Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-18
THE ENQUIRER.
Richmond, February rs.

Richmond, February Is.
TO THE FRIENDS OF TIE CAUSE, AT
WASHINGTON.
The Press must again speak out. It's Ian
suage mu., be stronger because lis eve is purged
of the cataract which partly obscnred lis Vi
sion. New light has broken upon i-And as ii
sees the danger more distinctly, it must speak in
stronger tone. Il will sill be liberal in its spi
rit and will certainly Try not TO be offensive in lis
manner
1t is time 10 be done with visionary cacula-
lions and with deceptive expedients. The day Of
hesitation has passed. Some OF the friends Of
Texas have been led on in spiritoi Cancellation,
until they have almost been conducted to the very
verge of the precipice. The ig'tis fatuus Devil
ders only 10 destroy II is time for US 10 see our
danger We are 80 much distracted by PROPOSE
tons that are about 10 lose the great object Tor
which we have been struggling. We are about
10 lose Texas, from the course of events which
have taken place in the Senate We will Gol
share directly or indirectly in his fearful response
bily and for one we wash our hands of Col. Ben
toms bill, and go only for The House Resolutions
There is really now but one string 10 the bow
Too many projects serve only 10 distract our ener.
gies and defeat our object Let all the friends Of
Texas but take one bold and decided course, and
The annexation may YET be accomplished in the
remaining days Of the session-though there are
but thirteen working DAYS LEFT.
We have no disposition 10 complain Of Gel
Benton We still have loo much OF The Audi
Ling SINE feeling about Us 10 Jorge; the services
he has rendered 10 the Republican party We
would not take single leai from his wreath; but
il cannot be denied, that his course on the Texas
question has been most extraordinary. Every
true friend Of his country is anxious 10 settle this
mos, important subject. We wish 10 save Texas
from the inlrigues ofEagland, and our owncoun-
try from the agitation which threatens her De-
lay only eedsdauger. Alter debate Of nearly
4 month in The House OF Representatives and al
ter various propositions have been submitted 10
lhem, here is proposition winch was selected
fJom the budget, and was adopted by majority
of22 in the House TIE proposition obtained
voters from both parties, and from every section
OF the country. The great body Of its friends
were OF course from the Democrats OF the South
and West. 1t was proposed By Wing, " no mad
the honor OF sacrificing all parts considerations
to The good of his country The proposition was
wise and efficient Il mol only was sufficient 10
secure Texas, but on liberal terms. No section
Of the country could righliuly complain Of is
provisions. i, was based upon the Constitution.
Ii admitted nclc STATE ijl0 Tic In'on, BY n So
lcmn Resolution Of Congress. Il respected The
interests Of all sections OF the country-cven the
preIudccs Of all. Ii surrendered all north oflhe
celebrated Missouri compromise line OF 36i de-
srecs. absolutely and unquaiifiedly 10 our broth
rem in the non-slaveh6ljns States. The South
might Lien have fairly claimed all the terri
tory south of,he line % lis purposes and 10 It's
peculiar population. We had given 10 the North
an immense and magnifccn; region, which sweeps
10 the Pacific, and embraces Oregon itself. As
Randolph of Roanoke states, in powerful Epls-
tie which he has addressed TO "Fhe Democracy
o. the North" and which We shall lay before
our readers on tomorrow morning, "The North
has full command over all Northern Icf-
Qs-aU !NeJroska and Orcgoa, embracing an
area Of eighteen degrees n latitude and Mufy
dscrecs Of lon.ilndc 7rih tyitoriai Capacities Jar
fire and ,trcniy States Of Tie acreage 1-e." Ought
no, the North 10 be content with her share OF the
public terriory7 But to make the terms still more
favorable 10 her, The House resolutions do mol
unqualifedly give US all South OF the thirty
six and half degrees. In fact, Il gives no
thing certainly and peremptonly Tor The slave
population, but il provides in the most lioe.
raj way, that neither Texas herself, nor any OF
should enter the Union with slavery. unless their
own people should so decide. And besides, the
fact is well known, that portion OF Texas is 50
mountainous and cold, as probably 10 shut Out
large proportion OF slavery from II; borders.
This proposition, so liberal in itself, SO consist.
ent with the Constitution so respective even OF
the preudices OF the Northern people, had passed
by majority of D. received the decided appro-
bation OF the Legislature and People OF Virginia,
and apparently of all the South, and MANI OF the
citizens of the North It seemed the best means
OF ei1ecting an immediate annexation, and oil
lullng to rest question, winch was 50 wei cal
culaled to agitate and distract our country.
These resolutions went to the Senate u Col
penton had thrown his whole sonl and his great
energies into the scale, there could have been but
little doubt of their success. His personal and 20
litical friends would have had all their Scruples
dissipated by his influence. His own moral
courage would have Infused itself INTO their
bosoms, and they, and the other unhesitatinS
Democrats of the Senate, with three or four pup
lic,spirited Wings, would have decided The cues
ton. Every thing might have peeh seued-
The Constitutional 1ueston-the Slave question:
Texas annexel-Great Britain batfied IN her de-
sirns-our own country rescued from as"d''ph-
and fany difficulties had hereafter occurred aoon'
the public lands, about the Indians, new Sla'es,
&c. &c, which were not covered DY liie tesosu-
lions, ali would have been quiciiy ana amicaply
settled between Texas and me United otaes, by
commissioners and by compacts. 1t was not then
~ have been expected. that any man would have
ventured at the fag end of a short session. to put
The .h;n 10 sea again, when she was almost IN.
nort by broachiDg new proposition 10 distract
our own party, and 10 encourage The wings
THAT hill 100 is decidedly worse than the resosu-
,;ons oftbe House II keeps the Pandora box open
whereas tiev substantially close il up. Col. 3.
,ponh omen new negotiation-(not NOR directly
n;,h the consent of NsrioO or with his slave pro-
;ect directly embraced)-but there are commis-
sioners 10 be appoiniedthe responsibility IS 70 De
thrown upon Mr.. Polk OF framing INSTRUCTIONS
that might dispease part OF Tue country Lane
responsibility of selecting the lIiounal 10 WHOM
l,wo,hirds ofthe Senate, which can scarce
/, r. oh.a;nedl or the legislative power, whose
sn,horitv will be disputed By the Whigs-and
then the responsibility OF forming the terms OF
The COMPACT which will rip up again the slave
nnestion and bring ON the same, or worse battle
nsYt winter than we have seen al the present ses-
con lis impossible 10 see this movement OF
Coi Renton without 1regret, Interpretation and
,nnrehen.iou.D But soon the idea was propagated
AZ Washington, that Browns resolution could NOT
mass and that Benton's bill could-and that II
Was better TO take his proposition than 10 lose the
'raois Indnences were called in to aid its sue
cess. which it nigh, be improper to specify at
his time PM we repeat, the moment of hes
i i.aiion has passed II becomes US 70 wash our
hands Of The whole scheme. II only distracts
med weakens us-and there is now eminent
danger of the whole scheme of immediate
annexation being defeated The projectors OF
the new proposition are too sanguine. We are
assnre by he most respectable authority, that it
cannot mass either the Senate or The House. Many