Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-04

friends and enemies VI texas. ~ IL. ,ho
Wings must disappear. Their preseb. ah, WI wy
Northern Wings Unto whose han1s niI 49, ,,.,S
in the House OF Delegates are now ioolishy play
mo will annrorimate nearer and nearer TO The
anti. Texas Democrats OF the North. Lei 1nosc
who produce these political results, py men w.
sed opposition to Texas, answer lot 'he eoii'u
sion to which il will lead. o.,;on
Such, People Of Virginia, is the great ques.luH
at Issue. We go for Texas, not Only ~, ~
but because we mus, arrest the dangers whieh an
anti-Texas, Abolition spirit threatens 70 oiins
upon u.s. And yet the Wings in the Leslsld'u'e {
Of Virginia are taking precisely The cohIse Mnc g..
is calculated TO defeat annexation. JUICY ~
yourselves Loo,
See, if you please, the issues when nase o.t zen
made between the Democrats and wings OF 'ne
House of Delegates: no
Isl. Both parties admil-that is, all Inc DEMO
Gratis, and ali but 81 Wings That The anne3a-
ton of Texas 10 the United States should DC e.
fected with no further delay than may oe necesTa,
~ for the accomplishment OF that oolec. oy ,he
constituted authorities of the TWO couh'rles
fSenate Resolution, adopted By he House q Dese-
gates ON Saturday.
3D. Althe Wings, who voted in the House on
Saturday, (62) with the exception Oh - AUNT
"That it is their deliberate opln'o" ina. u@se
majority of Tie people Of Virs'n'a dfs're e laame-
Gtufe annexation OF IcIds 20 az. = S ~
iaWful and constitutional mOdG
[Part Of M. Watchers Resolution.
All the Democratic delegates agree WIN ms
proposition, Of course.
Sd. All the Wings with The exception OF lniS
same AZ also admit, "And that the conditions and
guarantees set forth in The Joint resolution passed ny
the same House OF Representatives and sent 70 inc
Senate Of the U. States for lis concurrence. 10
the opinion Of this General Assembly, are lnss
and proper. and ,ciN be approred bu The people,
IanoLter clause in Mr.. Hitehers Substitute.
All The Democrats, OF course, concur IN this
propostion So tar il seems to be plain sailing
enongh-but now comes the rub. All me De-
mocrats contend, that this joint resolution IS not
only Just and proper, and will be approved py
The people, but also that il is perfectly constllu-
lional TO annex Texas in this way-and that
The Legislature of Virginia ought boldly and une-
ouivocallv SO TO declare it. They contend, that
the Constitution expressly says that Congress has
the power 10 "admit new States into the Union"
tina, the proceedings Of the Federal Convention
show. that those new States might De carved out
of what was then foreign tcrritory-that MT. Ma
Olson. in the l1h No OF "Thc Federalist, express
" saws. that the Federal Government may add 30
The old thirteen primitive Sta,es) such other STATES
as NAV arise in their own bosoms, OR IN THEIR
NEroHDoRHooDs, which chez cannot doubt 10 De
equally practicable" And, moreover, the dis
tinguished precedents OF Louisiana anu Florida
show, that foreign territory may thus be acquired
in mir neicaorhoods-the territory of louisiana
being already carved up in part into Louisiana,
properly speaking, and Missouri, aud Arkansas.
Florida is also now knocking al our doors for
admission as a Stae-and Texas itself was once
a part of Louisiana, and is only asking 10 be
re-admitted into The Union. We contend, more
over that one Of our Senators in Congress has no
doubt OF this construction Mr.. Archer, in the
Senate, in secret session in May last, expressly
admits the power of Congress 10 admit Texas
as a new State into the Union. Here are his
own words, published al the time in The Congress
sional Globe:
ale recognized the authority TO admit Foreign
States intol The confederacy.' He knew the grounds
on which this proposition had been denied-This
did not hinder his recognition of it. The phrase
in the Constitution was of The largest character,
Congress shall have power TO admit new States
into the Union Where should sanction be found
for Limitation upon Incorporation OF such language
of this generality and comprehensiveness MOI
in the circumstances OF the case. de had no he
station upon this point, or the mere language OF
The Constitution. He repudiated this practice,
perpetual in It's employment here, of going behind
The language Of The Constitution, when that was
plain TO conlemporaneous history, and like expo
sions derived from the opinions OF individuals.
