Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-24
For tic Enfniftr
RANDOLPH EplsTLEs-NEW sERIEs-No. ].

Fer tic Enquirer.
RANDOLPH EPlsTLEs-NEW sERIEs-No. !.
Busbcars IF he Ftdcr0iis to O6sfrHct tte Anncrd-
ton of Itras-la, Mr.. JcGer@n's opinions
against The acquisition Of foreign tcrrifOry-2
The consent Of Msrico" needed-Dcnisd-Itr-
rs ncrer partof .Mcrico, nor ccdcd 10 her, nm
conquered By Acr--Tecas formed ont Of Spain'S
possessions and our psoplc-!Merieo ncrer iousht
for or rOn 1sfan Independence, mt her 0rm-
A paccdc fov he easptsts, &C., 81.
WASHINGTON Cry, Jan. Is, 1915.
Dear Sirs: "UNE MORE BLOW FOR Texas ~
THE ENQUIRER" say its friends, and with your
good leave, and with all my heart, one more
blow say !; bnt God bless the Wings a hear OF
their rubbish 50 cumberelh my way, that fear
i, will take DAYS Of initiative toll, before | can
lay The main subject bear 10 the axes edge
Without farther ceremony. then, shall al once
grapplc with Two Of The most notable bugbears
OF the Federasls, with which they essay 10
enlist mems svmpaihies or arouse their alarm
al every angle of The debate now in progress in
the House OF Representatives. BE their removal,
therefore, nv task for to-Jay-Thry are, The one,
MIR. Jetitrson's opinions upon the constitutional
power 10 acquire foreign lerrory-lhe other,
whether The consent of Mexico" be needed as
condition of annexation.
!. The FcdcialisiS in the present debate seem
10 deem il quite poser, and altogether the thing,
in this debate 10 confront the Democracy with
the priraie doubts OF Mr. Jefferson upon the
constitutional power of acquiring Louisiana. II
i, altogether refreshing, own, 10 find in these
our DAYS the very "kilh and kin" Of those who
revilcd Mr. Jefferson through lite for his imputed
errors of Judgment upon notable points of con-
stiiulional law, now opposing the weight of his
single name against the mightiest mass OF an-
ihorly, that ever was arrayed in support OF any
one conlroycrtrd point in the Constitution
Whatever may be Inc motive Of this distinguish
ed compliment. of this pea aioritm praise, ] ac-
knowledge al once, that there is none among
the living or lie dead. whose single authority
when lie was possessed OF all the opportunities 10
guide him 10 right Judgment, is entitled 10 more
weight Than Tia, Of MIR. jefferson.
In the present case, however, there are several
things 10 be said Isl. We have Mr. Jeilrrson'>
act oi acquisition, standing out in opposition Ia
his jrirl'c donJ!s about hi, authority 10 make il
I'd. We have his cr0mp't ct acquiring territory
10 Justify It's acquisition subsequently, in SINH
lar emergency. 81. MIR. Jefferson was never 50
persuaded Of his wan, OF authority, rs 10 give ms
doubts The form Of oescial notice, and recommend
Ing to ConeIcs, to take initiative measures for
amending The Constitution and comforting The
power. 4h MIR Ieilerson's absence n Minister
10 France, from 1855 until 1889 when he vas re-
called by PrcIdent Washington 10 preside over
the Department Of Stale, deprived him of all that
pcySonai, pa1tjcal knowledge OF circumstances
precedent, attendant upon, aud subsequent TO- The
adoption of important clauses Of The Constitution
SO useful as help 10 just Judgment, and which
the general knowledge, which usually survives
Interesting events, but rarely and then very imprr-
III ~
proofs, thai Mr. Jcilersons scruples about the con-
slituiional power, out.lived the year lS03-his
last letter mentioning the subject being that 10
w C. Nicholas, dated I7th September, 1909
and il surely is not 100 strained an inference 10
conclude, that those discussions which wrought
80 thorough conviction upon the national mind
in affirmation of the power OF acquisition, was
no; without its effect upon the mind Of the great
author who originated that measure. And 9th
ami lastly: Mr.. Jefferson had rot seen that gra-
phic and secret history of The clause in relation 10
The admission OF New Siates'-so luminously
Sc, iorih in The pages ofthe Madison Papers and
plenary of The proofs of the purpose To confer the
power in question, that one would think that even
sccplicism itself might be p:oSelytized b. that
alone That Mr.. Jefferson knew of the cristcnfc
of Mr.. Madisons 'Notes Of the Debates Of the
Convention, | am aware, tor he mentions them
in one of his letters 10 Mr.. John Adams; but
then, We know that Mr.. Madison was SO scrupu-
lousy nice Of observance Of his original purpose
of never revealing those Debates 10 any one, (ta-
ken in Convention, 1rh,le all HsmcmLsrS rs7t m.
