Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-14

lreaty-inaking power, it was con'enueo ~. " ~
within the spirit of the clause because II eHposeu
the country 10 the most hideous dangers. ~
The honorable Senator from Kentucky Mr
Moreheadl had dwell with great feeling on in is
impending horrors of admitting people OF az
felent tongue, Of different religion, OF u'iie'
emf form Of government, OF different hap'.s n n;u
training. Now-if there was anyinnis ~ 'I ~
argument, it applied as well 10 aG Iii =.
treaty as admission by Congress. lhe 'olsue
the religion, The government OF Inc PeoFi1, MooI
be the same either way. was 'he Iicsiuei,' a.u
two-lhirds Of the Senate much SAFER due.oii :.
than the President and majority of the Senate
and the House of Representatives! Wo-lnis &C
of the Senate. then. exceeded majority Oh tne
Senate by ONLY four votes Were these iour Voles
a greater security than majority Oh inc Wnoe
House of Representatives Let gentlemen sIip
their lamentations of these Gorgeous, hydrdS, ana
chlmeras dire.
Let j, be noticed further against the argument
that such a power Of acquiring le'ii'oiy' " az,
hitting States is not so safe in Congress as in The
hands oflhe Treaty-making power, mat congress
is expressly authorized to dispose OF territory
WHY was not that given TO The President ana Sc
nate, il safer? But who can talk seriously oil d
want OF safety in this measure Does any man
in his sober senses believe that we, CHRISTIANS ana
Republicans, are likely 10 admit otaie ol pa
gans and monarchis,s, which continued 10 retain
Government and political ana reli9ious views
totally contrary TO ours No. Its Government
mus, be Republican. Could we in this mode
force foreign State into our embrace from am
bjlion and Acknowledgement Did the resolution
contemplate such lhing2 No. We only pro-
pose to open the door for others 10 come in or not,
al their pleasure. And he asked gentlemen whe-
lher it was likely that people who differed TO,
tally from us in language, in religion in political
habits and opinions, and who lived in Europe on
The other side of the globe, would ask TO become
part of our Union Or, il they did, was il
likely that majority of Congress would permit
so unnatural a union !? Was not majority in
both Houses sufficient guaranty 10 the contrary!
And if it was moi, would the Treaty power be a
greater, or alter the case much for the better?
But what had been our past history? We had
admitted new States into the Union, but had We
admitted hordes of savages, and cannibals, OF
States ruled BY tyrants? We had never yet ad-
milted single government, as government, be
cause none such had ever applied. We acquired
Louisiana, but we did no: thereby admit the
French Government; nor did we admit the Stale
until long after the annexation Of the territory
The States We had admitted were, when admitted
as States, chiefly inhabited By men of our own
blood and men trained 10 the principles Of our
own Constitution Could there be SO great a
danger, as was pretended in this case, in admit
ling a hundred thousand people residing on our
own immediate border-our own breth!cn-our
own children our fellow-soldiers - who had
fought with US side by side; our tellow-pairois,
who, like ourselves, had commended fortheir lber-
ties and independence, and, like ourselves, had
established free Constitution BY receiving
such people, we should not alter single qua
ranty Of the Constitution, but, on the contrary,
we should increase the number of lis securities,
as in local resistance we should have twenty-slx
States against one, instead OF twelve against one,
as formerly. In the case OF corporation, could
not new corporators be admitted without altering
the charierl How would it hurt the people OF
Massachusetts, or of New Hampshire, 10 admit
to share in their privileges people trained like
people more than leavened by
Americanism-a people possessing unity oil bIrth
and religion-unity OF educalion-unity of social
habils-unily OF principles, throughout, with our
selves and our immortal fathers. They were
numerous enough, likewise, 10 be Stale at once,
and none disputed that their territory was large
enough TO be State; and their training 10 repub-
lican forms and self-gorcrnmenl long enough and
strong enough.
Another reason which has been urged against
this measure being within The spirit ofihe Con,ti-
tuition was, that the balance of power between the
North and South would thus become deranged,
and made untavorabe to the North.
The effect Of this resolution would be 10 ex-
tend our Union FIVE degrees further South, or eight
in some places; whereas, by the acquisition OF
Louisiana, we had stretched it forth eighteen de-
grees at one stride beyond the compromise slave
line, and were now running in width also al the
South only TO the Del Norte, but al the North al
ready across the whole continent TO the Pacific.
Mr.. w. thought The danger, if there was any, lay
in the opposite direction. He was here TO Go JUS
tice as well 10 the South as TO the North, and he
did not believe in the danger of adding so i,llc al
the South, when such vast additions Us Oregon
were contemplated in the North and Northwest,
and when the new States in these last quarters
filled up much the fastest Talk Of danger 10 the.
North II is hope-t is greatness 10 the North
Again, il had been said that the trainers OF the
Constitution never contemplated such measure
as this, nor ever expected that the Union was 10 be
enlarged vet, in the Madison Papers, they nigh;
lind even al that early day, a proposition By a
member from Massachusetts, 10 limit the number
Of States that should be formed West of the
But the Limitation had been opposed
by Roger Sherman, who, with his plaine good
sense, avowed the desire 10 augment our popula-
ton and spread our doctrines. There would be
no danger if both people and territory should be
doubled or tripied, provided they retained the
same political principles and the same personal
habits, and were filled ur, as they always will be,
chiefly by our children and grand children, seeking
a livelihood and liberty wherever the indomi-
table enterprise OF their Saxon blood may tempt
them. As it was the chief argument on The other
side agaius, this measure not being within the
spirit OF the constitution, because il was assumed
that no additions TO our territory were coDlem-
plated or thought of he would deain the Senate a
moment longer concerning il. Why, Sir, what
is the design oil constitution in this view of the
subject To makea provision only for each
particular case then talked of? So lar from that,
il is 10 make broad general rules for all subse-
Guent cases coming within their letter and spirit.
whether then thought OF or not. Otherwise Sena-
tors on the other side might object to the use OF
steamboats, or railroads TO carry the mail be-
cause they were moi in A. D. 1893 thought Of or
contemplated. So as 10 the magnetic telegraph,
for public communications, in war or peace,
never dreamed of in HE convention. But were
the safe course OF construction different is there
not ample evidence beside what has already
been mentioned, 10 show that an enlargement OF
our Uncn beyond its original limits was often
and seriously looked loa
Mr. Madison, in The Federalist, looked 10 no
Limitation 10 the extent OF The Union, except such
distances as TO Prevent convenient meetings a,
the cenire and he uses another expression preg-
nant with the idea of going beyond our own bo-
SONS: "Add to them such other States as may
arise in their own bosoms, or IN their nclgh6or-
hands," &c.
So Hamilton, though surrounded by politicians
OF more narrow grasp oimind, writing in June
1897, 10 Mr.. McHcnry, after speaking of ships
and tIoops, says:
"Besdes eventual security against invasion
we ought 10 look certainly 10 the possession oflhe
FIoyidas and Louisiana; and we ought 10 squin,
at South America"
Even the old confederation had contemplated the
admission of Canada and other colonies, British
Spanish, or French. Could all this have been in
contemplation so early as ITO; and was it not Sc
much as 10 be heard of now, or in 1889! Would
gentlemen say that no enlargement of the Union
was contemplated by those hardy western settlers
who were ready to tight for the possession Of The
mouth of The Mississippi We had extensive
northern regions vet unsettled, and every emisranl
thilher, from our own firesides or abroad had a
rishtto all these medtated expansions, whenever
such additions of territory or States became use
ful IN nrotect other their families from border