New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-01-15
LETTER OF HON. JOHN P. HALE OF n H.
To MS cnxs.IrrENTs.
o.. the proposed Annexation OF Texas

Selected By your Paftiallty ano iavo: 10 inc
Office which | now hold, VIZ lhat OF Repre-
sentative OF the people OF the STATE ii 'ae Nd
;ional Legislature, and by The action oil your
Convention candidate Tor the SURFACES oil lhe
people again to place NE IN the same pasltlon'
have thought that the peculiar situation OF our
public affairs, and the views which entertain
on certain questions oil lnomen'ous intase:t con-
nected Herewith, render it highly appropriate Tor
me at this tine 10 address TO you lew sugees-
,;ons relative to that course OF action winch an
;mnerous sebss of duiy impes me to pursue.
acknowledge. in lis broedest latitude and most
,,rl;rnited publication, the doctrine that " Rep
ressniatiyc is bound b. he Will OF his consutu-
onts ), no, that he is bguad TO render cold for
NAL and hearess compliance with the'r plainly
declared intentions but that lie is ct al times
cheerrolly. zealousIv, and, as far es may be, ct
iec,uay to carry out !heir dtsigus and purposes.
believe in The right aud duty of the people to
hod Their Representatives 20 L street account lof
the manner in which they execute the trust CON-
United u them and in tho corresponding obllga-
ton OF the Rep sentative 10 be at ali tunes
ready TO render stIct and honest account o.
his stewardship.
The irnmedi.;e occasion OF NY addressing you
1T this tine is 70 be found in the fact. that the
President of the United States, at the commence
ment Of the present session OF Congress officially
announced t. the two Houses that "a control
!isg majority OF the people, aud large mSJorlty
Of the States, have declared IN favor ct lmH;ed!-
ate Annexation. Instructions have thus come
I'D to both branches of Congress from Their re-
speetiye constituents, II tsIms The most emphet-
ic. 1t is the Will OF both the people and the States
that Texas shall be ,hueIed 20 the Un,op,
promptly and immediately" and also in several
resolutions passed by the Legislature oi our State
at its late s ssian Oh ihis a'lbect-ihc iiFst OF
which aeges that the resui; OF the ffesdehtlai
Election demonstrates that the people u tbs
State and oil Ihc United States are IN favor OF the
immediate .eanrcx .tio.l of 'texis to the Union >
ana the eighth OF which Is, that We believe,
wi, Mr.. Clay, That the remuneration OF ie1as
will add more iTce Than slave States 10 the
Union and that it would DC urv'ise 10 refuse a
permanent acquisition, which will exist as long
as the globe remains, OF account OF Temporary
issiiiGtion.''
by fellow. citizens, 10y observation in that
sphere of pubic duty 10 winch your voice has as
stoned me has ed me To /: fferent cuncuslCn-
some of TIE reasons for which | shall proceed
cancdy and plainly to lay before you. Highly
5 cs!eem your favor, | should dlsda!n 10 pur
chase il by the arts uf DISSEMINATION or decep
ton Proud al well Eiay bc OF the honor ol be-
ing voul Representative. canuot consent 10 pnr-
chase even that at he expense .; sacnhcing the
honest convictions OF my UNDERSTANDING. As thc
period is rapidly approaching 10 which you VIII
b, cal ed upou by your ballots again to seiect
your agents 90 carry Out your vii II lie faiion-
al Congress, desire to refer this matter 10 sou,
:. coin,niiten oil the whole pcople OF The STATE
that You may decide the whole question, and az
ncunce that decision at the polls. ! might lave
taken different course; might have asked the
advice and counsel oi those who, by their place
an. station, may be considered as the authorized
and legitimate opponents Of the popular vii; hut
| prefer 10 90 oircc,ly 10 the people. They con-
stiluIc Ire only ;rue fountain OF power; they are
5est qualified 10 tecafe truly Their own opinions
IN regard - the declaration vi tie Ple=ldont"!
the United States. as 10 whaI is the expression C
the yopolsr viii, i shall pass that wtth this re-
mark ;aat, while acknowledge myself bound
by ,lre Instructions OF my Constituents, deny al
toge her the right Of the President Of the United
States to intsrposc himself between no and them.
TO announce autho.itatlvely what they require Of
ne.
Think may assume, without arrogance, my
fellow citizens, that know quite as much Of the
public sentiment among you as that high tune
tonary can tell me- Popular sentiment Will Afford
hat an uncertain and dangerous election ioF the
guidance Of Il representative OF TIC people, Il 1t IL
10 be subjected 10 all the afiinitss 10 &c found IN
the Executive aembic before 1t Is to be taken as
a rule OF action. take Issue with the President
of the United States On this subject. deny The
premises which he assumes | deny the auihorl-
ty to act as the ezpounder of public Opinion,
which he usurps.
| Before make the suggestions which | propose,
| on the resolutions adopted by our Legislature at
is lac session, wish to add word touching the
constitutional power of this government 10 iaCo7-
porate a foreign State or Nation into the UniOa.
| But. on Il matter OF such grave and serious I'M
port, | shall not trust myself before you with any
| crude remarks OF my o"n. will neither affirm
nor deny Eught thcfeoG but Will SIMPLY submit
~ you the oplI;lons OF two men Justly standing as
| h.h in your estimation, and dcp3t not III the
esomation Of the whole country, as any two llv-
ing statesmen. mean Martin Van BuIen and
Levi Woodbury--Inen whom to ia o
praise, and VINO have been honored By holding
the hghes: offices, the in tie nation, and the
other ia our own State. On tho 18th OF March,
| 1926, Fir Van Bursn moved TO amend certain
resolutions teen pending before The Senate Of the
United States relative 10 the then proposed Pa
mama Congress, by adding certain other resolu-
licns, from which the following is extracted, VIZ
Resolved Tha, the power forming entering On my
manner whaievef) political gssociauo1s
edeace belongs the people Of the United States IN telr
sovereign character being of the powers which, not nav
lug been eeSgtedto the Government reserved 70 the states
| o. people
Those who voted in favor Of this proposition
of Mr.. Van Burea were Messrs. Benton, Berrien,
Bianch, Chandler, Cobb, Dickerson, Eaton, Find
ley, Hayne, Holmes, Kane, King, Macon, Ran
doiph, Rowan, Van Buren,, ~bi.e, William and
Woodbury.. In the debate in the Senate on the
Panama mission, Mr.. Woodbury. said " But the
United States as government, have not yet
pledged themselves 70 any such entangling and
desPotc priEciple, in respect 70 any other netion
whatever. They have uot Jet agreed 10 bear the
brunt ii Tho contest II any foreign war; nor sup
port, AT such hazards. the Independence or form
of government OF aRg Nation or State, except our
own nation and those OF the States composing
oar conisdtracy. Any such agruement would
violate The constitution, and plunge US into u vor-
tex Of new coalitions and confedesac es, abhor-
rent 10 every feeling and maxim OF our vencrated
fathers"
leave this constitutonaIqu QUESTION where those