Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-02-14

CeSsty that decision lnVoiVeu oe'0i iiina'.oi
of the conditions, if there vere any, Whlcn
were deemed indispensable TO our acceptance
of the territory. and therefore such conditions
were specified. This form of presenting the
question was fair to ALTO the friends and
oppone1ts of annexation, and to the advo-
Gates of annexation of all shades of opinion.
1t seemed to him the very fairest method OF
bringing up the subject, as it raised the true
issues. Unless the conditions were made too
rigid for one section, or too liberal Tor anoth-
er section of the real friends oil the great OBJ
ject to be accomplished by the bill, he could
see nc reason why all the friends OF anneXa-
ton might not unite in supportlnglt.
That as respects the particular conditions
inserted in the bill, they were mere details
and they might be stricken out altogether
provided that would not defeat the bill, or
they might he altered and he was sure that
if the spirit which influenced him in dlvlsing
them act1ated the friends of annexation IN
generous effort to reform them, there coulo
be no difficulty about it,
| The principle was all that he strenuonsiy
contended for--and that was, that we must
unite and agree beforehand upon tie terms on
which the laws of the United States may be
declared to be in force and extended over the
territory which and which only was In any
'O'---O ~
neratior of Texas to the United States = or IT
no conditions were deemed indispensable to
success, let them be expunged altogether
Having done that, the remaining points
whether the territory must be acquired by
treaty, or whether it might not be acquired by
an act Of Congress and whether 1t should be
admitted as a State wholly, or partly as
State and partly as territory, or wholly as
territory; or, in word, what should be the
mode and manner of bring ing Texas by mu-
tual compact between us and Texas within
the operation of this Laao Of dn'se.rot10",-aIl
and each of these questions would arise more
properly afterwards. If it was done during
the present session, so much the better; but
they would still form the subjects OF other
and distinct propositions, made or to be made
} upon which a division Of the friends OF an
nexation could be more easily harmonized
} and if not harmonized, then defeat on any or
all of them would still leave us, with this
bill, united for Ieras-we holding the nation
pledged by it to sanction annexation ct the
} earliest practicable period.
Pass this bill. (he said,) or one like 1t, and
it brought together majority for annexatlon'
if there was such a ma ority IN Congress
and he believed there was. Then II the Dill
to admit Texas as new State came up with
very slight notifications, the passage OF that
would but be an IMMEDIATE step towards &C.
ecuting this. Or if the bill to adopt the re-
jected treaty of last session came up, Its pas
sage, without any very material change, would
but be an immediate execution of this act
And SO of any other bill aiming at the earliest
practicable incorporation Of Texas into our
Union. And if, on the other hand, all of the
other bills should fail to command the support
of majority, let this be passed, and the neao
administration might be ADVISED by the Sem
ate, before we went hence, IN manner that
would ensure our progress towards speedy
> incorporation of Texas into the Union.
1t would, perhaps, be out Of order for him
, to say more upon the latter point, unless this
were an executive session. That his bill
would, even in the absence Of any other &C
ton by the Senate, as Senate, indicate to the
President, and to Texas, that there were terms
to be imposed, and what were those terms up
on which a compact would be certainly ratified
: by Congress-yiz: point out to them the con-
ditons upon which an application to admit
Texas as a new State, wond certainly sue
coed; or else make the basis of a new treaty,
should treaty be thought to be the only consti-
: tutioneI form of acquiring Teas.
In every point of view, therefore, it seemed
to be safer and more prudent to start with the
passage Of this bill, or one like it, provided
we were able to agree upon the conditions;
and irreconciladte discord upon them was de-
feat of Texas, If nothing more was done by
it, the passage of this act with or without
the conditions) would be opening the door to
!, Texas which had been closed (wisely or IN
: wisely, he should not say) at the last session.
: by rejection of the Teas treaty. The mo-
raj effect of that would be of great value.
That it would be observed the bill used the
words ''supreme authorities" when it referred
to the ratification of any compact by which
the territory might be acquired; and thereby
; if not altogether, the same, in regard to Cur
future negotion at least, as if we had had no.
tice of it, and acquiesced.
The Senate would remember that, before
the Texas treaty was made, it was notorious,
: in the Senate, and out of it, and everywhere,
that Texas had appointed minister to come
: hither, for the purpose of ceding herself to the
United States. No call was made upon the
President for information to the Senate. The
> present Secretary Of State was selected and
: invited from his home to accept his present
, post, for the purpose Of arranging and negotia-
ting the Teas treaty. 1t was understood he
> might be induced to accept for that purpose,
and he did accept for other, as was gene
rally said at the time. Without any knowl-
edge of the assurances which had been given
by the late MIR. Upshur to be sure, but with
out asking any information from the President,
the Senate Immediately, with unusual haste,
confirmed the nomination of the new Secretary
unanimously, and removed all secrecy from
the act, romugating it to the world smulta.
neously with its performance. Then he ask
ed, what inference had Texas right to make
from all that? What conclusion could Texas
draw, but that the Senate designed in this
T manner to reassure her minister that her over
ture would be accepted and the union ra:ifed'
That Texas had no right to substitute for her
;; differences any better knowledge of the real
facts, by inquiring of the Senate beforehand,
was too clear to debate about. A direct COM
IL L