts.
burg, where they form the Ohio, to the
outlet Of all into the Gulf lr we look
at the condition Of hany Of the States
when the constitution was framed, we
will find il could rever have been adopt>
ed had il forbidden the acquisition Of
the only outlet Of all the products of the
West. The waters OF western MARYLAND.
and Of western New York, coiramibgle
with those Of the Ohio and Missi.sippi.
There stood Pntsburg al the head Of the
Ohio; and one third nf Pennsylvania is
intersecled by streams which water a
part Of the great valley. Virginia then
included Kentucky; three fo1rihs Of her
territory was within the greai valley,
and the Ohio and Mississippi itself were
its boundary for than a thousand miles.
North Carolina then included Tennessee,
and was bo1nded for. hnDdrets of miles
by the RIVER MississiPiiPSll;apd Georgia then
embraced Alabama and. Mississippi, and
was mol only bounded for several hum
dred miles by the great river, but advan>
ced 10 within a few miles o the city Of
New Orleans. Is Il, bossiBls that att
these States, in forming the constitution,
could have intended to prohibit forever
the acquisiontion Of The mouth Of the
Mississippi, then in the hands ola hos
lila and desPotic foreign po@erG The
constitution contains no such suicidal
provision; and all the historical facts,
both before and after its adoption, arc
against any such anti American restric-
sion. Az to i treaty, Il is only. hecessa. !.
~ as indicating the assent Of the ceding
nation; and if that has been given al,
ready; as in tho case Of Texas, without
a treaty, our acceptance may be made
by Congress. Suppose the constitution
Of Texas forbid the cessiOn, except BY
Congress when their Congress passed
the asserting law, could we not except,
BY act Of Congessf Or suppose Texas,
or any other contiguous territory, was
vacant and unclaimed BY any power,
could We not annex it BY act Of C6nsresssI
One Of the grounds assumed in Congress,
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