The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1845-02-05
EXTRACT FROM THE
Speech of NEE'. Caldwell,
OF KENTUCKY,
On the Texas Annexation Question.

Mr.. CALDWELL said, during this discus
sion, gentlemen had spoken of the great import
ance Of the subject under consideration. One
gentlemen had said that 1t was of such vast I'M
p%ortancc, that he could scarcely realize that they
were engagedin debating it. The establishment
with him, (Mr. g. however, was, not that they
were actually engaged in discussing the question
but that there should be any portion ofthe states
men of this country who opposed the annexation
of Texas to this Union. We present the aston
ishing spectacle 10 the world ofhaying offered to
us such a boon as had been offered before 10 no
nation Oh the earth. and yet they were standing
there debating whether they would accept The
prohc;ed boon. To him, this was the greater
matter of wonder and establishment.
He proposed, before he entered into any no.
tee of the objections which had been urged to
this measure, to state briefly that Texas was once
all our own,w with all its rich and fertile fields, and
all its mighty rivers. But we had lost that part
of our domain. BY the treaty Of 1903 VIC Rcqul-
red an undsputed right TO the territory of Texas,
but, by the treaty of 1919, we lost that right
With deep modification he made the acknowl-
edgement. Ii was no part of his duty or purpose
TO cast censule on any one who were engaged
in the formation Of the treaty of 1919. The
nation had that subject under consideration, and
the nation had passed a verdict on the question.
1t was sufficient for his purpose to know that our
greatest statesmen-Madison Jefferson, Monroe,
Pinckney, ay, and Clay, and the venerable gen
tleman from Massachusetts himself, Mr.. ADAMS,
had all established the fact that Texas was as
much oars by The treaty of 1903, as was the ISL
and of New Orleans.
From 1903 to 1919, the settlements which
were made in Texas were made under the guar
antics of that clause of the treaty of 1903 which
provided that the citizens of Texas be incorpo-
raled into the Union of the United States. From
1903, to 1919 we continued 10 hold out assurar-
ces 10 the inhabitants of Texas of admission in
to this Union. All our Presidents-all our ac-I
complished statesmen commended that Texas was
ours, and all united in declaring that the citizens
of Texas should receive the protection of our
flag, and be admitted into this Union as citizens
of the United States, according TO the treaty of
1903. He might refer to the action Of our states.
men day after day; no might point to the letter
written when the gentleman from Massachusetts
was Secretary of State, declaring-when il was
expected that a descent would be made on Tex
as by some Frenchman, for the purpose of max
ing settlements there--thatth the government would
not permit snch a thing north of the Rio Grande.
The settlements in Texas, then, were made
under what were supposed 10 be the guarantees
of this government TO the people Of Texas by
the treaty of 1903. That treaty provided that
the inhabitants of the ceded territory should be
incorporated into the Union of the United States
as soon as possible, according 10 the principles
of the federal constitution, and be protected in
the enjoyment of the rights, privileges, and I'M
munities of tho citizens Of the United States
and, in the mean time, they were to have the
free enjoyment of their property, their liberties,
and the religion they profess.
Gentlemen talked about the obligation of trea-
ties; they professed a high regard for law and or
der, and advocated q strict observance of treaty
faith; and he asked them where was their regard
for treaties when they sanctioned the selling In
to colonial bondage the very people wnom this
Union was bound by the treaty Of 1903 TO pro-
tect.
He had said that by the treaty of 1919 we
lost Texas. That was so true that they could
not deny it; but he asserted here, and he held
himself responsible TO prove the assertion, that
neither Spain nor Mexico acquired any right un.
der the treaty of 1919. 1t was one of the fun
damentaI doctrines of our declaration of indie.
pendence that all legitimate governments oerl
we'd their rights from the consent of the govern
ed. The people Of Texas we're part of the Uni
ted States. We parted with our right to Texas
but Spain took nothing by the deed; for the pee
pie of Texas never sanctioned the act. Within
a few months after the treaty of 1910 a conyen
ton was called in Texas; and the best estimate
they had of the population Of that country was
that in 1919 Texas had $4,000 inhabitants
These inhabitants, by their representatives il
tho convention TO which he had alluded, formed
a declaration Of independence, in which the,
said:
"Tho citizens OF Texas have long INDUCED the hop
that, IN the adjustment OF tho boundaries of the Spa
nish possessions n Amsica, and Of tho territories {