Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-08

mia. of the South, and of the whole Union; He
the Wings abandon her, we VIII not: O. !:
perfectly certain, that the People OF 'n2in' :,
will call TO a fearful responsibility, those, WHY, y
an evil hour, have deserted Texas ana pe'a!s'
Virginia.
HENRY CLAY5 BOLD STAND FOR IEAhS'
.Tbey constitute in my opinion, sacred nhertaac
= H. Ciay's Speech m io.V
Yes. Louisiana unimpaired- OF Texas
was once The motto OF "Harry OF the west IL J
now The motto of every impartial American pa
lrioL
But is il moi most curious? No Orator wa
eyer more decided even enthusiastic, for the pos
session of Texas-and now when she wants
come back 10 our arms, and resume her piac
in the American Union, the friends of Mr.. Clay
The Wings 1--WE mean has Whigs,) are the frs, L
resist every attempt 10 recover and re-annex hef
Yes they are first to defeat the measure whel
ii is provided by ueaty-declaring that lea
Their is The only thing Tor forlihcatlon"-tha
The annexation can only be accomplished bl
Congress, and that they can only admit ne
as State into the Union. And now, atterl they On,
Wings principally had defeated the treaty, am
the annexation is 10 be accomplished by Congress
in Joint resolution OF the most proper and libe
raj character most Of them oppose the resolu
lion, and throw us back upon the treaty powe
again and lose Texas altogether.
Thanks 10 Greeley's "Liie and Speeches Q
Henry Clay" which again lie SO conveniently a
our elbow, we will bring the Wing idol inlc
Court, and he shall testify TO The extent and value
of Texas. He shall bear witness for u.s. when he
was in his best and pamiest days-before rest
less ambition had fixed its loo eager grasp upon
his leelngs-before he was driven by the advance
OF his years 10 desperate means 10 snatch me GIT
tering prize-beiorc he had employed all MS de-
vices 10 accomplish the objecl-and before ne was
willing 10 sacrifice Texas 10 his absorbing am
bition. Yes lei Mr.. Clay bear witness TO what
are the true boundaries oil Texas what is her
| true value-and what are the error and the mis-
! conduct Of those blind statesmen who would now
| deprive MS OF this sacred inheritance of pos
lerity. which we ought 10 preserve unimpaired.'
The following are some eloquent and stirring
extracts from the celebrated speech, which Mr.
| Clay delivered in the House OF Representatives,
on April 81, 1890, on the Spanish Cor Florida }
Treaty They were delivered in support of he
Two following resolutions, which he submitted 10
the House:
'Re@lrcd, That the Constitution ofthe United
| States vests in Congress The power 10 dispose
Of the territory belonging TO them, and that no
treaty, purporting 10 ALLEVIATE any portion thereof,
is valid without the concurrence OF Congress
"Re@lrcd That The equivalent proposed TO be
given BY Spain 10 the United States in the treaty
| concluded between them, on the 22d of February,
1870 for that par OF Louisiana lying west OF the
| Sabine. was inadequate; and that il would be in
| cxredient 10 make ransferlhereofto any foreign
power, or 10 renew the aforesaid treaty."
Extracts from Mr.. C2ay's Speech.
"The second resolution compiehends three pro-
positions; the first of which is, that the eqniva-
lent granted BY Spain 10 The United States tor the
province Of Texas is inadequate To determi-
nate this il is necessary 10 estimate the value OF
what VIC gave and OF what We received. This
! involves an inquiry into our claim 10 Texas
| II is not my purpose to enter al large into this
! subject Ipresume the spectacle will not be pre-
| scented Of questioning, in this branch OF The Go
yernment our title 10 Texas which has been con-
slanly maintained, BY the executive Tor more
than fifteen years past, under three several adj
minisirations am at the same time ready and
prepared TO make out our title, if any one in the
| House is fearless enough TO conlrovertit. will
for The present, briefly state, that The man who is
most familiar with the transactions of this Go
vernmenl who largely participated in the lorna
lion of our constitution and all that has been
done under it, who besides The eminent services
that he has rendered his country, principally con-
| tribuled 10 the acquisition of Louisiana, who
mus, be supposed, from his various opportunities,
best TO know its limits declared fifteen years ago,
that our title 10 The Rio del Norte was as well
founded as it was 10 the Island Of New Orleans.
