The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-20
THE TEXAS QUESTION.
SPEECH OF MR.. WELLER,


MIR. WELLER commenced by observing that perhaps
he ought 10 apologize for attempting TO address tho
| House after so much had been said ON tins question
by some Of the ablest gentlemen Il contained. Uoder
such circumstances he did not expeet that he could
say anything worthy Of peculiar attention and
II not that he represented portion of the American
people who were deeply Interested IN this subject he
shouid be content TO give silent vote During the
SIX years that he had been representative on this
door, there had been various questions submitted for
the decision Of Congress that calculated TO al
feet every interest IN the county but during no pc
riod OF those six years had any question been sub
milted To The American people we'll calculated 10
affect all their interests for veal NO. In all coming
time, as that which now submitted to their coQe
sideration. Ii was question affecting not merely
particular sections Of this Union II was one Of
tonal importsnce-a question which was calculated
10 aiiect the manufacturing the agricultural the nav
lgatng aud every other interest IL was question,
then, on which every representative Of the people
here, from every section of this Union was called
upon to exercise his best judgment lie bad listened
to the speeches Of the gentlemen who had preceded
him. and who had presented constitutional arguments
by which they advocated the measure but he should
not attempt to reeaptuate those arguments and it
would be work OF supcrerogaton 10 attempt 10 add
any thing to the arsumsnts Of his friend. from Vir-
! g,nia and Illinois Mr., Bsyly and Mr.. Douglassl on
tho constitutional points involved. Ii would be sui-
Gent Tor him 10 say that the power to annex was
an incident Of sovereignty. If 1t were necessary
l Oh our lDslltuliODs
TO annex new territory, and they had no power to
do II, this government would be impracticable
machine.
la 40 early period of our history, the question az
ecting the navigation Of the Mississippi river at
| traeted much attic ntion In 1851, upon a mere ru-
| NOR being put into circulation that treaty was
| about 10 DC formed between this government and
| Spain, by which We 10 abandon the nayiga-
ton Of the Mississippi for twenty five thirty
years, An excitement was produced which threat
| enod to lead TO dissolution OF the Union Such
question was well qualified TO excite that section
| OF the country from which be came. 1t was fore
seen that the portion Of the country whose interests
were to be affected by the navigation of the Mssis
sPPi was 10 be the abiding place of large portion
OF The American people and unless they reserved
The Tree right to the navigation Of the Mississippi,
they would not be able transmit their produce to
foreign market. Now, in 1875, by another treaty
between this government and SPAIN II was stipulated
that we were TO enjoy the right TO navigate the Mis-
slssiPp and to deposito produce the island OF
New Orleans IL was first limited TO three years, but
| 1t was continued for seven years.
10 1907, under the administration of Mr.. Jeffer-
son, when we cast our eye the map Of the Uni.
ted States, We that, the northern frontier,
we're the vast possessions Of the British empire
the southwest The French government had undis-
puted possession of the mouth of the Mississippi,
down which the vast productions Of that valley must
noat TO hnd their way TO a market. Hero were two
Of the most powerful nations Of the earth-one on
the extreme north and the other on the southwest;
and unless this government could be dspossessed
oil It's possession-unless the United States could
obtain Indispensable possession of the Mississippi,
the interests OF that great section Of the Union could
never be promoted, its resources developed
Now, the treaty OF 81. lldefonso, which had been
referred to by the gentleman from Illinois Mr..
Douglass,I was retrocession by the Spanish gov
eminent to France of all her possessions the Gulf
| Of MEXICO. That treaty was negotiated secretly
| and French author whom he had consulted said
That the negotiation was not known 10 this day
The treaty was made 10 1900, but had not been
dvulged and made public till two years after; and it
was very surious fact that, at the commencement
Of the negotiation of the treaty of 1902 by which
| we obtained Louisiana, negotiated by MIR. Living
sion and Mr.. Monroe,) the French minister Galley
randi denied that they had then obtained possession
OF that country; but on Mr. Monroe telling him that
be bad seen the treaty, he admitted it, but said he
did not icish IL made public.
Now, this treaty Of 1903 it was asserted, did not
extend so far as TO embrace The country now known
by the name of Texas. That it was tho opinion of
Mr. Jefferson In 1903 that il did, could not be
| troverted He might read, did time permit nume-
| rous extracts FROM the writings of MIR. Jefferson,
showing that he had always UNDERWOOD the western
boundary of Louisiana was the Rio del Norte. Such
was the opinion of all the statesmen Of the country
concerned in the negotiation. By this treaty of 1903
We had stipulated that those residing upon that terri
Tory should be admitted, soon consistent with
the principles of the Federal Constitution to all the
rights privileges and immunities of the most favor
cd citizens of the United States
| Now, the people of Texas were asking when the
opportunity presented, that should carry out the
solemn pledge made 10 the French Government by
the treaty of 1903.
| MIR. w. referred 10 the shortness of the time aot-
| ted, and said he should be unable to pursue the
course Of argument he had marked out for himself
The main objection, he proceeded to say, to the
nc1aon OF this territory was, that the object of its
movers was to perpetua,e the institution Of slavery.
This was the objection which had been raised by ev-
| cry gentleman who had spoken the opposite side
of the question. His colleague Mr.. Hamnl said
that he Mr. w. had submitted proposition which
stood nothing but the effect of which would be to
perpeuate slavery. What said the great imbodi-
ment Of Whggery about iii Mr.. w. confessed he
would be unwilling to vote upon this question, to
take upon himself the responsibility OF adding so
| large and extensive country TO the American Re-
public II had not been passed upon by the Ameri-
can people, But this question had been passed upon
by the American people. The Baltimore Convention
which nominated Mr.. Polk had said to the world
that II he was elected annexation would take place.
He knew not how it was elsewhere but in his Sec
ton of the country this the great question the
| canvass. He did not attend a popular gathering 10
the west of the Democratic party, on whose banner
was not inscribed "Texas," ay, "Ttras no,o." The
people of the West felt that the annexation was alb
solutey necessary, in order to give them the full
benefit Of the navigation of the Mississippi river
He might show, did not the shortness of the time
prohibit, what had been said by members of the Brl-
fish Parliament as to the importance Of the naviga-
ton of the Gulf of Mexico; that they had said, if
America obtained possession of Texas, with small
naval force in the Gulf of Mexico she could cripple
and destroy their commerce.
But his colleague had said that this question of sla-
very was the only question connected with annexa.
ton. What did the great Embodiment of the Wing
party say' That the subject of slavery ought not to
affect the question one way or the other; that it
would be nnwise to refuse permanent acquisition
! on account OF temporary disadvantage (Mr W
read an extract from the letter of Mr.. Clay contain
ing these and other similar declarations) These
were Mr.. WIS views the subject but did they ac-
cord with the sentiments of great part of the party
who had voted for Mr.. Cay' Sir (said MIR. W.
the people have become wiser than their scboolmas
ters. HIS colleague had said that this question Of
slavery was the only question involved in this ma tier