New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-02
THE TRIBUNE.
From The Globe OF April 80.
Letter from, Senator Benton

7se members Of the Texan Congress. apswer tier
snmrRieacn 10 him expressing The cish " Teas 10 b5
III asritfsd into the -7mcrieGR onion.
II WASHINGTON CRY April 30 1884,
II GENTLEMEN: have seen IN the newspapers the
II published copy of your communication TO me, in
.ssded for the information OF the American Cong
,od expressing the desire of Texas to be admitted
MO the American Union, and shall take pleasure in
,ioe the original, whenever il shall arrive accord
II M 10 your wishes. say when il shall arrive for
his original has not yet come to my hands; and,
X tbereioe, cannot now be communicated 10 Congress;
,nl the copy being published during my brefabscnce
iom the CITY, feel myself laid under the necessity
II d giving public answer 10 your letter, in order 10
ayod the appearance oil a discspectul inatenton
II 10 rour request.
II You have Judged rightly, gentlemen. in address
II oe your communication 10 me, and proposing 10
h uske me the organ OF your wishes to the American
II Congress-, being, as aul, the first opponent OF the
II ,raty which dismembercd Your terriory from our
II Uaion; the first advocate or It's recovery; the sup
porter OF all prudent measures for that purpose the
h enemy of all movements which would involve the
question in sectional or partisan politics; and The
II km believer in the speedy and happy recovery of
n he dismembered territory, and the muaed rivers,
II i The question could be kept free from improper
connexions and confined to the patriotic basis of ma
II ,onaliiy and honor.
II Iwss member Of the bar in ST. Louis, in the
n tlen Territory of Missouri in the year 1918, when
/ be newspapers announced the progress Of the trea
II ~ which was signed in the February following,
and which threw away Texas, dsmcmbercd the
valley Of the Mississippi mu,iiated two o. our no
best rivers, brought foreign boundary tn the neigh
Il tOrhood of New Orleans, and established desert
b,rer between Missouri and hlexico 10 interrupt
ter uade, and shelter the depredators upon The
lres and property OF their citizens. was not then
| il politics. and had nothing to do with public al
i.irs; but saw ard felt at once the whole enormlty
Of this gratItous and unaccountabe sacrifice, and
instantly raised my voice against it in articles pub
lished IN the 81. Loni5 papers, and III which were
given in advance, all the national reasons against
throwing away the country, which are now, alter II
lapse of twenty FIVE years, given by others for get
Il ing back. l was young and ardent then, and had
l some fire in me, and not only wrote against the
Treaty, but against its authors, and their motives
end even imprecated ac0c upon the heads Of tn.
statesmen vino should continue TO favor it hir
Adams, the negotator and the ostcnsible author Of
the treaty, was the statesman against whom all my
s.nsure directed and was certainly sincere III
nv then belief Of his great culpnbility; but ,llr
declaration which he has lately made the floor OF
tbe House of Representatives absolves him from all
osssure on account Of that treaty, and places the
blame on the majority Of Mr.. Monroe's cabinet, by
whose votes he was governed, contrary 10 his OWL
opinions, in establishing the boundary which | so
/ mach condemned.
\ The voice Of mere Individual not in any public
N
srnment, no mpediment 10 the progress of tll,,
treaty il went forward; 81 igned in the month
Of February, 1919; approved by MIR. Monroe :
Cabinet, unanimously ratified by the Senate and
greeted with the universal applause OF the public
press.
But all this concurrence of authorities, and Of APP
psuse, made no impression upon me. ! continued
10 look upon the treaty with Indignation and amaze
menE and the more so, because the published cor
dependence showed that the sacrifice OF our terri
tory was gratuitous and wanton that the Spanish
roysruinent had offered us more than had ac-
cep,ed that we had voluntarily sacrificed our nv
eTs boundaries, and territory und continued Ia
sssa the treaty under the confident belief that such
an unnatural boundary could not stand, and that the
sacrificed territory would eventually be restored 10
he country from which il had been torn.
The treaty of 1919, between the United States and
Spsin so far as it applied TO the southwestern
boundary OF the United States, one of the most
grauilous sacrifices ever made by nation which
was not conquered and actually occupied by con-
quering army. 1t gave up natural bOundury-a
great river Il desert. and mountan-on the most
vulnerable flank of the Union-ihe flank cotcrmlnous
with the largest foreign power on our continent, anu
pro1mate 10 one of orr greatest and most exposed
cties Instead Of this natural boundary, far re.
moved from our cities and population, II substituted
arbitrary line under longitude far in the interior
Of our country, and along rivers wholly within our
natural boundaries, and incapable oi beng forilhed
except At an expense of hundreds OF millions. III
gave up 100000 square miles of territory, enough 10
make five or six great States, and all OF II not only
valuable in ITSELF but valuable beyond all price from
disposition within our natural limits. 1t brough, II
foreign frontier-the frontier Of a n0ns s'dreholdnS
enTre- 10 the neighborhood of New-Orleans, and
almost TO the heart of the Valley Of the Mississippi
ltauilated two of our great rivers-thc Arkansas
and the Red River-streams equal TO the Danube,
and both OF which had their sources and their mouths
within our natural boundaries, and were wholly
ours bv existing treaties placed foreign power
upon their banks, and gave that power right, dc-
cording 10 ourorn assertion of The lar IF nations
right 10 navigate those rivers through our terrific
mes to their outlet in the Ii gave away not only
The Southern and sunny province of Texas, hut
what never was Texas, but part OF the Valley oi
The mississippi living between the Red River and le
arkansas, and extending TO the hvperborean region
OF North latitude A. Finally it established desert
region OF great extent between the State OF Missouri
and the Province of New Mexico, to interrupt and
mar the inland commerce and the social intercourse
between the United States and the Mexlcuns on The
important line of communication between st. LouiS
and Santa Fe and 10 crown all these sacrifices o.
lerntorv rivers and natural boundaries, they wert
made in favor of Rca-stareh0iding power, whose
dominons were thus brought iii contact with The
,lsYeholding State of Louisiana, and almost IN con
tact with the slavehclding then Terrtones, now.
States OF Missouri and Arkansas
SuCD Il SdCrilCt VI Sitol Hu'i'Hui
unanimously concurrcd in by the public authorities
gave the first great shock to my confidence IN public
bodice: the treaty of the next year with The Brush
Government for the Joint occupation OF the Oregon
gave the second great shock; and the two shocks
Together, shock me go much that cane into public
fia IN 1920, with very little concern for my own
position when should chance 10 find myself stand
ing solitary and alone" upon great national ques'
lions
came TO the Senate of the United States in the
all 0i 1920, the recovery OF Texas being Leading
ohler' in my mind and the more go, because Mis-
SCUM was The greatest sufferer by its loss. During
hr. Moproe's administration, nothing could be done
towards this recovery fer il was the same Presiden,
and Cabinet which had just thrown away the coun'
ny. In the commencement oi Mr.. Adams S admins
raton Mr. Clay being Secretary OF State, the first
a''empt was made TO recover what had been lost,
ahd gave faithful support 10 The effort by writing
acles in the newspapers 10 sustain and promote l..
iiis effort was unsuccessful. Gen. Jnckson's ad-
minist'a,ion made the same attempt, and with the
same result; and need not repeat that gave /, Z
cordial support. In the second term OF General
'ackson's administration the revolt OF Texas TOOK
place, (lo36,l and several gentlemen OF the South