Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-28

III Is pity, my dear Slr, anu iepioaen, '"u'
DIR administration have no general pan
Certainly there ought TO be one formed without
delay 1.-THE Chief is 100 desultory, his minis,
tcrs ought 10 be the more united and steady, and
well settled in some reasonable system oil mea-
suTes.
Among other things, it should be agreed What
precise force should be created, naval and land.
and this proportional 10 the slate OF our finances
1t will be ridiculous 10 raise troops and lmmedi-
atey after 10 disband them.
"Sx ships of the line and twenty frigates and
sloops OF war are desirable; more would not now
be comparatively expedient 1t is desirable TO
complete and compare the land force which has
been provided for BY law. Besides eventual Sc
curity against invasion, WE OUGHT CERTAINLY
To LOOK TO THE POSSESSION or THE FLoRIDAs
AND LOUISIANA, AND We OUGHT TO SQUIRT At
SouTH AMERICA
as il possible, that the accomplishment of these
objects can be attended with financial difficulty !.
| deny The possibility Our revenue can be con-
siderably reinforced. The progress Of the coun-
try will quickly supply small deficiencies, and
these can be temporarily supplied by loans-pro-
vided our loans are made on the principle, that
We require the almenl of European capital, and
that lenders are 10 gain and their gains 10 be ia
cilitatcd not INSTRUCTED.
"lt all this is not true, our situation is much
worse than had any idea of. Bnt | have no
doubt that il is easy TO derive The means OF exc
culion. And if there was every where DISPOSE
ton without prejudice and nonsense, 10 concert a
National plan, | would cheeriully come 10
Philadelphia and assist in it; nor can | doubt
that success may be ensured.
Break the subject seriously TO our friend Pick
ering; his views are sound and energetic and Try
together TO bring the other gentlemen 10 con-
sutalion II there is every where proper tenn
kper, and il is wished, send for mel will come
''Yours trny
(Sgncd) "a. HAMILTON.
"James McHenry Esq"
Besides, the Supreme Court of the Z. States
was called upon some years ago 10 give its oP.n-
ion on the power OF The Government 10 acquire
Foreign Territory in the case of the American
Insurance Co.. rs. Gamer, reported in Isl Pc
ters' Reports. 1t involved the question Of the
Constitutional acquisition of Florida--at page
542 Chief Justice Marshall, in delivering the
opinion of the Court says: "The Constitution
cOnlers absolutely on the Government the power
OF making War and making Treaties; conSe-
quently, that Government possesses tic pOrcr " ac-
quning Territory either Ly Conquest or Treaty.
think shall not find il a very arduous task
i,1,der the practices Of the Government ''tme on,
OF mind, TO establish, that whatever can be done
bv treaty, can be done by Congress, however The
former mode may be preferred in cases where Sc
crecv and negotiation is needed. Nor will il be
very difficult matter 10 show. that as con9uests
are the results OF war and that Congress alone can
declare it-so il might not be impossible 10 real
ize all The fruits OF conQuesis, though the losing
party should never consent to cede the ca ptured
! territory by Ifcaty 1t would hardly be denied
that, in such coniunciure, Congress could pass
| an act 10 authorize the President TO take posses.
sion-and IN due season Congress could admit i
| as a "!Ncu State" into The Union. and thus dis
pense the President and Senate from the exercise
! of their IreaiY-modes Of acquiring Foreign Ter
ritory.
