Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-24

erea, cause o. Democracy, and 10 them appeal
as TO The truth Of my statement, and before the
country deem il proper TO place the matter right.
JOHN MCPHERSON
For THE ENauIRER.
THE RANDOLPH EPlSTLES.-Ner Series.
No. I'LL
The right 10 acquire E6rasn Isrrit0p- Canada
and other EUrcign Colonies admissible into he
ConGdyution-IH The power remained after ne
Var eioed, and arhen The Contention n'ct-Iae
In0rn necessity Of acquiring Louisiana 10 Sc
euJc he Narigation Of The Mississippi Sir large
States specially interested 10 hare 1t done
Spanish resistance ofour claim, 10 napisaie, up 10
he nleeiing of The Contention and atfer-IHc
Pro0fS-TH absurdHy Of surprising that The Can
rc,iion designed 10 torbid such acquisition, &C.
WASHINGTON Cry, Jan. 20, 1915
Dear Sirs The objections 10 Annexation,
chiefly relied on in the debate now in progress in
the House OF Representatives, resolve themselves
into naked questions of constitutional power and
they are these: First, Whether the Government
has power 10 acquire foreign territory at all =
| and, secondly Whether if il has, il can amer il
10 the Union by the mere legislation of Congress?
With regard 10 the power 10 acquire foreign
territory, one would think that the opponents of
! Annexation found themselves enmeshed in mosi
incxlrcahle abyrinths, with scarcely hone of
threading their wayou OF them-lhat their case,
! indeed, was altogether desperate ere they recon-
ciled themselves 10 the impotent expedient of
pluching out of Le,he, and resuscitating so stale
! and venerable quarrel. But the Wings, doubt
/ less know best when they are whipt, and none
/ would begrudge them the right 10 determine such
delicate matters for themselves. Itistheir business,
no, ours but il is our business 10 take care thar
| in revving the quarrel. they do not leave behind
The facts that adjusted il long ago, lest those who
are TO act in the matter be shorn of the helps 10
right Judgment, which may be derivable tiom the
,rholc truth and The ,rhole truth only.
Having made some suggestions in my last
upon this mater, as an o1sinal question, as 4
simple question, pertaining TO that sovereignty.
which the laws of nations make ours, | shall now
address myself 10 the inquiries, Whether the sub
lect Of acquiring foreign territory came before
the Convention at alll and, il so, what conclu-
sions il came TO in relation 10 il
There are number of well attested facts in
our early history-fac,s preceding, coempora-
neous with, and following the adoption of The
Constitution, from which We may attain very
safe and satisfactory results. The American
Revolution was achieved by the original thirteen
colonies but as we'll at ts commencement as
throughout the War il is evident that the colonies
expected and desired the accessions of 'ohcr
colonies" 10 the Conledcracy they organized for
| The purposes of resistance and security Accor-
dinghy, we find in the "Articies Of Confederation"
ratified BY elcren States in 1888, this provision
TART. XI.-Caned@, accedins to this Conlece
ration, and Joining in The measures OF the United
States, shall be admitted into, and entitled 10 all
the advantages of this Union; hui no OTHER Co
l.oNY shall be admitted inlo the same, UNLESS sucII
ADMISSION BE AGREED TO III NINE STATES"
Now, be it noted, that the Colonies had M,n
been struggling Tor many years against The mo
lher country, and thai, even as early as the h OF
| September lid. (near Two years prior 10 the De-
claralion Of Independence they held Continen-
tai Congress, for the purpose OF making united
and organised resistance. That Congress met
again in l775, in l7176, in Iii, and in HIS when
the Confederation was established, Is have al
ready stated. Up 10 that time, Canada had par
| licipaled in none OF these measures, nor had She
been represented in The Congress. In every sense
of the term, then, she was Foreign State in re-
ference 10 the thirteen Colonies aggregateiy, when
| they had united for common resistance and Sc
ourity-and also when they entered into that more
! formal act OF union.
