Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-08-08

TEXAS AND LAND-JoBBING.

We have received several letters COM
nendag TO our notice certain facts coanec-
ted with the. history Of the Texas conspir-
.acy from the frs. planting oil slavery in
that region after its express abolition by
MeXIco down to the present moment, with
especial reference to the means employed
to win oyeriniurnt.ai per-oasin the States
10 the cause Of Texan Independence and
ultimately to that Of annexation. We do
not th..k proper to use these at present.
Our warfare l. not with individuals, buI
with ev'i Principles-Wil rapacity, wick.
cdness and opp essjon-wllh slavery wear
ling the cloak OF liberty, and robbery and
perlidy disappearing the names OF justice
aud national honor. But, next 10 our ha
.red to slavery, louIly imposed Oh the wide
fXtcn, OF Texa- in defiance Of the laws a.
! Ike Of God and man, is our loathiug Of the
Isystem OF land monopoly and io,iing whc!
has nccn one OF the maiHsprjngs OF tho
Texas jniquity from the bcginning-which
has bought venul ed tors and politicians in
scores, and transformed the vehement con-
tcmners Of the entire vjIIany to-day into
its most devoted champions and apoIogist-
tomorrow, We do no! propose to 60 into
any circumstantal expose Of its detaiIs-it
S with the principle we deal, and that we
shall resist cVermore.
Just look at the outline Of the case; Sla-
very and land robbery were the two corner
stones Of the Texan revolt from Mexico
Our settlers in Texas wanted slavery,
which the laws of Mexico forbade, and they
wanted the lands, which Mexico withheld
or had granted to others. These were the
real indictments to the rebellion, though a
change in the government Of Mexico aho'-
ded the preteXt. Accordingly, two Of the
r-tiuyoitant acts Of Independent Texas
were the lagaljzation Of Slavery (which had
previously been maintained by force in de-
fancc Of law, and the nul.iiying OF all The
land titles granted by Mexico, except so far
as they ran in favor OF persons engaged in
the rebellion. This latter was an act Of
gross reputation, contrary m public 'aith
and the usagee nf civilized nations, which
regard ~ contracts OF asuJver.-d govern
rl. Ii. ds biad,ng upon that which hy r-vo-
,ioa supplants it, WA..her this nuiifyirg
clause in lie Constitution Of Texas will be
overrs,ed after annexation by our Supreme
Court, as we asserted a few days since, We
lind disputed; good lawyers considering
bat orr Courts will he obliged 10 respect
the acts of Texas while an independent,
power, no matter how iniqutous in theI
character. But in truth the question Is o
little practical moment. II the MeXca1
grants are su stained, one setot spectators
secure most OF the valuable wild lands o.
Texas; il they are declared null, another
set are the winners. In either case, there
are next 10 no public lands in Texas, and
if we ever get any we must Wrost them
from the warlike Camanches or from MfXl-
60. In all hat has ever constituted l1de-
Dendent Texas, weare confident tina there
are not public lands enough TO pay ten
cents on the dollar OF the actual debt OF
Texas and the just though unliquidated
'lains on her Treasury. The case, there
ore, stands thus: annexation beng con-
the people of the United States
must nght Mexico into assentto It and TO
most II. lust, unpausible extension OF the
lmits of Texas to the Rio del Norte or be-
,ond; then we must fight the Camanches
md other wallke tribes for nearly all the
public lands we shall get that are worth
laving, which would cost lis ten times
what they can ever be sold for. The north
must pay two.thirds the eXpenseoi all this,
o increase the area and the power Of SOU
hern slavery. Then there is the debt Of
Texas--it may be twenty or forty, but can'
not be less than ten millions-whlch Mr.
Polk has virtually agreed to pay, though
Congress expressly stipulated that we
should not pay it. The army ana navy ol
Texas are in arrears for pay, 10 ma Il can
ruoss how much; and Mr.. Dongison has
further agreed to pay o. the expenses OF
annexaton-Congr' -. Convention, &'.--
Depend on it, Ittrae NiIl not be scrimped'
when Uncir Sd. Il foOts the bill Depend on