Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1845-01-31
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 81, 1s4s.

FRIDAY. JANUARY 81. 1915.
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EXTENDING THE AREA OF Freedom. -
Under this head there appeared, 10 the Hawk
Eve Of last week, an article which demands
passing notice a. our hands. Those acquaint-
ed with the character Of that print need not
Be informed Of its habitual disposition to per-
vert established facts, and misrepresent the
clearly expressed principles Of the Democratic
party. 1t has no relish for facss-they are un-
p,easan. to the eye, and disagreeable to the
taste, Of the assistant editor Of that paper. As.
piring to the distinction Of poet he throws
into his prosy articles such profuseness of yer.
biage, and completely Of imagery. that the
readers Of them ara generally but little enligh.
tened as to the opinions of their author. We
think, however, that, after careful examina-
sion of the article alluded to, we find its wri-
.er assuming the two following positions
First, that Mr.. Polk is ngsipqzt'Xz gP p5eSiaeqf
the United States have not decided in favor Of
A0AdS-ouos
consent of Mexico is q necessary preliminary
10 that annexation. Though much has been
said upon these topics. we propose briefly to
examine these positions, and show tina: the
last is as untenable as the first is false and IN.
founded.
Immediately upon the close of the last Pres
Dental campaign, and when first its glorious
results were made known 10 the country, it
was proclaimed by the National lntelligencer
upon the authority, we presume. of the cell
ebrated Roorback--that Gov. Polk would be
a minority President--that he had not been
elected by majority of the people. What
matter though this assertion was shown to be
false as soon as the official returns could be
received from the several States ?-what mat
ter though those returs showed a majority Of
more than fre thousand in favor of the demo-
cratic candidate The person whom no one
knew had defeated the aspiring politician
enlightened freemen had taught political in
,riguers that honesty and uprightness in
statesman are the surest passports to popular
favor-and, for the purpose Of creating an i'm.
preston unfavorable to the success Of demo.
cratic principles, the defeated and despairing
cohorts of Whiggery must raise the cry of "a
minority President" in the very face Of recor-
del facts and incont,over,ible testimony. 1t
is true, that the popular vote, as nearly as it
can be ascsrtained, shows majority of nearly
five thousand in favor of the President elect,
and It Is ,sndenicbly true thai. on the 4sh of
March next, he will take his oalh of Office in
conformity with the clearly expressed wishes
Of a large majority Of the freemen Of the
Union.
Such being the facts of the case it is worse
than idle to deny that the people Of the United
States have decided in favor of annexation.-
We are not aware Of any member Of the dem
ocra!ic party who pretends that the United
States have NOW any legitimate claim 10 the
present province of Texas, and, although it
cannot be denied that the country lying be-
tween the Sabine and Rio del Norte, was in
cluded in the Louisiana purchase, as the terms
Of that purchase were understood, even bv Mr..
bariered away the country west Of the Sabine
although the people Of Texas, or a large
majority of them, wero citizens Of our glo-
rious confederacy, we do not conceive that
these facts should exert any material influence
In favor Of annexation. We advocate this
measure upon higher and more tenabe grounds
than these and, while we should hail the con-
sent of Mexico as evidence of a disposition on
the part Of that Government to pause in its ca.
reer of rapine and aggression, and pursue a
course more distinguished for honor. justice,
and clemency, we arc bold to confess tina. we
favor annexation even should Mexico with.
hold her consent. We consider Texas Justly
and perfectly independent of the Mexican Gov
eminent. 1t cannot have escaped the recollec.
iion Of our readers that the emigrants to Texas
settled in that country under express guaran-
tees, from, the Government of Mexico, that
they should b. protected in the enjoyment of
civil and religious liberty under institutions
similar 10 our own. A State Government. with
powers akin to those of oun own contederacy
was solemnly promised them, aid they were
to be represented by delegates in the Mexican
Congress. In the management of their local
affairs they were to act as freely and as indie.
pendently as any State Of our own Union, and
.he powers of the General Government of
Mexico were as circumscribed as are those of
the Government Of the United States. This
was the established order Of things under the
Mexican constitution of 1924, and so long as
1t was suffered 10 exist the State of Texas fall
tered not in her allegiance to the General Gov
eminent, but was thriving, prosperous, and