Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-02-14
SPEECH OF
hr. Hayacood, Of North Carolina, ON the annex
dt'oH Of Texas, deliuered in the Senate of the
United States, January I4th, l845.

united States, January l4th, l845.
MIR. Haywood, after some illusions to its
great Importance, and the deep anxiety with
which he had endeavored to arrive at correct
conclusion upon the Subject of Incorporating
lexas into the Union, from the moment when
1t had been first made his duty as senator to
act upon the question, and deprecating as he
had done all the while it's ilegitimate connex-
ion with party strife, proceeded to ask the in
diligence of the Senate, whilst he trespassed
more IMAM he was accustomed to do npon their
patience to explain and define bill which he
now asked leave to introduce.
| He said this subject of Incorporating Texas
into the Union, at its first appearance in the
Senate, necessarily presented two questions to a
faithful and scrupuIous senator. first, whether
the constitution allowed the government, by
the action OF any one of its departments, or all
OF them together, the righgul power to acquire
additional territory. For if not, there was
an end to it. And next, though the po1c-
er might exist, whether it was polite and
oUise in the United States to exercise it, and to
enlarge her borders by the acquision Of Texas.
| Without going into repetition of all the rea-
sons for holding the affirmative side on these
constitutional and national questions, he re-
marked that tor one he had sought after the
truth, determined in his own mind to pursue
It, regardless OF the interests of men or parties.
He had looked to the wisdom of the past in
order to decide his vote at the present, when
legislatlng, as We were in peculiar sense, for
the ueol or aU0e of the future.
Upon the first polnt-the pO,0er of the mi
ted government to enlarge her borders by the
acquision of new telritories-he found that the
treaty of Louisiana, made by Mr.. Jefferson in
1903. had been ratified by more than two-thirGs
of the wise men and patriots Of the Senate
of that day. 1t had been ratified not in silent
acquiescence, nor by any constrained submits
sion to real or supposed necessity, but deli
berately, and after full debate, by the great
minds of the nation. 1t was not a decision
made without Intellectual conflicts, but sol
emn, well-considered determination of the
question, after every thing which could be
said against the power had been said and an
swered and deliberated upon.
i He found that the Florida treaty was made
by Mr.. Monroe in 1919, whereby another large
territory was acquired; and at that day the O
pinon of the country had become so we'll set
tied in favor of the poaoer of acquiring territory
under our constitution, that the treaty of Flo
rida was ratified by the UNANIMOUS vote of thu
Senate!
In the House of Representatives there wa
some opposition to the bill for carrying tn
treaty into effect, and some effort had bee
made to protest against it, not, however, upo
the ground of hostility to receiving the terri
tory which was acquired by it, and not for tn
want of power to acquire it, but on account o
the cession by the United States to Spain O
the American claim to Texas under the treat
of l9O3-Texas being part of Louisiana a
| ,,nrobocod in 1912
He found that, from time to time, ne,
States had been organized in the Territory G
Louisiana, and had been admitted into tn
Union; and Florida herself was now at tn
door waiting, and even demanding our conser
to admit her to take her place with Io,vn j
the Union. These decisions were concluslv
upon the question OF our power to acquire ne'
territories.
e Upon the other point-the policy of re-ac
curing Texas-a like recurrence to the pas
4 had been sufficient to remove all his doubts
r He found, from 1903 to 16l9-from the tim
S of the Louisiana treaty by which Texas wa
l. acquired as part of Louisiana to the date {
It the Florida treaty by which it was coded
!, Spain, period Of l6 years-that the govern
ment of the United States, our officers, states
men, politicians, and public presses, had pu
= ND a claim to Texas as a part of Louisiana
and, as already stated, some of the most EN-
nent statesmen, in the House of Represent
- tives and out Of it, had denounced and oppt
sed that part of the treaty of Florida by whic
our claim to Texas had been coded away
They had reprobated its impolicy, and denle
the right of the government to part with an
e portion of the national territory. They ha
e Welded to it, however, on account OF the hlgl
e er policy and the political expediency of ab
= ding by the treaty as whole. Yet some {
3 them, who were still conspicuous leaders
l. politics, and shining lights in the galaxy of
merican statesmen, even al that day had avoV
IF ed their determination to reacqulre 1t, as II
+. cessaIy to the welfare Of the nation, and ii
dispensable to an important section OF Il
g Union.
a He found that Mr.. Adams's administrator
. being the next Immediately after Mr.. Mo
2 roes's, had endeavored to reacquire Texas, al
I6 failed.
"A He found that General Jackson's admin
x ,ration, the next after Mr.. Adams's, bad pu
"a sued the same policy, and had renewed the
y efforts to reacquire Texas, but without su
IS cess.
. He found that Mr.. Van Buren's admin
- tration, the next after General Jackson's
ps President Van Buren, having been in fact t
H. secretary who conducted the negotiation for
,e under his predecessor-never abandoned t
,e policy of remuneration, but only suspended a
n. active immediate exertions to accomplish
o. for reasons of state too familiar to require
IN repetition.
r. He found that Mr.. Tyler's administratie
III the next after Mr.. Van Buren's, had adopt
o. the policy of his predecessors, and had pus
of ed i! with great zeal, so as 20 make tres
nv with Texas, and had submitted it TO the 81
,;r ate for their advice.
us He found that Texas, few years after
nd ing coded to Spain in 1919, became SOW
,s. eign member of the Mexican confederacy; a
tn that, after successful revolution, this Me
* can confederacy was acknowledged by the
or nited States TO be sovereign and independ