Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-18

Snn,h ri tbe cnmnromise line OF So deg. 81 m
the States within lie limits Of leAas aPpa I r1I
10 come into The Union, were ieil ~ o'o,ur
themselves whether they wouiG pen ~: 10 e.,
within their limits or not AND nnder inis iice
nerm;ss;on bo believed with MIR. Clay, lln ms
ic,ler on The subject OF anneXa,on,) ltat II leAaS
should be divided into h:e Sta,e>' W. s,,,os
them would be slavehodng ana liiice ,:,,.s ~
The descendants of Turid africa , Isl
the meridian rays OF burning ~ ,,;,h ener-
cd and rc,oiced in a degree 9! heat "hieh e H.
,.o,n3 AMI unnld destroy The white man. "5
lovlonds If Texas. therefore, where they i"'s."
co,,rn tobacco and rice, ARA indigo, W.s ~. -"
tural region for The slave bu', hoi VI ~ H. -
Mo where the soil AMI Climate WIZ III iha 81;
the culture Of wheat, rye, corn ara cd'... ~ ,ho
mate was exactly adapted 10 lie wnl'o l ,hnn,
Nth. ,herc hc could labor for himself "i'hou'
r;s,, or injury II was. therefore, 10 be eAPee'e,
Thai three on, OF the five new Texan states woniu
be free Sta,es-ceranly they Wou'u o1 - ;, w, ~,
but wicd il MIR. B. was wiiiihs ~ sa.e 49,
question 10 themselves. rs lhey aPPiieu, W 49,; IS
sion into the Union He had no
the result. With that feature III inc III. a. :, I
from the House, he was pefiectS .oI'si, 49,
whatever bill might ultimately plsS' , Is al -.
This wonld be made a condition II. lie ala no.,
nevertheless set himself up TO be a dictator 70
The Senate. as 10 what sort OF BIZ !! si"uiu o'
should NOT pass; provided the great ana leading
mo. >,,re ~ re-union WAS secured, he should make
no difficulty about meie subordinate questions
He went on 10 say. that he liked this bill Tor
another reason. One Of the greatest anu most
weighly objections 10 The Texas treaty, as submit,
led 10 The Senate al lis last session. was that II mad
been formed between the government Oh texas
alone and the government Of The United States;
and The friends of the measure had been driven 70
maintain their ground, that The people Oh
Texas were unanimously in favor OF lic measure
al annexation; and, therefore, though their Coh-
s,ilution contained 10 provision warran'in9
their government, To make Such an arrange
ucnt vel unanimous people could dispense
with constitutions and laws. Bul this bill was
EXPOSED 10 no such objections; it adopted The true
American system; leaving the question 10 the
peonle OF Texas They were required 10 assem-
Die in convention, and adopt Tor themselves
Constitution Republican in its character-and II
il did 10: conflict with The Constitution ot,he u.
STATES then thew were 10 knock at our door Tor aG
mission. as every State had done which had hi
,herto been admitted into our Conederacy. This
course was in strict analogy with that prac!lsed
toward every other Stale.
When one of our own territories became ripe
for admission, Congress passed a law, allowing
them 10 elect their delegates and 10 form Con-
The law such conditions as Congress might deem
requisite. When the Territorial Conversion as
sembled and assented To those conditions, The
law became a compact between the U. States
and the people desiring 10 form the new State
and when She afterwards came and asked 10
be received, the faith OF the nation having
been previously pledged, nothing more re-
manned than 10 pass another act in four lines
declaring her 10 he admitted. This was The mode
in which Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, and
other new States had been received into The
Union. The preamble of the bill reciled the
facts that a Stale Constitution had been formed,
that the people had complied with the terms OF
admission proposed BY The United States, and.
the national faith being pledged by the former
law, the new Stale was introduced accordingly
This was what he desired should now be done IN
the case OF Texas; tins was what The present bill
proposed; and this was immediate annexation,
as lar as practicable" il treated the people oil
Texas as we treated the people OF our own terri
tories If any plan could be devised 10 accom-
plish the object sooner, Mr.. Z. had no! been able
10 conceive Of il. The fact was, that Texas
would virtually be admitted as soon "a this bill
should become a law, though the act could not
be formally consummated until aicrwart. The
public faith would be pledged 10 her, and her sub
sequent admission would be an irresistible con-
clusion.
