The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-03-05
Correspondence Of the Express,
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL, 1S4
TEXAS, MEXICO, GREAT BRITAIN.

I
TEXAS, MEXICO, GREAT BRITAIN.
The speach of Mr.. Adams. to-day upon the
Bill TO reduce the pay of the officers of the
Army commanded the attention which is al
ways given 10 all he says upon any public
question. Mr.. Adams took occasion to allude
to the action of the House of Representatives
upon the Texas, Oregon, and other questions
Of public interest affecting the intercourse
between us and foreign nations. The Joint
Resolutions, which had passed the House of
Representatives, for the annexation of Texas,
he regarded as an act of aggression upon
Mexico. The Bill annexed provinces to the
United States, as part Of the provinces Of
Texas which never had belonged to Texas.
Santa Fe was one of those, which place the
Texans had sought to reach, but had never
approached by one hundred miles. and more
As well might any other province been claim
ed as this one of Santa Fe. We might, and
it would, MIR. Adam thought, be in the spirit
in which we had acted towards Mexico in past
time, take advantage Of her present revolution,
TO further dismember her for her provinces.
Morally, we had the same right to possess all,
as 10 possess ourselves of those we had an
nexed to the United States,-or reannex. as
we we're told in the language Of the day.
One Of our officers not long since took pos
session of Montery, as an act Of war, and be-
fore long he presumed we should see bill
brought forward here TO re-annex the Province
Of Montery to the United STAGES. Were
told that we should see here in the hall of the
House " the member from Oregon " and ''the
member fomr Patagonia and perhaps, 'sthe
member from the North Pole" and 1.-THE mem
Der from the South Pole There is no
knowing where some gentlemen would stop
" in extending the area of freedomI"
Mr.. Adams glanced at the bill which had
passed the House for the re-ocupancy of
Oregon. He had been willing to give notice
to Great Britain of the desire Of this govern
ment to terminate the existing treaty. This
much he thought necessary TO secure the am
icable relations between our government and
Great Britain. A new treaty conld have been
made any friendly boundaries defined But
we had disregarded our treaty sou ght without
any respect for its provisions to take posses
sion of the whole Of the Oregon territory.
We had been told by one of the recent Sec
retaries of the Navy. that we ought. at least,
to have a Navy Of one half the size of Great
Britain! A navy of this size would cost us
forty millions year, and when we get it, with
one half the force of that of Great Britain, it
would not be a very easy matter TO master a
navy Of twice its size.
Mr.. Adams incidentally said word of
Cuba as coming into the possession of Great
Britain. One member. Mr.. Douglass of ILL
nois, had declared that the possession of Gu
ba by this government would be good cause OF
war. Mr.. Adams thought it would be good
cause of regret, but nothing more because it
would be none of our business. IL Spain
should surrender Cuba to Great Britain we
could not help it, and would probably have
TO submit to it. Mr.. Adams could not regard
such an act as good cause Of war.