Where ambiguity was not admitted and patent,
the language ought 10 stand as the sole exponent
But how raise an ambiguity on language 50 expli-
Gil? Congress shall have power TO admit ncto
States into the Union 1t happened, however,
,ha, the evidence from con,emporaneous history
correspondent TO The plain import Of The language
OF the Constitution.
The Democrats If the House, therefore, have
no doubts about he constitutional power nor
have many Of the leading Wings. Messrs.
Witcher and Taylor Of Norfolk, expressly de-
clared this opinion on The floor. We hear others
named who are equally confident in their i'm
preston Of The constitutional power; and i is
probable, tha, majority of the Wings OF The
House are in the same predicament. Here then
comes the extraordinary question, TAy VIII
they not boldly express their opinions on this
point ?-They directly evade il. They seem
disposed TO shirk it, blink it, dodge ii; call i,
what you please; but they expressly resolve,
that they will not meet it at all. II was upon
this point, that the Select Committee of Friday
last could not agree The Wings determined 10
waive The constitutional question. The Demo
Gratis determined, as they ought that they would
moi. And the Committee reported lha! they could
not agree But the evidence Of their skttishness
does not stop here This brings us TO the last
clause of Mr.. Wi,cher's substitute, proposed in
the House on Saturday, and adopted entirely b.
the votes OF the Wings, with one Democratic ex-
cep,ion.
4h "This General Assembly, however, for1eo'-
ing 10 express any opinion as 10 the constitution
aliip Of annexation by the mode OF Joint rcsolu-
ton Of the two Houses of Congress"
[L.aa Clause of M. Uitchcrs Resolution.
The Wings forbear TO express any opinion up
on it, The Democrats insist upon it, And there
e. Il, ho ,Lo1a Init M
Mr. Wi.cher-and the Wings voted for il, 63 10
G2, Zone Democratic member only voting with
the G3-al the others voted against it.) And,
now, We come 10 the gist of the whole matter.
We have heard Of ultra Federal heresies
enough this session, supported by some of the
leading Wings. The Delegates of Richmond
and Powhaian would have sinpt Virginia Of her
sovereign mower 10 instruct her Senators altoge-
Their, on all Federal matters. they declare that
she had no right 10 NEEDLE with Federal Rela-
tiuns We will not expose this monstrous doc
trne, which would condemn Virginia for some
Of the noblest transactions which adorn her re-
cord. They would thus deprive ore OF the par
ties 10 the Federal Compact of the legitimate
of lis violation. They would cenSure Madison,
and TAYLOR OF Caroline, and their illuslrious
compeers for resisting the Alien and Sediton
laws. in their celebrated resolutions of9S-99, and
in The still more celebrated Report Of 99-lso0.
They would strip the Sovereign Stale OF all
Ibis power and place her at the feet Of her
two Senalors-Archer and Rives, drified into
tie Senate upon the wave OF lemrcstuous
party times, and not entitled 10 the "entire
confidence" which one OF the Wing sub
stiu,cs has expressed for them. Let Mat pass
however. The Wings on Saturday last have
substantially confirmed the Federal doctrine
which was set up BY Messrs. Daniel and Cooke
in effect at least, if not in words. They refuse
10 express any opinion upon this constitutional
power Of annexation, and submit ii with due re-
verence 10 their servants in Washington. And
Why's Mr. Archer has no doubt, (itseems,l about
the constitutional power-Aye! but his colleague
has. II is understood, that he means to escape from
voting for Texas for some hair-splitting consti-
,utinnal scrupc OF his own, and that if he he
instructed, he will resign his seat. IL IS TO
save William c. Rves, and secure his vote
AGAINST Browns Resolutions thatthiS clause is adj