Well Canada, WHILE THUS FoREiGN STATE,
had the privilege of admission into the Conisde-
ration al her own option, al her own pleasure and
upon her Omn tcrmS-lDr, she could not well have
been one OF the Confeieraled States without Join
ing in the measures Of The United States" But
''oTHER COLONIES" might have been admitted
also, il "NINE STATES" assented "OTnER CoLo-
MES What Colonies could they have bcen?-.
Foreign Colonies? YES, SlRs-Sor Dorsr OF
| IT. Let us Sce
The "inichS If CoatsAsrdtion' were drawn
with the manifest purpose Of being ratified BY
tach and all OF The thirteen Colonies. When
| drawn il was Of course expected either that all
wonld ratify together, or one after another. Each
then had perfect right 10 ratiiy and enter into
the Confederation, without consulting or oh.
tanning the consent Of any other. The assent,
therefore, of ''Hinc STATES could not have been
applied, by any just or plausible construction, 10
either or any OF he thirteen Colonies. But II
did not only not apply in purpose, bni II nercr tras
applied ~ taci, 10 any Of Mem. All The thirteen
Colonies acceded 10 the Confederation ana rati-
fled it in l71S, except Della ware and Maryland;
but afterwards, in l779, Delaware and Mary
land in 1871, each accedei 10 the Confederation,
and ratified it, and bv farce Of hiaS' ac's and ruth
! ont obtaining the assem- Of "SISE STATES" or any
States, became, and pc7c from hat time, members 81
The Confederation. Contrmatory of all, IS the
fact, that the ARTICLES Of Confederation dis
tineuished The lsvolled from all 'other Colonies
by designating the former as ESTATES"
| These facts make il clear then, that the Colo
MES which were made admissible into the COME
none other, nor could have been, than Foreign
Colonies; and, furthermore, that the porer Of at
mission was just the same, Wheeler those applying
therefor were British, French or Spanish Colo
MES. Now, be il remembered, that besides the
| Colonies OF Great Britain to the North OF the
thirteen united Co onies, she had at that time a
most important Colony ID The South OF hc,n, stretch
ing Westward from HE Pcrdid0 10 Ns Mississippi,
with the important port and town Of Baton Rouge:
together with city, port, harbor and bay OF Mo
bile comprised within its limits This Colony
she had acquired from France by the Treaty OF
Fonla nbleau in 1902 ard which she afterwards
coded 10 Spain by the Treaty of Versailles in
| 1888, being the verv Year Of our Treaty of indie
pendence and Peace with Great Britain. It is
not 10 be doubled, then, that this E,sign Colony,
embracing all the West British Florida, together
with The Mcn Spanish Colonies ofthe Eas, Floridas
and the Lousianas were all admissible into the
| Confederation, with the assent of "ninG STATES =
| Hence then, so long as the Confederation last
ell, (Which be il remembered continued, not only
| up 10 The very moment when the Constitution
was adopted in 1885, but mp 10 the time Of its rati-
| fcation By the States in lISS, nav, until il went
into operation on the lsioi March l7s9 )the Is uni
led Colonies, held on 10 the capacity TO admit into
their Union land consequently inio any mr. Union
| tcysa0uld jrm,) either The Canndas or the British
UtN FMtddS, Inc fThtsNnd5, tne f!T1d0S, or
any other Foreign Colony; though as have said
the Revolutionary war was closed by the treaty
of peace of 1888, from which time, therefore
these Foreign Colonies were not needed as allies
TO enlarge the resources, or 10 ensure the triumph
of the belgerent Colonies.
lithen The thirteen Colonies held on TO the ca
paeiiy of admitting Foreign Colonies into the
Union, upto The very hour Of its extinction in
the birth OF the Federal Constitution, We should
next enquire, ifthere are any known and para
mount considerations, which could have induced
them 10 deprive themselves of that capacity then!
Had there been any great changes wrought in The
circumstances ofthe United Colonies, or in The
condition OF the Foreign Colonies, about The
period OF The assembling, or during The continu
ance of the Federal Convention, TO which The
n,otire OF destituling themselves Of such cspac
ty, could be reasonably attributed! II is believed
not. AT all events, it may be avouched, thatifany
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