Mobile register and journal., 1845-02-27

lowing:
 "Arr. 10. That provision ought lo be made for the admission of States lawfully arising within he limits ol the United States, whether f"ma voluntary junction of government and territory or otherwise, with the eOnsen. of number of voices in the Notion al Legislature less than the whole"
 Fl Will be seen that thIs proposition narrowed down in still greater degree the power already pos- "essed by Congress under the articles of coniedera- tlon, proposed that the new Government sh0uld aot haVs the pOeoer to adma mic the Union Sate drisag out of ths Hsn hmiis of hs Union Gentlemen con- tend here, on this question, that Congress- can only admit new States lawfully arising within Ihe limits oi the United States. Here, then, we ind an issue made in the convention this very point. Mir. Ran doph's propos on contrsvened the spirit of the llth article already quoted. That allowed the admission sl d foreign State; this did not And. moreover, MT. kandolph's 10th proposition was opposed 10 the whole view and purpose of the people n aling the convention and demanding new constitution, which should augment the powers and enlarge the sphere | of action of the Federal GoverAment. What then was the fate of Mir. R's proposition2 The conyen- ton refused to adopt it. On the 9th of August. l787, committee of five, who had been appointed for that purpose, reported to he convention draft of con- stItution. The l7th article reads thus:
 "New States, lawfully constituted or established within the limits of the United Slaes may be admit | ted by the Legislature into this Government" &c. Again, then, we find attempt made 10 hHn the poicu Of Congress in admitting new States. The striking fact stares in the face that two efforts were made do this, and thai both failed This 17th ar- ticle was rejected, and, in it's siead breathing the spirit which dictaled the call of the convention, in plain, strong, unrestricted language, WAS adopted the l following article in our Constitution:
 'Sec. 3, art. 1. New States may c admitted by he Congress into the Union; but new State shall be formed erected within the iursdctI0n Of any other State; any Slats be forrned by lhe junction of two or more States, parts of Statas, without the consent oi the Legislatures of the States concerned, | as we'll as of tine Congress
 Who IS he-where IS he--that can place any limit upon the power conferred by that article, the good sense of the American people1 It E not 10 De found in the praseoosy, for that is in the broades and most general language. IL is to be found in the history of it's adoption, for that tells that the original, article m the old Artces conferred a specific power upon Congress- to admit foreign Stale al least by act that two propositions to re- strict the power were r9eefed, and tRt finally an a. licle adopted containing no checks upon the ad
 mission of any foreign State!
 The proposition, therefore, of the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr- TIBBArTs) came up to the very spi, and letter of our Constitution, and hence pre- fer il. That article which gives us the power was wisely adopted, for the purpose of atordlng the most unbuunded means of providing for the common well fare. On the admission of Texas as a State, by these propositions she Is to cede to us her territory
 precisely as Virginia and ot CT States had done; and 10 this reasonable objection be urged. l would say. too, to The ii tends of annexation this foor
 lhat however great may be individual rariialites for | some other ei the several projects before us, and however we'll convinced many might be that Congress has the to rrceWe foregn territory into the Un ion, land l euieriaia no doatt that by long and subtle train of reasonng be logically esal sh ed) partialities should yield to that project most
 likely tosecure the great end m view, to wit: annex alton. No man duubt the constitutional power | 10 admit Texas as a "new State." That heinz SO, some such project must be united upon. It effects l tt. conformity ~iih the language of the Constitulion- The proposition needs much shorter lra,n of arsu
 meni to proTe il, and nothing but sophstry and lal- lacy can deny H.
 Considering the character for intelligence and enlarged views attributed to the gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr. WIsTHRoP,) l was som- what surprised when heard him declare that the Federal Constitution only desigued to operate l over the territory held by the people who adopted ii. This surely is too limited view 10 be taken oi that Instrument, and of its destined effect upon the world. l think have already demonstrated that nothing but the inerpsdiency oi he admission of | foreign State checks the power of Congress over the subject. If not .o where do Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri, three of the sovereign States of he l Union, now standf Are they not within the stitutional limits of the Federal Union! And has not the shield of that glorious instrument sample room and verge enough" to cover those young States! The gentleman from Massachusetts has for years legisatsd this floor upon the rights and interests of those Staes-has collected taxes from their citizens-has assumed and exercised jurisdc- tion over the vast landed domain within their im- | It's, Whence did he derive the power and the right to do so, if not from thIs very Constitution, which he says IS limited in it's action to the boun- dary of tue Republic when it was'formed? And yet those States have been erected out iterrory which not within that boundary at the time oi its for nation. And will he-dare he-aver in his place, that those States are unconstitutionally within the h.. .t.- f..tI sna limits of the Republic never to be extended!- Dt is sentiment, sir, as narrow as the limits of the State which appears most to have cherished it.. As far as my memory now serves me, whenever the boundary lines of this Republic have been drawn in and it's territory clpt and crcumscrbed, it has varably been under the auspices and peculiar direc- | ton of Massachusetts statesmen. Why was this?- Was i' that their hearts were 60 marrow. and views contracted, ihst their sympathies could not reach beyond the precise area of territory owned by our fathers at the time they agreed to form and ordaln Constitution, which '.should secure the blessings of liberty" to themselves and thelr "p,sterity D. Or, rather, dees il not arise from the old federal leaven which yet exists in the heart of the Com monwealth-which Is ever prone to circunscrIba | the liberties of nankind-has nhorn proclivity towards the bestowal upon "the favored iew' a monopoly of those inestimable blessings which God has given alike to all? If the constitutions poiat may be considered set tied, that Congress has he unrestricted right to ad init "new States" into the Union. tlen granting the expediency in this case, the ony question to con- sidsr is, will the duties which we "we, m good faith to others, permit the annex ton2 l respect those who sincerely urge this objection. The hon. or o a nation IS the brightest jewel it possesses - It constitutes the main feature Of it's character. and should be guarded by it's representatives with that sensitive socitude and watchfuness with winch they would shield their own as individuals. Briefly, then,
 in review ofthe relations existing, or which have isted. between ihe two countries.
 will not argue the question of eanne exaton; for on that point reasonable doubts might be and were enterta iRed. l speak to the simple proposition of annexing the independent Republic of Texas to the United States. If we annex t, and the country ours reanne xation takes place of course if it never was ours, the question in this gnt will be dis embarrassed of doubtful issue. Antecedent to the formation of the Mexican Confectionery, but two pow claimed soverei ignty the province of Texas, 10 wit; Spain and the United States. In 1879, the United States ceded whatever rights and claims it had to Spain. The Government of Spain, however, was prevented from perectng its title by the pro- test of Texas, and the consequent revolution Alter repeated and intellectual attempts to subdue that and her other revolted provinces, Span acknowledged ther independence in 1S36 These facts clearly dis pose of the title of the only two powers claiming ale legance of Texas, prior to the confederary formed in 1924. In that year the various revolted Spanish provinces in Nor,h America jo,ned in framing the confederncy auded to, under the title of 1.-THE UsIrEp MExIcAN STATLs."
 What was the political condition of Texas on en-. tering the confederscy? The United States had qu. ety thrown up their claims upon her. Spain was endeavoring to make good her own by arms but, as have said, afterwards yielded them. Mexico, who claims sovereignty over her, then asserted nonehen in fact, claimed her freedom at the point of the sword-a gem she was wrestling by arms from the crown of Spain, Texas must then be considered as
 sovereign in the part she took in joining that federacy She entered il an uniettered power. That confederacy iR all its great leading features, wos