Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-11
Mr.. pgNToN's TEXAS ELL.

BENTON = TkAh' A'ihS'
MFR. BENTON said ne wouio aSa'' hi'ii I'll. =.
W.. i..,.ance of the Senate to state the reasons
,nh;ch ;nduced him to offer it, II was copy, nc
s.;d substantially, Of the bill which he haa pre-
v;onsIv offered. with the omission OF all the terms
and conditions which that bill contained tie hau
heen induced to omit all these conditions because
of the difficulty OF agreeing upon them' anu W
cause il was now clear that whatever OH was
nassed upon the subject Of Texas, the execution
of il must devove upon the new fresiueh Mno
had been lust elected by the people WIN n sl1w
of this object. He had confidence III W..
and was willing to trust the question o. terms anu
conditions 70 his untrammelled Discretion certain
thai he would do the best that he could lor Tue sue
cess of the object, the harmony OF the unioh' ana
The neace and honor Of the country. LIE naa,
therefore. withdrawn all the eIins ana cohuiliohs
which his previous bill contained, anu only re-
1aned its cardinal features, namely, the ADMISSION
of a Texian State by law, the cesslon OF tne re-
manning Texan territory 10 The United Slales'
and the adjustment OF The terms ana conus .,
al This admission and cession by ENJOYS, or COM
missioners, subject 10 the conGrnaionoi The TWO
Governments. This seemed TO him to be The ma
tura practicable way otproceedins, ana was Ger
tainly the mos, respectful 10 Texas. .
The Joint resolution sent up from the House Q,
Renresenta,iyes was nothing but a proposal, ana
\ proposa clogged with conditions, ana litni'eu
as 10 time II il passed both Houses OF our Con
yress. il might be rejected BY Texas ana .ueh .ne
process Of making proposals wouia nave % CON-
inence again. Legislative proposi.ionS :; ,' ,,,,
ch,n.ed bv Two legislative bo,lies, sitting IN TWO
5;f1erent countries, al the distance OF near TWO
thousand miles apart, was slow way oil coming
IN conclusions; and, unless some more prac!icaoie
method was adopted, the annexation VI 1e1as
might be looked upon as an event ueieIieu loi
wears. Commissioners or ENJOYS, 70 elscuss
PROPOSITIONS face TO face, with right 10 give as
well IA to take-with power 10 yielu as wen as 10
demand-can alone be competent 10 the success
fnl termination of such business. HE, there
Core adhered 10 that part of his former bill which
nronosed ~ send ministers 10 settle The terms OF
annexation.
The occasion, (said Mr.. b. is an exlraordl-
nary one and requires an extraordinary mission.
The voluntary union oil Two independent nations
;s rare occurrence, and is worthy 10 be attended
nv every Circumstance which lends II dignity,
promo,es its success, and makes II satisfactory.
When England and Scotland were united, al Inc
commencement Of the last century, no less IMAM
tbiuy-oDe commissioners were employer 70 agree
nnon the terms; and The terms they agreed upon
recs;vad the sanction OF the Parliamenls OF the
,w, kingdoms. and completed a union which had
been in vain attempted Tor one hundred years.
Extraordinary missions, nationally constituted,
have several times been resorted 10 i'll our own
country and always with public appreciation,
whether successful or not. The FIRST MI Adams
sent Marshall, Gerry and Pinckney, 70 'he
French directory, in 1893 Mr.. Jefferson sent
Ellsworth, Davic, and Murray, 10 the French
Consular Government, Of 1900: Mr.. Madison
san, Adams Bayard, Gallatn, Clay, and Rus
e-I 10 Gheut, in 1914. All these missions, and
others which might be named, were nationally
cons,jtuted-compoSed OF eminent citizens taken
from each political party, and from different sec
lions Of the Union and, of course, all favorable
10 the object Tor which they were employed. An
occasion has occurred, which, in my opinion, re-
uuires mission similarly constituteu-as hu,
merous as the missions to Paris or 10 Ghenl-and
composed OF citizens from both political parties
and from The non-slaveholding as well as The
.layeholding States. Such commission could
hardly fail TO be successful, not merely IN agree
inc nnon the terms Of the union, but IN agreeing
unon terms which would be satisfactory 10 The
People and the Government OF The Two countries
And here, to avoid misapprehension, and the APP
pearance OF disrespect, where the contrary IS felt
would say, that the gentleman now IN Texas, as
the Charge OF the United States, IS, IN my OPT
MON. eminenly fit and proper 10 be one Of The
Envovs Extraordinary, and Ministers Plenipo-
,entiary, which my bill contempa,es
Tb. hin which now propose (said Mr.. b. is
br;ef and plain, but comprehensive and efectual.