"Hcre Mr. c. read an extract from memoir
presented in 1905, BY Mr.. Monroe and Mr.. Pinck-
ney, to Mr. Caveos, proving that the boundary
Of Louisiana extended eastward 10 the Perdido,
and westward 10 the Rio del Norie, in which they
sav-sThe facts and principles which justify this
y c;f,v,a catis N bpI
ment as TO convince it, that the United States have
not better right 10 the Island of New Orleans
under the cession referred 10, than they have 10
the whole district Of territory thus described
"The title 10 the Perdido on the one side, and
the Rio del Norte on the other. rest on the same
prnciple-he priority OF discovery and of occu-
patton BY France Spain had first discovered
and made an establishment at Pensacola; France
at Dauphine island, in The bay Of Mobile. The
intermediate space was unoccupied; and the prn-
ciplc observed among European nations having
contiguous settlements, being that the unoccupied
space between Them should be equally divided,
was applied to it, and the Perdido thus became the
common boundary. So, West Of the Mississp-
pi, La Sale, acting under France, in 1862 or 3,
first discovered thai river. In 1858, he made es
Enlistment on The bay Of ST. Bernard, West The
Colorado, empying into it, The nearest Spanish
settlement was Panuco, and the Rio del Norte
| about the midway line, became the common boun-
| dairy.
"All The accounts concur in representing Texas
TO be extremely valuable. Its superficial extent is
three or tour times greater than that OF Florida
The climate is delicious the soil fertile the mar
gin Of the rivers Astounding in live oak: and the
country admitting OF easy settlement. II possess
eS, moreover. if | am moi misiniormed, one OF tie
finest ports in the Gulf OF Mexico The produc-
tons OF which il is capable, are suited 10 our
wants. The unfortunate captive OF 81 Helena
wished for ships, commerce and colonies. We
have them all; il we do not wantony throw them
away. The colonies OF other countries are sepa-
rated from them by vast seas, requiring great OK
| pense 10 protect them, and are held subject 10
constant lisk OF their being torn from their grasp:
Our colonies, on The contrary are united 10 and
form part OF our continent; and the same Mis-
sissippi, from whose rich deposiie the best of them
| (Louisiana) has been formed, will transport on
her bosom the brave, the patriotic men from her
tributary streams, 10 defend and preserve The next
most valuable, the province of Texas"
"The first proposition contained in the second
resolution is thus, think, fully sustained. The
next is, that il is nexpedicn 10 cede Texas TO any
foreign power. They constitute, in my opinion,
sacred inheritance of poserily, which we ought
I 10 preserve nnimpaircd. wish it was, if il is
mol, fundamental and inriolable law Of the land
that they should be naenable to any foreign
power. II is quite evident that it is in the order
Of Providence; that it is all inevitable result of
The principle OF population, that the whole OF This
continent including Texas, is TO be peopled in
process OF time The question is, By whose race
shall i be peopledl In our hands, it will be
peopled by ireemen and the sons OF freemen,
carrying with them our language, our laws
and our liberties; establishing on the prairics
OF Texas temples dedicated 10 the simple and
devout modes OF worship OF God incident 10
our religion, and temples dedicated to that
freedom which We adore next 10 Him. In
the hands Of others, it may become the habila-
ton of despotism and of slaves, subject TO the
vile dominion of the lnquisition and OF supersti-
ton know thatthere are honest and enlightened
men who fear that our confederacy is already 100
large, and that there is danger of disruption, ar-
sing out OF want of reciprocal adherence between
&c Ss,cral hnnc nd hclieuc III AZ The ari