The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-03-20
SPEECH OF
HON. MR., WOODBURY..
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,


On the Anncration Of Teas, delicerct
in the Senate Of tie United States FcJ
ruary II, l945.
Mr. PRESIDENT: regret EXTREMITY
that the resolution before you have been
opposed with such earnestness by the re.
port ofthe Committee on Foreign Affairs
and the speeches of the two distinguished
senators from Kentucky and Virginia.
Under existing circumstances this is very
unfortunate, because harmony between
the two Houses is always desirable, and
more especially on questions like this Of
great national magnitude; yet the annex
alton of Texas in the form now proposed
has received the sanction of a decided
majority in the popular branch Of the
government, fresh from the people, and
fresh with virtual Instructions, after an
appeal to their opinion, and triumph
ant verdict rendered on this appeal. AZ
ter this, that the measure should be as
sailed, not merely as unconstitutional but
as ineXpedient, is, | confess, calculated to
excite some surprise.
Let me not be misunderstood, howev-
er claim no immunity to the measure
from fearless scrutiny or amendment or
rejection for these reasons; but only that
such expressions of opinion, from such
quarters, furnish strong presumption in
its favor. 1.-THE objections made shall
provo an full examination IN ho ,unll
founded, am among the last to support
the resolution. stand in this case on no
mere party ground, but on the conslitu-
ton and my country-both as dear to
me as to any gentleman on the other
side. Similar, without doubt, are the
views ofmy political friends; and we are
wronged when charged with supporting
the resolution as a high-handed measure
Of party suprcmdcy 1t would stand or
fall with the whole of us according to its
merits. Let it not be understood either
as was intimated in the report of the Com
mittee on Foreign Resolutions, that this
was an attempt to appropriate to ourselves
the lands of a weak and unoliending neigh
Dor, without his consent, by sort of
practical seizure. No such attempt was
contemplated by any of the friends of the
measure.
1t was also insinuated against them
that, by temporary, feetingAG joriiy-Jy
The unlimited power Of a lcgislaticc mGor-
ity, fas ant netaS, we were attempting to
regain possession of Texas. All this |
repel in the ou,set-repcl all such infer
onces, all such imputatons. lyield to
no one in courtesy as to motives, charg-
ing none with opposition to tins measure
on party grounds; nor can | allow any
such grounds to be attributed to us with
out repelIing them.
What! Selling upon the lands of an
unoflending neighbor, because it is
weak, when this resolution merely ex-
presses our assent to that neghbor com
ing into the Union, and cooperating with
US in the great business of selfgovern-
ment; and when, under this constitution,
which had been in existence fifty years,
without stain or reproach, we had never
seized upon foot of land belonging to
any neighbor, or any remote government:
had never, by felonious violence, taken
a particle of property ofthat description
upon any Of the many occasions which |
had occurred to tempt such cupidity, if
1t existed! When they had it in their
power to obtain by seizure distant islands
and distant provinces, they forbore; they
to make use of that power
They wised for no acquisition ofthat sort. |
So we desired no determination, unless
with those powers which wished to frater-
nize with US, and partake of our ins,tu-
tons, unless they could be connected
by the free principles of our government
not taken by force or fraud When
gentlemen talked about Patagonia and
the Celestial Empire coming into this
Union, as he had heard suggested more
than once, let them look back into our
history, and see if it is pos
lble for this government to embrace any
nation, unless that nation be willing to
come in and adopt our republican lnstitu-
lions, and are conquered not by our
swords, but by our liberal example and
systems of equal rights, enabling lbcr-
ties and well-regulated laws. We must
thus affiliate together-they with us and
we with them-before single step for
malgamation is likely to be taken on
either side, however much gentlemen may
appear to apprehend so many kinds of
heterogeneous mixtures.
And from whom abroad come the taunts
md libels that we are aggrandising our
selves at the expense of great principles
Irrational law, and in violation of the
lights of neighboring countries' From
nation from whom we had never, since