Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-25


practice would convert our State INTO ne.e US
irict or department OF the United States, WIN us
reserved rights under The control OF Inc very ~
yernment 10 which it refused 10 SURRENDER .neA,
and all its domestic interests at the mercy VI nI
responsible 10 distant constituency LOT lneii Puo
lie conduct. 10
These principles were once SO alarming 10 .he
great body of our people, that the very name =,
The patty which protessed them became an ePi'ne
of reproach But since the defeat OF the younSel
Adams, which was thought final overthrow .ns
principles OF his party, aided by iortuilouS e' =.
cumslances have been made more acceptaoie -
lhe nation. All the elements Of opposition 10 the
administrations OF Gen. Jackson and WI. ran
Buren, we're forced TO act in concert WIN ,ho ~
who had supported Mr. Adams. Altnomsh lne
party thus formed was composed oil sncn a'scoIu'
ant elements that il could agree on no hoihoSen ::
Gus system Of policy, il found poWerlui any -
The extreme distress and consequent desire io'
change produced by the arrangement oil our n9ne-
lary affairs and succeeded in elertng zen. iia'
rson to the Chief Magistracy oil Inc ohlon' W.
had declared National Bank 10 be uncols.'.u,
lonal, and stood pledged to regard me com
OF The Tariff as sacred and inviolaple. nc "n.e
parry, Which united its forces and gained inc con
irol Of the government by protesting the ieaoihs
principles Of the Republican faith, as soon d
practicable, carried through Congress bank
bill more Objectionable than any when haa P'c :,
ceded it-disiributed the proceeds OF Inc saies "
the public lands from an exhausted trcasury-',,o'
lated The compromise Of the tariff, and ifanieu d
scale Of duties al war with those which bolh par
lies had soemnly pledged themselves before INC
country 10 support, as the permanent po''ey q '"e
Government.
A common name and the labors OF an arduous
contest had The usual effect OF uniting nose VINO
had co-operaied with each other. Pariy uisc!Pi'he
and The well-known necessity OF supporting a
n,r,icular candidate for the Presidency, completed
This consolidation as far as ]! was pIactcapie.-
Bur. happily, there were many over whom parry
names had no force and party discipline no con-
troll who saw the tendency Of The measures forced
upon The Wing party by those who represented
the Incorporated wealth of The country, and reso-
ulely opposed the party which had duped and de-
ceiyed them. The Wing forces, consolidated by
The process which we have cndeavored 10 explain,
were compelled to adopt the principles OF ma
iority sanctioned as they were by the concurrence
of the man who stood most prominent as thelr
leader
The effective majority of the party being at The
North, determined The course OF the Wings, mol
only on the Bank, Tariff, and Distribution ques-
tons hui, al a later period succeeded in arrayns
il against The most important question which mas
Government The non-Slaveholding States,
which were known to sanction The Wing policy
did not leave the reasons OF their opposition 10
the annexation of Texas in doubt or obscurty
Hostility 10 the slave institutions OF The South
and determination not 10 allow their further cx-
tension were boldly and unequivocally pro-
claimed TO The world as the basis Of their aciloni
and the Abolilionisis were distinctly invited, IN
NE noMc 81 he rhole Wig partu 10 lend their aid
in common cause. 1t was not pretended, 10 our
knowledge, that the ghts OF the North would be
endangered d, its interests compromised, or lis pros
pefy impeded. The Wings OF the non-Slave-
holding States thought themselves privileged TO
81, in judgment on The character OF the South,
and Of making il the duty oil The Federal Go
vernment 10 take, under its supervision, The DO
nestle Institutions of the high contracting parties
who created il, as a mere agent for other and lar
dilicren! purposes.
This issue was distinctly made, and j, was 70 be
hoped, that no Sonlherner would be induced by
party considerations, however strong, TO be want
ing in his duty, when our rights were thus en-
dapscrei, and our honor likely 10 be compromised.
This hope was moi fulfilled. The Wings of the
South, true 10 parry discipline co-operated with
The Wings OF The Norh upon this vital measure.
Ttev endeavoredto justify their conduct by such
shallow arguments, that we are compelled TO be-
lievc nothing, excep, party discipline, could have
placed them in position which they could but so
impolenily defend Although Texas had main
laincd her independence for number of years,
and had been received into the family OF nations
BY HE leading powers of Observation-Disclosures
she was coniessedly Independent in fact, and made
righlfulIy independent BY The lorcible destruction
by Mexico, OF the only instrument which united
her with that Republic-athough she had been vic
lorous in resisting a conquest, and not in ettectinS
revolution il was contended that The U. States
could no, treat with her for territory without com
hitting an act of spoiation on friendly power
"a power which had attempted forcibly 10 sub
due the country that we wished peaceably 10 IN
mex to our contederacy An ordinary treaty OF
peace and amily, was, contrary 10 The law OF ma
lions, made an insurmounlable barrier to such
proceeding, while ideas OF national honor, before
unknown, were heard on every side IRON lips
which uttered no word Of reproach 10 Great Brl'
tain though il was generally conceded that her
Nalcsiv's Government was ready 10 perpetrate the
alleged wrong on Mexico, by guaranteeing The
independence OF Texas against the world
When opposition 10 a great measure IS 50 bad
IL defended we must believe that some cause not
apparent On the surface, is at work And when
we see 50 many members OF that opposition railing
against The measure because oil the influence II
was calculated 10 have over the result oil poll
tical contest, all doubt vanishes. We are then
convinced that party policy and party discipline
have usurped the position which belongs TO rea-
son and judgment The motives which regulated
The course of the Northern Wings, on the question
Of annexation, are notorious. The necessity OF
uniting the party on great question, II u wHnlu
triumph, is equally plain; and The line OF policy
adopted hy The Wings, in consequence, as we be-
lieye, OF that necessity, should be remembered by
The people long after all agitation on this subject
has finally ceased.
Before dismissng the question OF annexation,
we must call the attention of The people oil Vir-
ginia 10 The action OF the Wing members OF The
las, LEGISLATURE. II becomes our duty 10 do this,
since The resolution of the Legislative Conven-
lion. impuling 10 them covert design 10 defeat
the Joint resolution brought forward by the hon.
Milton Brown, has been made The preteXt OF e1-
planning their course on that and other occasions.
The task Of proving that the WhiS members OF
the Legislature desired 10 defeat Democratic
measure, is indeed novel, and may serve 10 throw
light on the character of the Wing party of our
State.
1t is well known, that the members OF the last
Legislature were elected without reference to this
question. The elections took place before the
Democratic party had selected IFS candidates for
the Presidency and Vice Presidency of The U.
States. and resulted in returning decided Wing
majority 10 the House OF Delegates; Inc Demo
cratic party maintaining its asccndancy IN the
Senate The Legislature, thus elected, convened
after The defea, Of The Wing party IN November,
and when The Texas question, in despite of The
most strenuous exeriions, was carrying every
thing before it. During the whole canvass ii was
viewed as purely party question, and had III
umphed in Virginia b. the election Of Mr. Polk
We will moi stop to discuss what course the Wing
majority in the LEGISLATURE should have pursued.
tits plain that they should have either considered
The popular vote given in the Stale as insiruc-
lions, and endcavored 10 obey Them or opposing
the annexation Of Texas should have used their
hest efforts 10 defeat The measure. They contend
remains 10 be seen whether they endcavored in
good faith 70 effect it, or endeavored to place OBJ.
slacies in The way Of proceedings which they did
not wish 10 take The responsibility Of defeating,
The first move in this question was made by
the Senate That body passed resolution de-