Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-30
To tic Editors NJ Tic EAqH'rcr:
WasIIxGTnN GI1Y. Jan. 1.

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 70, 1919.
With more Joy than can express ! am ena-
blcd to write you, that the House OF Representa-
lyes passed the Joint resolution Tor The anneXa-
ton OF Texas this afternoon BY vote OF llS
ayes to l0l noes and the final rotc was l20 10
9S-heing y majority. Milton Browns pfopo-
si,ion was the one agreed 10; it being Substan-
TALLY the same as Gen. Dromgoole's, Douglass
and Burke's There was, indeed, no material
difference between any of the propositions offered
by those who proposed plans in good lallh-lhat
is. between those having any other object in view,
but 10 throw difficulties in the way OF The mea-
sure.
had no time last evening 10 notice the very
extraordinary speech OF that most singular man,
JOHN q. Adams; nor shall do SO now in de
tail He, in two or three sentences, tumbled
down the pile Of ilimsy constitutional objections
10 the Remuneration raised with 50 much labor
and research by his fellow Wings. He avowcd
his belief, that the country was of infinite value
and asserted that Congress could extend our lu-
risdIction over il By Joint resolution and he de-
clared thai no man would be more in favor oi il
than he, provided it came in as non-slavehod-
ing State or States. He spent the rest OF his hour
in a lame and impolent attempt 10 reconcile his
long continued efforts to acquire Texas with his
present position on the question before The House
| have vet 10 hear single Wing, who listened 10
him, say that his speech gained him credit that
il was aught but contradiction and quibbling from
beginning 10 end bold assertion and reeraion,
backed by nothing calculated 10 relieve the gen
lleman from the odium attached 10 his course on
the Texas question for the last year or two.
The House sat yesterday until p NJ, and
was addressed by various gentlemen. The
speech of Mr. Norris Of New Hampshire deli
vered al as late stage in the debate as II was,
contributed 10 produce The result OF this day vote
full as much as that of any other gentleman who
has addressed the committee since the subject
has been under consideration. lie first took up
the constitutional question: and argued to show,
that Mr.. Tyler's plan of annexins Texas was
not the proper one. To do this, he proved that
she was an independent sovereignty, and had a
Government organized under written Conslu-
lion TO which The treaty making power vas As sub
ordinate as the legislative or Judicial; and could
have no more annihilatcd that sovereignty which
it had sworn 10 support, than could The legislative
or Judicial departments.
He then went on 10 show, that the proposition
before the committee avoided this difficulty; that
By it, the question was submitted directly 10 The
people OF Texas, acting in their aghest sovereign
capacity whether they will accede or not TO the
annexation, as they should Judge best. lie then
took up the question, whether Congress had the
constitutional power, the people Of Texas agree
Statc.
Mr.. Norris next went on 10 show great error
into which The opponents as well as some of The
friends of annexation had fallen, by conlounding
the ordinary legislative powers OF Congress with
the Executive power. Ordinary legislative acts
could be repealed at pleasure; bnt when one OF
The great powers conferred upon Congress had
been once exercised, il was irrcpealable Ofthe
latter class he considered the power Ia divide old
States or 10 admit new States in the Union. tie
then went into critical examination OF that part
OF the Constitution which provides that "New
States NAV be admitted into the Union.
Mr.. Norris then commented on the letter Of his
colleague, Mr.. Hale, alleging it 10 be commu
nicaiion calculated 10 deceive and mislcad, b. It's
false representations relative 10 the opinions OF
Mcssrs. Van Buren, and Woodbury., on the con-
stiiuional question now before the Committee
He proceeded 10 show the objects of the Panama
Congress. and TO show, further that The constitu-
tional question in that case bore no similarity 10
The one now in issue; and then quoted az length
from the letter of Mr. Van Buren,, and the letter
and speeches of Mr. Woodbury., 70 show that
Mr.. Hale had totally mislepresentcd their views
upon the question.
Mr.. Norris next most ably retuled the obJec-
tons urged against annexation on account OF
fanccd evils 10 arise from extending our laws
number Of States; and then he briefly examined
the question ofthe rights of Mexico TO Texas
He then took up the question of slavery, as con-
nected with the annexation OF Texas, and exam
incd il in detail-avowing himself ally opposed
TO the institution. He declared that the Consiu-
ton gave him no power 10 lneddle with il, but
lett it 10 be disposed OF b. the States whose Pc
culiar institution it was, and upon whose people
a ]! responsibility growing ont Of il rested.
He next referred 10 The fact, tina. his colleagues
course, here, had been endorsed BY the political
aboitionis,s OF his State; and here he referred 10
parts of Halcs letter and his proposition 10 divide
The territory, and coniras.ed them with each
other. He also conirasied the professions of the
political aboiionists with their endorsement of
Hale's course upon annexation.
Mr. Norris then wen; on 10 show that his col.
league had committed a gross error when assert
ing that he had set forth, in his letter, all the sub
stanial reasons which have been alleged BY our
Government in justifying annexation. He here
referred TO the reasons assigned by Mr.. Adams
in 1925 and l621-by Jackson in 1929, '33 and
'35, and by President Tyler in his message 10
the Senate accompanying The treaty OF annexa-
lion, all of which were great national reasons in
favor of the measure. He then commented upon
their reasons for annexation, and concluded one
ofthe abest speeches delivered during the debate,
BY some remarks upon The threats Of disunion if
Texas should be annexed, which he contfasted
with similar demonstrations made against the
acquisition Of Louisiana, and which were at
tempted 10 be carried out BY the Hartford Conven-
ton al subsequent period.
This letter is SO long, that forbear further no.
,ice of the proceedings of to-day.
Yours truly.