Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-01-25
SPEECH OF Mr.. J. P. KENNEDY,
OF MARYLAND,
On the Question Of the .Armeration of Texas.

The House being in committee of the Whole and having
under consideration the resolutions for annexng Texas to tn
United States, MI. KENNEDY spoke as follows;
Mn. Chairman am opposed to the amendments unde
consideration each of the propositions which have BEEF
presented substitutes for the original resolutions and to tn
original resolutions themselves in short opposed thu
annexation OF Texas in any mode by which it may be
pished The gentleman from Ohio (Mr DEAN, who spok
at the last sitting Of the committee has undesgnedy paid
high compliment TO the Wings when he said countr,
always knew where to find them every question. Ii il
true s they always be found where the foreathes
tins Republic found, the side of enlightened bert,
and Union especially may they be found associated
the broad platform established by Madison and his republican
feilowaborer maintaining to-day the principles which
they established under his guidance They do boas
the gore of progressive Democracy, whose peculiar
tersc TO be TO abandon, in rapid vcssude every
doctrine and measure Neither the gentleman from
Ohio his allies this debate have been
ming their own party position upon this question OF
ton indeed, upon any other which has been before the
nation.
The present session of Congress- it was prophesied after
the Presidential election determined would be one
Porentous interest in reference the question of
The press in many sections of the country has endeavoed
incucate the opinion that Congress would have other duty
now to perform than to register the edc of the people this
measure 1t has insinuaed that the day of argument
by and that the day of Judgment had
was therefore, need Of wasting time in debate have
said it might be settled in half an hour
Since we have here, sir, it be quite
clear that the predetermined by the election An
opinion has evidently gained ground that something expect
ed in the way Of satisfy the yet unsased public
mind Gentlemen have been warmly dsputng both sides
to what really the issues of S44 and very ed
flying conarety of testimony has been exhibited thai
point all will acknowledge who heard the recent debates
the railroad iron bill and the Subreasury We have
voice from Pennsylvania this subject Governor Porte
message, and another from New York in the message Of Gov
Wright The Pennsylvania chief magistrate has
ed US that the Of that State could have been obtained
for Mr. Polk but upon the conviction that he the friend
the tariff of 1912 Governor Wrghts message looked
The peculiar gentle
man, with reference both the tariff and Texas gives grea
significance to his opinions these points He tells that
the contest has been decided issues universally recog
missed that the public Epes and the kaoca and acotc
lodged principles of the leading candidates OF the respective
parties defined the grounds upon which the battle was
fought " that those candidates were supported upon the
principles and opinions tch, statesmen, they had aUo,o
ed and practised After such declaration, may believe
that the message would be perused with the deepest inter
est learn something Of his Interpretation of the Texas issue
He owed the people of New York and to the country to
be explicit that point. But what do find One short
paragraph, shrouded in more than Dephc mystery
I firmly believe satesmanlike in the
management of relations with other Powers based upon
nothing which is not clearly right and submit to nothing that
Is wrong will continue us in peace if lead to war;
will be such patriotic heart in the country will
We have had bold messages from the land of abstrac-
tons this is message from the headquarters of
asm The Governor has studied nthe school Of worthy ole
judge OF bygo days, own Staea gentleman mucl
of his law knowledge He had for many years.
ciae upon the BENCH without having express
an opinion 1t once happened however, that he held court
aione when trial came which enabled the counsel o
themselves at his expense They raised ntr
cate questions of law, and prayed his instruction the
After arguing their points both sides for long tme they
called the judge for his opinion 81 give very cheer
fully, said he sThis is of vast Importance; the
questions have been very distinctly sated they have been
argued with great ability The counsel have laid down the
law on both sides with precision My direction to
gentlemen of the jury, is that find verdict accord
ingly Something in this MANNER have we been edited
only by the Governor of the Empire State but also BY
many this floor upon that vexed question, what the
democratic issues of the contest Of 1874 From all that
gather this point, thing has been de-
cded that Mr. Polk has been elected President the United
States Nothing else ,sfar as see been settled The
Democracy has cha free the wind to continue its OLD
privilege Of aternatel adopting and disownins, as often
may suit purposes every doctrine Of Government and
Of policy which the occasions Of the moment
suggest
This question of very peremptory upon
at the present session. without much announcement
letter from this city, dated 29h Of December, appeared In
the Richmond ENQUIRER II written by the secret
of the gefs which disturbed the Democratic sanhedrm.
told the story of the concave held reconcile differences
gave the of those whom the healing OF dissenson
committed prophesed future harmony and then assured the
public that, after New Years. should hear thunder
Democratic thunder which would make every British advo
trembe from Sir Robert Peel down to Mr. Winthrop"
Sir am something Of amateur Of commissions both in the
physical and moral world and received this announcement
with something Of pleasant anticipation longed to hear
the Democratic thunder by which the Jupiter Tonans Of the
Committee Of Foreign Relations and his auxiares, to
throw this whole hemisphere into commoon. Wel sir we
have had it. In the first days well nigh spent
would have short but for the philanthropy of the gentleman
from Philadelphia, (Mr j. r. IysERsoLL who kindly step
ped forward at critical moment supply combusbes
for the cauldron The devoted gentleman from Massachu
sets, (M WINTHROP, who close at hand its first
victim How he covered under have how speedily
he egained his voice. have also witnessed and may
graduate him that his gallant bearing in these pers IS likely
10 him honors and fresh applause at home He has
earned renewed title to the respect and confidence Of his
constituents But, after ALL sirto speak honestly in this
mater-I must say have heard better hunder-and Of the
kind meodramac, in the playhouse where the
required tempest to be Meved sheet iron thunder sir
made by vibrating tin-pate five feet square, with little
powdered rosn sulphur, and satpete flashed off intervals
by OF lightning Judging from the rapid recovery Of my
friend from Boston, may take pleasure the reflection
that neither he Sir Robert Peel any who stand in the
gradaons between them, likely to be annhated Just yet
The steamer perhaps will give fresh assurance on
this point.
Mr. Chairman whatever nsignifcance may have been at
tached TO this question of remuneration in its ogn-how
the country may have neglected spuned it. whilst
supposed paternity that accidental function
ary who has made his boast that he into power with
out party, and Of whom will prophesy that he will depart
from power without frendhowever this measure sir may
have been condemned whilst under his i-omcned nursing
is far otherwise Whoever may have been the author
OF that old annexation Of 1924, Of which the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr DoCGLAs) has spoken in terms of commenda
ton unquesionaby the present acting Chief Magistrate
the foster father of least In his keeping il
nothing. But eonousy stolen from
hin that fatal Nth Of May in Baltimore has become
question Of great Of awful import people Of this
Union The hopes that animate the fears that alarm friend
and foe testify where that every mind filled with this
engrossing topic Many good and valued czenshousans
and hundreds of thousands Of thoughtful earnest and