But we have not only The power 10 acquire To-
reign territory, TO erect il into States, and admit
them into the Union, but THE POWER HAS BEEN
EMgRcIsEp. The thing has been done, and done
repeatedly, and in memorable instances-Loni-
siana has been acquired, and she, and Missouri
and Arkansas, are already in the Union-Florlda
| has been acquired, and what is more and most
surprising il was acquired with sort OF accla-
maiion. The Treaty reached The Senate the 22
of February. 1919 and with a most indecorous
prccipancy, il was ratified on the PAN F,brn0rV
and. what is stranger still, the ratification was
UNANIMOUS How could that be Where We're
Northern scruplcs then Florida was forcis,l
territory and siarc-holding territory besides =
And vet, iorsooh, not Il Northern voice was
heard against her, nothing about The r0at of con-
aituiionoi poufJ, nothing about tic extension n
oinr,YV Oh no--lhe case Of L0u'siona was Il
precedent precisely IN point al that day, and it
was good 10 stand by our prece,ents think 50
too, and that the same precedent will 1T Texas
just as well, especially as she has the precedent
of Florida 10 strengthen it, The ratification was
UNANIMOUS We may never sec the like again,
FOR WE HAVE no MORE SOUTHERN EMPIRES LIKE
Texas TO TRADE AWAY for another Florida with
its quagmires hammocks and slerility; NEITHER
is THERE ANOTHER TERRITORY TO DE ACQUIRED III
Us WHEREIN 50 900 600 or PURCHASE MONEY IS TO
co INTO THE POCKETS or MANY YANKEE MER-
CHANTS, WHO FEARED IT WAS not TO BE- HADlN ANY
OTHER WAY? Ali these incentives have passed
away now. and poor Texas is told That we can't
receive her for the want OF constitutional power
10 acquire tOreieR territory; though we had all the
necessa1Y power il seems, 10 convert 4meJican ter
ri,ory into toTcign icrriIory-lhe power was all
gone when we wanted To rc-conven il into Ane-
ricam terri,ory-Ertio. We coSSrITuTIoNALLy ac-
quired Texas in IS03-wc coNsTTrUtosALf.Y
ga We her away in 1919, but we cannot coSsriTr-
TIoNAII.Y lake her back in 1915 A pest upon
such counselS evermore
One more authority forthc annexation Of Tex
as, and will close. What authority can that be?
None other, assure you, but Mr.. Daniel Web
sler himself! Can it be ?-Ycs and the conces-
sions are contained in The famous Worcester let
Ter tool And stranger sill, il was'made in the
very fury OF his onset against The power Of Con-
gress 10 annex Texas. Az, as tthe mighty hand
of God-lhe qnem deus uuh pcrdcre had smote
the great author with the like conlrition that wrung
drops OF agony from SHINING Saul, in The very
midst of his persecuiions-Behold! how he emas-
culates his argument Of all lis strength by these
memorable (I had almost said miraeuioss) con-
ccssions: "Lomsiana md Florida hcrcfUe me
settled cases. The admission Of 0nc and Mens1cc-
mcnt 10 admit The other arc iacts-aye acts done
md nssnch must hare their fpH effect" DfRA Hcr?
Very well. SETTLED CASES, Eth? And FACTS and
ACTS none are they? What are all these then,
but PREcEpENTS PREcEpENTsi Of what! OF the
Interpretation and meaning ofthc Constitution, 10
be sure. And pray, what made them PREcEDENTs?
Why the Executive, the Congress, the National
Judicaturcs who all hold sway thither in their alot
ted functions. And there look in at the Capt.
lol yonder-;hcr they are, the Senators and Re-
pTesentativcs from Louisiana-and Arkansas and
M:ssouri-and even quasi member from F'lori-
da besides-aDd all the result OF these preccdcntS
And who summons these prcccdenls into the
melee now? Why, Mr.. Daniel Webster the
great Champion of the LAW or PRECEDENT :
Prcccdent! Why, it has ever been his hobby and
his refuge. He clinss to il with such lcnacity
and prizes il SO hiah above all praise that "TnE
CONSTITUTION as IT IS WRITTEN" is but as dust in
the balance, when it comes ahwau The overpow
cring force of the STARE DEcrsIs What will The
world say now? Mr.. Daniel Webster QUOTING
PRECEDENT and DENouScISG PRECEDENT in the
same paper It is all ruc-lilcraly, shameless
~, disreputably true !!
RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE.
MILITARY CONVENTION.
According TO notice previously given, a Con-
venton composed of Officers delegated by various