Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-02-27
rs tn CON Il lI 4 ; y
SECOND SESSION.
SPEECH OF MIR. RlyFs, OF yIEe,siA.
IN SENATE.
SATURDAY., Feb. Is, 1915.
THE ANNEXATION OF 'rFxAS

Ia the Jnion lie eainuencsd by observing that IL was
vefs we'll kiriwn To ihe Seuaie, and unknown III.
ronnlfy. Is far any humble ornion If his cculd BE-
deeined of any imfouance,) that he WIS mol opposed
10 the acquisition of Texas whenever IL could be iarly
and honotably accomplished. ncrorjance with the
provisions ii The CONSTITUTION. and without rraseiy dis
turning the harmony ii existing relations between one
seclan II this country sod aoolher. and between this
Government and other Governments. So far from it
thai lac regarded that combining many im-
porlaut national advantages CON mending II To The
sidefaun II the Whole eouniry-oi the North and the
West more than the South.
10 much OF what had been eoaueniy said by The
honorable Senator from Pennsy lsans Mr. Bucn,sAn)
Yesterday. regard la the expectancy Of he anne xain
be cuncuned But far higher question Than iIst is
now beffe us. Every thing thai might be deemed by
expedeni is not, therefore. lawful and Iustiiiable
What would profit should gain Texas II there.
by lost regard for HAT sacred instrument Which
tie bond Of national union, The ple5ge and pal
/ adnm Of our liberty and haUp,nces! The mode 10
which Texas 10 be acquired, in lis aspect upon The
principles sf our political compact vas with him, vi.
la aud paramount consideration. we had hereto
fore made inporiont acqusIiions Of fre,en territory,
more ihan doubling the OF original limiis but
had made The acquisition by means VI The treaty ma
king power; and 10 this Of Texas too the treaty
power had been called into action achieve the measure
u annexation; but the treaty not having received the
constitutional sanction of taohrds Of this body was
last discovered that all this reference 10 The treaty
making power mere useless ceremony; a work Of
snpefengaton an idle, unmeaning mrmaly, and that
the ohcc could be better accomplished by joint resou-
lip 10 he passed by majary If The Two Houses
OF Congress. Under these cenns ances The question
tut the Iud emeni and conscience Of every Sena
Tor was, whether this summary made Of proceeding
warranted by the Constitution, and in conformity with
that good faith which the people Of the several States
had pledged 10 each other when they adopted the Con
stiiniion and promised 10 abide by it,
II was the proud distinction and The peculiar happiness
Of this county 10 possess uriicn Constitution in
sitnm'n' which not only limited the general mass Of
power delegated 10 the Government bat which deiised
the particular power Ia be exercised by each branch of
That Government. According 10 It's provisions each
4 department had us own appropriate sphere Of action
each Of them checked aud in turn checked by The
others and thus the whole together preserved the safe
guard OF The public liberty The legislative department
in other Governments arrogaed 10 itself supreme power
the jnrn SUNNI i,nperii. but. thank God such pisla
i've supremacy was unknown IN ours The sati,e
as well as the other departments Of Government in our
system. were in The impressive language Of Mr. Jeer
sun. "chalned down by the limitations Of Delegated au
thoriy" AN etcfire despotism" as he had 81 well
SAID. was not the Government fought foro In
our system The powers were 81 balanced between the
several bodies OF magslracy that neither could transcend
lis own limits without being Immediately checked nv
the others. This the fundamental CONGO non Of
American constitutional hbeuv, as underslood by the
enlightened founders of this Republic and il had been
lsiihinly carried out III the Constitution of the United
Slaies In that instrument all The legislative powers ri
the government were specifically euun Grated and yes
led ~ the Two Houses ot Congress- he Exec uyp nav
or defined aud entrusted la The ba,ds -, ,h ,.s;
dent; while the Judicial authority was run6ded Il, Tho
Supreme Court and 10 such other snbordnate cou,s No
should he established from time Ia lime Nv Conn,ess
This organization embraced all the ore, internal into,
ess Of the country
But there remained other interests to be nr,vdel FIR
which had ,es,ec, =, ,h ,r , o p''''"e" ' Nv, :
fnreen Powers so imp,r,n, w,s Tho ,n,,., ,,i,,
controlled these that Icke IN his celebrated T,o,
Use On Guvernneni had ranked il oL,ng with III. a
gisaiive and Executive as n IN ordinate i,Jonan1,on,
power under the name nf Tho E,Je,,I;,o n, w. Al,
these interests whether of pence or war If alliances
of succlrs Of commerce of territories or L,oJ.;es
were regulated by reaty II bec,n,e ,bo,,g,. i, lav
ing the undal of the Cover, mont matte, r
importance 10 determine here his area, noyo, shJ G
lodged In all the modern coy,rnme,ts If En,na i,
was an appendaqe 10 the F,ccu,iy, b., !, ' .,,"
different. Under the articles The Contradiction his
power was reposed in Congress-, I'M, Tho consent -, nna
States requisite to give effect to any treaty ar nj
lance. When the Convcn,i,n mo, T., f,.,na ia, 49,
Constitution il was an embarrassing as well az n, i'm
poriant inquiry where his no,yor st,iJ Ia -,
The frs, idea suoces,ed w,s y, n,,,. ~ ,hn S",,
cusively; then il WINS su,y,stsd ,b,, ,ho D.,
should be associated with tho senate. and h.n 10,
resolved on then arse The ouesinn ,,lo,Lor ,h D
dent aud mere mairly If The senate should axa,.ia
, The nnwer ar wbeibe, mara ,ba, ,;;, - w, -,
required In This ons,;n ,e,, 49, oe
The Northern States entertained ,rna, ;a.la i; w
gard To the interests of The fisheries and f,ro} s j.;
The future o. ioeuc,,s of The ,s,nhc ,hos m, h, -
To be coded bv ,re,,v Will. H., S,,Lrn s.,
equally Jealous resneeting IA. n,,,a;.n ,r ,ho NJ
spp aud the question of their Wess,n boundaries HI
which paints we're then in cnn,,,yo,sy nd, e. "''"
hut tup Nnrth A.,