The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-02-03
Debate in the HOuSe"""J. Q. Adams
Remarks.

nrks Of this kind, he referred to the Argument adj
vauccd by e. J. IngrrsoIl aud Others that had
| annexed Texas 10 the United SIntcs. lie suid this
rcmmded him Of an incident that occurred, once, on
hnnd n steamboat the st. Lawrence, willis hG wus
travelling on that River. In conversation with II
friend, they were gliding down that nobIn River,
his friend remarked that II magnificent River,
and how inporrunl il would he IL the United States
10 possess H. Mr. \. replied, that the holy iniunc-
lion was, not TO covrt what ouo's nrighhors,-
But snd his friend, nnurn has given this River to
us, anu are must hpre H. Thu, said Mr. Adams, was
the only, rs it certainly was n nro. conclusive,
ply to The argument he had just alluded to.
Mr. Winthrop had sad that this measure If Annex
nton had its origin with the ':'ylrr Administrations
To this Nr Dnuga-s had replied, with that inlerper-
Hnce aud vchemrnce which belonged to his genius,
such not tie fact; for it had s origin with him.
Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams said hi+ propnsrion, ia 1925,
in reference to Texas, WIS very different from the
measure now under consideration. lie then prnIo4-
ed 10 acquire Texas, ,cih The consent oCds proprie-
tor. This an important distinction, which tho
gentleman had omitted Ia draw, between the two
cases. fan individual went into the store to buy nm
article, or If he went st midniIt to rob it, the two
were ast as diverse as was his attempt To ac-
considering. He had always been in r,v"r OF rx-
tending the boundary of the United States to the Rio
del Norte. But it must be- done with the consent ~
tho Owners Of the territory he acquired for that
purpose, aud slavery must be abolished there. Upon
these terms, he would support Nnnexl"u tomorrow.
Otherwise, Ia 1925, slavery did not exist in
Texas. It has since been Introduced there; aud, he,
therefore considered himself forever uh-ol,rd from
communal in favor Of It's Incorporation in tho United
States. Mr. 4. then reverted 10 the right claimed to
annex Texas hy virtue Of the Treaty of 1893, which
said gave US that Territory lie went into a
lengthy argument, and brought uPa great many his
tofical "reminiscences To hisprovo This position.
Mr. \. referred To the fact thur, in 1872 Mr. Mad
ison was charged BY the President il the course or
the negotiation then pending Tor the cession Of Inui>
Hno, I" give SPUN guarantee 'of all her rri,ory
hr.ond the Mississippi; md that of the reasons
why the subsequent negotiation, between Mr G. w
Erying and IzWro, wns brnlcn oil, was, that Mr. F.
enpowrred to give the same guarantee. 10
show what Nr Jefnrs"n thought Of the Louisiana
Treaty, and the territory we acquired thereby, Mr.
\. read extract fon OF MIR is letters, Ito be-
found on the 81 vol page 5ll, Of the biography |
written 10y his grand'on) in which he speaks Of the
boundaries of Louisiana, rs being in the highlands
west of the Mississippi. SC tive have some claim
(snys VIZ } tn the Rio del No,ie, and better 10 run
as CIR East AS the Rio Perdido" What is the differ
cnce, in land claim, asked Mr. a, between some |
claim, aud heti.,? (laughter) lie SAYS, also,
that If we take advantage Of the war in which Spain
j, eng grd, should get Florida (Ihe good clan,)
ir we did not get the other As the Argument or (
the gentleman from Illinois, and others. tha, by the |
ces>ion Of Louisianr, the penpe Of Texas acquired
rights, which it was not competent for the United .
States To deprive them Of, il plain that nll this
was an after thought mere depicc, con iured up FOR
The occasion.
Abiding 10 the charge that had been made in the
course of this debate, that the only Of ces
sion 81 territory by the United States were those in
which citizens Of Massachusetts had been negoriatorS
Mr. \. said that, in the referred to- the Aiassa
nhusets citizen was only engaged the minister the
scribe; hut the President, the responsible indvidunI
was Of VTginin. Iluw was it on the other hand
with regnrd to the extension of territory? What
was the fact, IN reference To negotiation go
ng on. for the possession Of Oregon? SIR said Mr.
Adams claim the article in the Florida treaty, in
reference TO Oregon, ms my own IL was made at
my suggestion. might have gone TO my grave,
without this luct having been known, il this debate
md not arisen; should now have mentioned II,
'nt for the nvdous and unknd charges against Was
achusets | claim the honor, FOR myself but FOR
ny State; and say now, to all those who nss, up
m our undisputed title TO Oregon, that, if we Obtain
His territory, it will he because Of the acquisition
indcr the article of the Spanish title. The other
prominent argument, by which right is MAIN
"ined, is the discovery Of the Columbia River, by
citizen Of Massachusetts.
The objection To which Mr. A. chiefly relied uron
the annexation Of Foreign territory, was one which
10 made ut the time of the cession Of Lous una by
'rancr; and which, in conversation with Mr. Madi-
on, tina, gentemnn agreed was paramount: and that
that the people of any territory he trans
erred without their consent. This was my ohec-
ion, then, and 1t i. my objection still, not so much
N account the acquisition of territory AS its bearing
pon the people Of tina, territory Al the time of the
esson of Lousisnn, he drew up II paper, and show
ID it 10 Mr. Madison for the people of Louisiana 20
ign vote Cor. WIS overruied then, but I DEFY
ny one to otto another precedent, but this of Louis
ma, against my position. "Sir," said Ar A. (speak-
NJ " it'll all the energy he could command, ",ou