The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-17

IL,
the middle OF said r,,cr, &c.
Gaia. On IN describe the boundaries Of the Siais Of
,,,,,.a. and admitting Il into the Union. MOI ooo
word about the boundary Of ths o~asa s'.,
,hr most remote zltusico 10 IL Va "o 49, "a.
expressly states that II includes o"y : pa. -
coautry purchased OF France, contained ~"'p -
tain hmits aud OF course leaves INC fos'uus .,ch
paoxsd into Territories and States, When sna ,-Iv
a.nn,t as Congress should direct. SO II iof,uns'ey
ur.. out that arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, ana sev'.
Ia are sll in the Unon, and that lehss "ou'o "-
been bat foe the fatal treaty oi 1919. .,
Iuasmueh, then, az the Rio del Nore was inc 80.
eu boundary Of Louisiana, and isAs' wa. ~ ,h,,
In the cession of 1903 all the inhabitants o' W..
ooaalry were by the terms Of The treaty, ns'ufs
and adopted as citizens Of the United States sno Al
" no migrated there between 1908 and ioiS "ens w
der The sheld Of the constitution sod laws VI w.
United States and with the guaranty that tcy 'nou
be forever protected by thsm. That treaty MOI o"'J
osdod the territory 10 the United States ana
the inhabitants as citizens but contained the ioio~
ing clause the spuistions OF which are 10 INC na.u
Of articles OF compact between France, mo o"'
States and the inhabitants OF the ceded isrntoy anu
were necessarily irrcsocsbie, except by common GU"
sect, 10 wit
"The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall DC in
corpor sted into the union Of the United States seu
admitted as soon a. possible, according W INC
4.
ment OF all the rights advantage and immuniues o'
citizens The United States and IN The mean uas'
shall be protected in tho free enjoym oil their ND
erty, property, and the religion which thoy profess
To the fulhlment and observance Of each and all
OF these stpulatons the sacred faith and honor OIL
this nation were soemny and irrevocabIy picdBod'
Yet IN direct violation Of each one OF them, IeAss'
including all its territory aud inhabitants was, oy
the treaty of 1879 ceded to Spain the aith oil inc
=. ~
American republic severed, and part oil It's ter
ritory Joined 10 foreign kingdom American Gnu
zens were transformed into the subjects oil ioresn
despotism. tiye-born citizens ~erodePrived oil iheir
dearest and proudest Neutrality-suspicious. glorious IN
.tlutons which their fathers had purchased oy their
blood aud transmitted TO their children unimpairod !
and the adopted citizens stripped Of those rights
for the enjoy ment Of which they had received 10
pledge the honor Of the republic. What plea can we
urge behalf Of country, not IN )ustihcauon, Dut
In paation Of the enormlty OF these acts IL mas
been said that the possession OF FLORIDA was essen
ual TO our peace and security nation, and mat IL
thought best to exchange Texas for II, and give
few millions of dollars TO boot. Admit IT. But
this explanation does not fulfil the treay-does not
preserve our fatb-redeem our honor. Texas dio
not voluntarily assent 10 the separation nay she pro-
tested against II, promptly solcmnly, and IN spirit
that becomes men who, knowing their fights, were
determined 10 maintain them. ! hold IN my hand
the protest and declaration Of Independence by the
supreme council Of Texas In June, 1919, only lew
months after the signing Of the treaty. The whole
document will be found in the library, open TO the In
spocuon Of all who may desire to see H. VIII
therefore detan the House only while read short
extract
"The recent treaty between Spain and the United
States Of America has dssipated allusion too long
fondy cherished, and has reused the citizens OF Tex
as from the torpor into which fancied security had
lulled them. They have seen themselves, by a con-
venton to which they were no party, abandoned 10
the dominion of the crown Of Spain, and left prey
not only to mpositions already 0tolerabe, but TO all
those exactions which Spanish rapacity capable Of
devsing. The citizens Of Texas would have proved
themselves unworthy Of the age in which hey live
unworthy oil their ancestry Of the kindred republics
Of the American contneDt-coud they have hesitated
in this emergency as TO what course TO pursue-
Squirting the letters Of colonial MISUNDERSTANDING
TO submit to the most atrocous despotsm that ever
disgraced the annals of Europethey have resolved,
under the blessing Of God, to be FREE"
Yes, on that day, under the blessing Of God, they
resolved TO be FREE and most nobiy have
they maintained that righteous resolve first against
the despotsm Of Spain, and then the tyranny OF
Mexico, until, on the plains Of San Jacnto, victory
established their Independence and made them free.
Having achieved their independence by the same
means and secured il by the same title our faith
of the revolution they have assumed their place
among the nations of the earth, and call upon US
to redeem our pledge of honor, and receive them
into the Union according to the stpuls,ions Of the
treaty of 1903. How refuse this request
l repeat the question emphatcaliy, What right
have We 10 refuse Does not the treaty guaranty
their admissions Does not the constitution declare
that treaty 10 be the supreme law Of the land And
is not every member on this floor sworn to support
that constitution How, then, we avoid the OBJ
lgation' Our opponents tell us that having
sold Texas, and received what, at the time,
/ r. L..
and forfeited right TO that country. admit that
we have parted with right-lost il forever, aud
are estopped from ever reasserting il. i make the
admission to the fullest extent, and in the deepest
humiliation. But we have right TO set up our
own wrong as excuse for refusing To do justice
to Texas. breach of faith part docs not
absolve us from the moral legal obligation 10 ful.
fl our solemn treaty stipulations when required by
the other party. We have no right to clam Texas,
but Texas has right 10 claim--to demand admis.
sion into the Union in pursuance Of the treaty Of
1903 The opponents OF annexation can discourse
| eoquentiy and Ieengly upon the sanct,y OF treaty
supulaons and the sacred observance OF national
faith, when there is outstanding bond in tho hands
OF some banker for the payment of u small pi,ianec
Of money but when human rights, the rights OF
person and property-of religious frocdom--ihc
glorious privilege Of American citizenship, are all
involved in the guaranty, tho doctrine OF ropuJ'a
ton loses It's horrors and its niamy, and dwndles
into miserable insignhcanoc In their estimation -
When nation violates her faith, and ropudIs,cs
her contracts, she il tho downward road to 4,
radiation and ruin, rs inevitably as the individual
who first becomes gambler, and then turns high,
wayman.
Without dwelling upon tho numerous advantages
that would attend the annexation OF Texas, In stiu,.
ulatng the industry of the whole country IN open
ing new markets for the manufactures of the North
and East in bringing tho waters Of Rcd river, the
Arkansas and other streams flowing into the Mis-
sissppi, entirely within territorial limits, in the
augmentation Of political power; in securing safer
and more natural boundaries, and avoiding the dan.
ger of collisions with foreign powors--w,,hout
dwelling upon these and other considerations, APP
pealing to our interests and pride people and a
nation, il is sufficient argument with me that cur
honor and violated faith require the immediate re.
annexation of Texas to the Union.
To be continued