n pronoses 10 admit one Texian State-to obtain
= cesson of the remaining rexian terrtory-and
10 settle the terms and conditions Of the admission
and cession by The usual and practicable mode OF
negotiation.
The admission OF the Stale, or rather its right
10 admission, is 10 be complete under the bili. IL
IS 10 be admitted by virtue of the act! SO that no
funre legislation will be necessary for that pur-
nose. and the possibility of a Missouri controvcr-
~ will be entirely avoided The admitted State
j. 10 have all the rights Of the existing States from
The moment of her admission, not only thcoreti-
cally. but practically for the bin fixes her repre-
seniation in the Federal Congress- and avoids all
delay or debate upon that point. 1t says nothing
about Senators, for there the Constitution alone
is sufficient il both gives the right 10 Sc
majors, and fixes the number. To represen-
1aliyes il gives the right, but leaves II to
C,neress 10 fix the number This bill fixes it, and
lives 10 the first Texan State two members-a
= number TO which her present population will
e,,;,le her and which will be sensibly increased
L.fnre the process of admission can be accom-
nlished, and doubled or trebled before The new ap-
nortionmept under the census OF 1851 can be ex-
tended TO her.
A State OF proper size being formed, the ces-
sion OF the remaining Texan territory TO Inc
Tinted States becomes Indispensable; and here
The Joint resolution from the House OF hepFesen-
,atires is essentially detective IL admits Inc
whole Republic Of Texas as one State, and pro.
y;des no means OF reducing her limits without
her consent. In fact when once admitted rs
State she never can be reduced without hcr con-
sen,. the Constitution oil the United States forbids
il: and the equilibrium of our system Will moi ad-
mi, of such oyerpowering prenonderance IN any
one member Of the Union. This IS not new
point in our history: il has occurred before, ana
has been decided The early history oil our con-
feleracy is full Of instruction upon II. Many u
me States. at the close OF the Revolution, were
found 10 I've TOO large for the safety OF the resi-, and
the most p.rsevering efforts were made TO reduce
them. As eallv as 1880, they were called upon
hv The Continental Congress 10 reduce their H.
,ni,s and cedc their surplus territory. Some
welded readily, from feelings OF harmony and
conciliaton- feelings being rather stronger
then than they are now. Virginia ceded sratul-
tously all her territory beyond me ONO ii'tr.-
CONNECTICUT did not cede for twenty years, and
then 90, two and half millions for her small
claim ON The shore of Lake Erie. Georgia held
ont until 1902 and then got million ana a
quarter i'm money FIVE millions OF acres OF lana
scrip and an obligation to extinguish Indian u
lies and remove Indians, which has cost tens OF
millions, for the territory alone which forms lhc
single State of Mississippi. II required me most
persevpring exeyliOns, as we all know, aideu ny
the kindly spirit which then prevailed, and the
oyerpoweriny necessity to provide for the revolu-
rionary debt, to obtain from the great States The
contraction OF their limits and the cesson of their
surnlus territory to the Union Our ancestors
ACCOMPLISHED the work, and they took care as
they lully believed TO guard against the like dan
ger in ali time to come. They took care, a, once,
and in the very acts Of cession, to fix the number
and extent OF the new States, making them OF
s,roner number and size, so that the danger of
9ayeFshadowing States, 10 predominant in the
House of Representatives. or OF small ones, to
rule in the Senate, was equally avoided. This
was wise: it was necessary precaution against
future dangers and difficulties And shall such
an example be lost upon usf shan we soi1 e.
worse Than that from which our fathers, with so
much care, wisdom, patriotism, and even money,
succeeded in ex,ricaling us2 Texas is far larger
than the Northwestern Territory. yet our anees-
tors would no, risk the danger of single State
thnrs nor even nf a multitude OF small ones