Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-02-06
SPEECH OF MIR. HARDIN,
Cor iLLINois,)
On the Question Of The .7nneration of Tsras,
In the House of Representatives, Jan 10, lS45.
(EXTRACTN

rect taxation, yet her admission into the Union
would necessarily deprive her of that greatest
source OF revenue derivablo from duties on foreign
importa,tons. The duties collected from goods
imported into Texas, or into other ports, destined
Tor reshipmen. there, would have to be paid into
The Treasury of the Union. Nor will it do to
provide that the duties collected i'm the port of
Iexas Shall be appropriated to pay her debts
Most oil the foreign goods designed for the con-
sumption OF Texas would undoubtedly be first
landed at New York and New Orleans. and it
would be impossible to ascertain the amour, of
duties collected Tor the use of Texas. Besides,
SO soon as the annexation is complete, there
would be no duties collected in the ports OF Tex
as from her trade with the United States. As
texas would thus, by our act, be deprived Of her
chief resource for payment, and her creditors of
the prlcpal reliance on which they trusted at the
time they became her creditors, it would necessa-
riiy devolve on the United States, by the laws of
nations, of sound sense, and morality, to pay
those debts OF Texas which we had thus deprived
her OF the means of lquidaiing. ii will be seen,
then, that, so far as the assumption of the debts
OF Texas is concerned, it matters not whether
annexation takes place by receiving her as State
or a Territory.
Texas, the answer has doubtless been for some
time in the mind Of the friends Of annexation
that the lands OF Texas are sufficient to pay her
deotS. lhere never was an idea more fallacious;
and will now proceed to show it.
Within the territory claimed and in the
possession of Texas, the Government Of Spain
first, Mexico next, and lastly Texas have issued
grants of all sizes, from half league to ten mil
lions OF acres, to individuals, and permitted the
grantees to locate The lands according TO their
fancy. The consequence is, the whole country
is shingled over with conflicting grants, as they
used to express it in kentucky, where a similar
vicious system prevailed, from shoe tap TO Knee
fhn rlcho Ia, N,
est crop of claims. When the treaty was under
consideration last April, the Commissioners of
Texas stated, in letter TO Mr.. Calhoun, (see
Doc. Ell, LIST session, 2Sth Congress.) that the
lands within the territory claimed by Texas were
estimated at 203 100000 acres. Lands appro-
prlated to January, 1911, were 81 ,409,673 acres.
What amount has been appropriated since 1911
does not appear.
Unjust be borne in mind that the gross amount
OF lands estimated to be in Texas is not what is
within her acknowledged boundaries, or within
her possession; but, in truth and fact, more than
two-thirds of the land claimed by her is destitute
Oh single Texan settler. a portion Of this ter
Iitory is within the boundaries Of the Mexican
States Iamaulipas and Coahuila, and nearly all
New Mexico is included in it. 1t is speaking
within bounds of the actual fact when it is said
mat more than two-thirds of all the territory
Grained by Texas Is In the occupancy of Mexico,
win whom she is at war, or Of the Camanches
ana various other Indian tribes, VINO have been
engaged in active hostilties for years with Tex
as. And have been informed by various ner.
sons who have resided in Texas that all the lands
OF any value in or adjacent to the settled parts OF
Texas are covered with grants.
IL Is admitted that in January, IS4I, one, third
OF her territory had been granted, amounting to
o., 40S,673 acres. Let US see how large tract
this is:
~ Acres.
no Sfofn afN Il.
Pennsylvania 3O,OSO,00O
4" Maryland 7,6sO,00O
Making total of 66,56O,OOO
1t is thus seen, that Texas, with present po-
puiaton estimated at So 900 whites and 80 900
slaves, has already sold land as large in extent as
the three States of New York, PENNSYLVANIA,
and Mary land, which contained population in
1910 of 4,622,973. This land, if distributed e.
qually amongst all the voters in Texas, (who a
mounted to L .407 at the Presidential election in
ls44,) would give them above 5000 acres each
AS The grants to these lands are all confirmed TO
the Texans by the treaty, and they would be pro-
tected In their enjoyment by our Government, and
relieved OF their public debts if annexation takes
place, 1t is not at all wonderful that they should
be anxious for annexation.
That part of Texas adjacent TO the Gulf coast.
and portion Of it near The large streams in the
lands already granted there is reason 10 believe
Is productive soil though not better, and most of
1t not so good, as millions of acres of public
lands now belonging to this Government But
IL becomes important to inquire what is the de-
scription OF the remaining two-thirds of the land
Grained by Texas; and which will have TO be
re-annexed by re-purchase or rc-fghting the Mex
leans and Indians. 1t is the more important, as
IL Is the resource looked TO to pay the debts of
Texas, and is that scope of country set apart in
inc imagination Of Northern Democrats where
they design to grooc free States
i, Every one acquainted with the topography of
the country west Of the Mississippi knows that
me timber Is confined 10 the vicinity of the large
streams, and as You proceed towards their soufc-
es' the timber becomes scarcer, until it entirely
disappears; and at the same time the supply of
water Is very deficient over large tracts of coun-
ny. All accounts from those who have explored
eNas agree That this is the fact in relation to that
country. Now, sir, there is something on the
map of Texas printed for the use of CONGRESS-
which has the appearance Of settled design to
nslead. In this unsettled portion of Texas. now
IN the possession of the Cananches, il is stated
hat, "according to Arrowsmith, this tract Of
country was explored by lie Grand in 1888, and
Is naturally fertile, well wooded, with fair pro-
portion Of water" | assert this, because the me
NOR which accompanied the map, and which
will be found in Doc. ell LIST session, 28th Con-
gress, shows that this tract of country is for the
most part barren desert, destitute of both fuel
ana water sufficient TO permit it to be settled
In mat memoir, whilst describing the general
surface oil Texas, it says, p. So "The country
is desutu'c OF timber, except on the banks Of the
rivers, which are skrted with growth of timber
rom one mile to ten deep" In the description
Of New Mexico, which embraces nearly the whole
IF this uninhabited tract, the memoir saws, same
,age: "The portion Of this province susceptible
IF cultivation is very SMALL and is separated into
Two parts by great desert. Both are confined TO
he narrow valley Of the Rio del Norte, varyino
from three TO fifteen miles in breadth. The frs:
extends north Of Santa Fe 20 miles, and south of