Again, Mr. B. said he was pleased with these
resolutions, because they raised the broad gene
raj question of The power OF Congress 10 admit
new States And here he must be permitted 10
say. that, Notwithstanding the very able and in
gcnous argument Of his friend from Kentucky,
(Mr Morehcad,) and in spite of his undoubied
eloqaence on this occasion, MIR. B. had not been
able 10 bring his mind even 10 a doubt-no not
the entertainment of one single doubt, that Con-
sress might, by a joint resolution, ADM, Texas
into The Union. On this point he intended TO be
as brief as possible
What, he asked was the plain language o. the
Constitution ?-(he should no. reply TO the arsu-
ment, tina, the clause was in the latter part Of the
instrument and not in the beginning-it was in
the Constitution
.'New States NAV be- admitted BY the Congress
into this Union; but no new State shall he form
ed or created within the jurisdiction Of any other
Stale, nor any State be formed b. the junction OF
two or more States or paris OF States, without
tie consent OF the Legislature Of The States con-
cerned, as we'll as Of the Congress"
Here was universal, unlimited rule: "New
States NAV be admitted, and 'admil,si IN Con-
gross into this Union" The exception, and the
only exception 10 the power, was that, il the new
State was formed on, OF State or paris OF States
already existing, it could not be admitted without
the consent of the Legislatures OF the States IN
leres:ed. Was ever language clearer or more
comprehensive "New States may be admitted
What was State? Vatiel says that
"Nations or States are bodies polite societies
Of men united together, for the purpose OF pro-
noting their mutual safety and advantage, by The
iolnt efforts OF their combined strength. Such a
society has her affairs and her interests; she dc
liberaies and takes resolutions in common, thus
becoming moral person, who possesses an I'M
Outstanding and will peculiar TO herself, and i
susceptible of obligations and right"
Crabbe's synonyInes said thai Slate was the
most general term which could be used, equally
embracing the vast empire OF Russia and The
smalles, German principally.
The Constitution said that thew States" might
be admitted What, then, was The Herculcan
task imposed on the opponents of these resolu.
tons? They could not stir one step unless they
interposed the words arising within The territory
OF the U. States" and . incrpoate sucha clause
would, according 10 his notions be indeed econ
struc,ion construed" "New SAFES may be al.
mi,led by Congress into The Union" Now, al
knew perfectly well, int every word, nay, he
nigh. almost add, every syllable Of the Consiilu
ton had been subjected 10 the severest scrutiny
before the Convention which prepared it, And
what had been the character The men who com
posed ,ha, mos. il!usrious assembly. forming as
iheydid the organic law ola great people laying The
deep foundations of Government which was 10
endure Tor ages! They framed il with all that care
anu anxiety and delberalion which il was thcil
du,y 10 exercise in matter 50 grave and mo.
men.cus. They were men ofthc highest reach OF
intellect, and Of more devoted patriotism than had
belonce,! 10 men who had since, or might again
bless the Republic.
And wha, was the rule laid down for The con-
srucling Of such public Instruments Vattel
says:
"The first general maxim Of Interpretation IS
that II IS not aiioraJlc 10 interpret RIA has ~
med of interpretation. When deed is worried
in clear and precise terins-when its meaning is
evident, and leads 10 no absurd conclusion, there
can be no reason for refusing 10 admitthe meaning
which such deed naturally presents. To so else
where in search OF conjeciurcs, in order TO re-
strict or extend it, is but an attempt, to eude It.
1t this dangerous method be once admitted, there
will be no deed which i, will no: render useless.
However luminous each clause may bc-however