der ixjunc,loas n mcfccy) during his lifetime thai
We can hardly believe that Mr. Jefferson ever saw
The MS. for, even in his great speech against The
conslituonaily of Bahk Of the United States
during the administration Of General Washing
ton, he refrained altogether from reference Il
his own racy sketch of The debates upon The sub
lect, and purported 10 give mere traces OF a recol
lection he had that application had been made
for such power, and had been rejected by The
Convention. So much Tor Mr.. Jeiicrson's Opt
Mons. The full answer 10 his carly objections
belongs 10 another stage Of the discussion, under
nv arrangement OF the topics.
Lei us now then proceed 10 The other bugbear Of
the FederaiSts.
End. Croakcrs there are yet remaining in the
House. who with their Crocodile lamentations
and in hislrionic seeming bewail this projected
junction OF these nations, without our first pro-
curing the consent or MEXICO" But since the
food OF light, which investigation in the course
Of the last - months has cast upon the nature OF
the connection and relations between Mexico
and Texas. these objections are now urged bni
by lew. "Consent of Mexico" indeed. Why,
since the facts have been fully elected, we all
see, that Mexico has no more 10 do with II, and
has no more right 10 be consulted. than has The
Kingdom OF Brazil, the Republic Of Venezuela
or any other OF the revoIulioniZed Spanish Anne
rican Colonies. That the negotiations with
Mexico for the acquisition Of Texas, originating
with Mr.. Adams administration, and followed
up through that and the succeeding admini>lra-
ton of Gen. Jackson, took their rise in true pa
lriu,ism, and without purpose or an expectation
OF giving umbrage to any other nation, cannot be
doubted; but do implicitly believe: that The FACT
that both administrations should have opened ne
goliaions with power irho had ncrer acquired
tic icaN htc 10 Tcr0s, will be regarded hereafter
as one OF the most remarkable events chronicled
in the archives OF diplomacy. In making this
statement, so sure am olmy facts, and OF their
potency 10 silence for aye, all this senseess jar
gon and Fictitious clamor about national honor
and the faith of treaties, that have been tempt
ell 10 marshal and epi,omize them now; and SO
without more ado, here they are:
/. In all time, Mexico and Texas were never
under the dominion of the same European Go
vernmenl, for more than lliry-eisht years. The
Government referred TO, was Oil Span-blt sht
acquired those provinces or colonies BY very diff
fercnt titles, 10 wit: Mexico by discovery anC
conquest-and Texas from France, by the Secre
Treaty OF Fontainbeau, on The Sd of November
l162. So distinctive were The limits of each
both before and after that treaty, that they pre-
served throughout the last century those descrip
tive designations which pointed 10 the sources o
their original tiiles-,he che being called par
OF New SPAIN, the other of New FRANCE. SpaiI
sundered her joint dominion of them, by cedin:
Texas as part of Louisiana, Tor Nem Ffance,) L
France, in lSOo-nor have they ever been untet
since, except By Federation which shall pre-
sently refer 10.
.. Some date the Revolution OF Mexico as ia
back as 1910. Little was done, however. in lh'
way of Accomplishment, earlier than lSlG-whe'
u, mus, ever be regretted, that at the time tn
eonslitulonalty of the Bank came up for adjudi
cation, neither The secret journals OF the Conven
lion Though ordered TO be printed) nor MIR. Ma
dison's notes were published. Those notes dis
close the most important fact, that poleers Of in
corporation had been tieiee asked OF the Conven
ton, and had been twice most deliberately an,
resolu,ely refused. Thus, is the whole force Q
that most portentous precedent destroyed. Willis
give my hearty applause 10 the consummat
ability with which the late Chief Justice treason