Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1845-02-15
BURLINGTON Is

ssvHs we udSC llOt yCt uuGlICu tic dIgus
ment,, the strongest, the deepest seated ii
the minds Of its opponents. Late indica.
tions distinctly reveal il to US. In the col
umns Of the leading Metropolitan Whia
journai--the most moderate and respected
organ Of the party-in the leader Of the
National lntelligencer, under date the l 9Th
December last, find the following:
The effect of an extension of territory
considered:
/ pray you TO note that. ask you to
observe distinctly how the matter stands.
Il avails not to argue, with our opponents,
the question Of right to annex Il is idle
to substantiate to them, from the pages Of
international law or the dictates Of COM
mon sense, the legal independence Of Tex
AZ. These outworks carried, there is a
barrier beyonds towering far above them;
standing untouched, II they were levelled
to the ground. It Is not an extension Of
our national domain on its southwestern
frontier. il is ANY extension which our
opponents deprecats, 4 is not Texas, as
such, they reject; they would reject equal
ly country in any other latitude, peo-
Piled BY any other race, bearing any other
name. They protest not against anne ;a-
ton, for that it may increase and perpetu-
atc s!averyi they protest against it, as in
1903 they protested against the purchase
Of Louisiana, s'under ANY circum-
stances.''
Is the whig party wrong in this, their
great objection? is whigs, am not pre-.
pared to assert that they are.
Rome, in the heyda Of her power, add
ed province to province; and this extern
sion of her territory but seemed 10 hasten
her decline and fall. The mad ambition
Of Alexander suficed to conquer half a
world; yet, within year after his death,
the overgrown empire, purchased by the
blood Of millions, fell TO pieces, it seemed,
from its own weight. Are these to be
held as beacon lights for us, in the present
junctme? If ours be government like
Rome under the empire, like that Of the
Macedonian conqnerer, undoubtedly yes.
lit is fated gradually to approach such a
character, sill, undoubtedly yes. Or if,
like Mexico, we are at last t. settle down
upon centralism; II the rights Of the States
are to be stolen peacemeal, and the central
power here invested with their spoils; il
this city of Washington is to dispense, as
did the mistress Of the world from her
seven hills, all laws to govern our land;
nay, without proceeding so far, if all doubt
full powers in the Constitution are to be
assumed as lawful; if the sphere Of federal
Legislation is to be gradually increased; il
we are to interfere with conn cree, favor
ing under the name Of protection, one Sec
ton Of our country, By taxing the industry
Of another; If, closely connected with or
government, there 10 u be central mon
eye power, stronger in these days, and
.ryfor~-s--w.-- -a-rr6 ssS7as to iibests thau
a standing army; II the checks which the
wisdom OF revolutionary days incorporated
in our constitution, to arrest the hot haste
of party, in its flush Of power; ifthese re-
stricting checks are to be swept away; ir
word, if the progress Of our federal pol.
icy is to be from the less to the more o
legislation; then reject Texas, and aban.
don Oregon, add not, by treaty, one acre
mofe Of Indian lands. Nay! if such is tc
be our policy, our Union is far too large
already; it ought never to have been per-
mitted to overpass the Alleghanies.
But will such be the progress Of legisla-
tion among us? Ought 1t to be? In fol-
lowing out, from age to age, the story o.
the ceaseless struggle between the privil-
eges Of the few and the rights Of the many
forth from every page, blazoned on the ex-
perieuced Of every nation, shines forth the
great truth, that overmuch legislation has
been the curse Of mankind; and that law
has become (alas! how few the ;eScep.
tions!) a weapon Of aggression rather thar
an egis of defence. As we read, we feel
that the protection Of government has beer
overpaid for by its intermeddlings; ane
that the people might we'll, in the words O
the Cynic philosopher, tell the Alexander,
Of the world, that the only favor they askee
Of them was--to stand out Of their sun
shine.
Will annexation be more likely to Leaf
to peace or warp Upon this branch Of III,
subject Mr.. Owen speaks as follows:
Two paths are open before US. Th'
one, to declare, as most righteously ",
may, the legal independence Of Texas, t
act boldly on that declaration; to accep
what not government in Europe, if simi
liarly situated, would, dream Of refusing
the proposition already twice made to tis
that we should receive again Texas within
our borders; and then--as all men and al
nations must, be their conduct ever $
scrudulons-to abide the consequences y
The other---ah, that, we shall he told, j
the path Of salty and Of peace. At its en-
trance, it may be, many q path Of DANCE
and Of death has fair and. pleasant er
trance. Let ns look to the end. Say tha
we reject Texas, and leave her and Mex
CO to settle their quarrel. Very well. B
so doing, we sooth the inselence. Of Mex
CO and quiet the jealousy Of England
That is satisfactory. England makes
freetrade treaty with Texas; extendin
over That republic Gas the phrase now il
her Protectorate.n Letthat pass! Me,
ico, relieved from all appr ehension of il
terference from Us, proceeds 70 carry in
effect the inhuman threats she has. latel
made against our Texan neighbors.
! that to pass, tcoP Before We enter Ia
same path of peace let rs look little
advance, and settle, which is our way on
/ Mexico has formerly, publicly. ofiscial
I warned the Texans to oevacuate their ccui
.ttf4, and declares, that, il they refus
4 - 4 4 n ~ L. Il. s1A.- r. AZ