Litchfield enquirer., 1846-03-19


nv upon the firm. Texas has come IN
lean and hungry as she is-nn0'dden oy
many of the States, and unwelcomed oy
, majority of the people. And deny
shat Nv constituents, or The freenen Ot
.he. North. are cons,ituiionally bound to
recognize her as a member OF the con-
federacy much less, sir, TO pay up her
debts, or endorse her dnunlInl reputation
But again: What relation, I may ask.
10 the people Of that annexed territory
sustain to us? They '%ere citizens, de
facto, of Texas. She claimed and we ac-
knowlcded her 20 he an independent pow
or. Her people, then, could not at the
same time be citizens IF Texas ana M Inc
United Str.tes. They could not thus owe
aIlcgiau &c to two sovereigns. They could
not serve two masters. Are they, then,
by Virtue of annexation, made citizens on
the United States? Suppose that 2t',OOO
Of her population were OF opanIsn %
Mexican origin, and suppose that OF '.i's
number certain ones beappoInico o's'r'c'
indges. or elected to seats on TINS hoo!-
The constitution requires such 10 De c'l'
zens of the United States, ana 10 nave
been such citizens for at least Seren years
When and how did they become such =
Surely. i, was at the time, and ny virtue
of their annexation, If ever. Ii That he so'
then this annexation is in The very teeth
of The Constitution. That instrument,
long ago, declared that Congress should
"pass uniform laws on the subject OF nat
uralization." Congress cannot make one
law for naturalizing the French. another
for the Swiss, another for the Germhn'
aud another for the Texian. They must
all bow TO the same "unItorm" law
Well, how stands the case then! Why'
sir. by our laws, the Irish or German I'M
migrant mus, wait five years before ne IS
naturalized. But here you have natural.
lied the whole Texas brood at one sweep;
bv virtue of that act, they claim now to
act as legislators for US, as citizens with
us. Ideny, Mr.. Chairman, that they have
come i'm at the right door. They have
climbed up some other way and Pollt'-
cally are thieves and robbers"
But I canno: dwell longer upon this |
part of the subject. am aware that 1t
is late in the dav to discuss constitution
al questions. The ligaments ofthe Con.
stituiion are cut asunder. The dog star
telirium of slavery has thrown the ma
lion far from its balance.
Inecd not say to you, Mr.. Chairman,
nor to the House, how sorelv the North
feel upon this question. we speak
more in sorrow than in recrlm.natioh,
when we say, that the Constitution lies
trodden in the dust. The slavehotdcr.s
heel is planted upon ii. And what ADDS
to the darkness Of the deed, IS the base
and unwarrantable mo'ire which dictated
this whole scheme Of annexation. That
motive, sir, was the strengthening. tho
extension, and the perpetuity of SLAVERY.
And on this, sir, have few words to of.
fer.
Mr.. Bayly, ofvirginia, here objected.
and raised the question, that it was not In
order 10 debate this subject. But the
Chair overruled the objection. and deci-
ded that MIR. C. " Us in order and he pro.
ceeded.
In support of this position, my time
will allow me to call the attention OF the
House only to few admitted facts. No
Of complaint, or threats OF
revolt, were heard in the province of Tex
as, till after Mexico, by the edict of ltur.
bide, in 1929, proclaimed slavery abol-
ished, From that time forward, a low
but gradually increased mu'terlng was
heard from that portion Of the population
who had gone from the Southern States
into Texas, carrying their slaves with |
them. This dissatisfaction gradually ri.
pened into rebellion and in 1888 con.
vention was called. and :he disconnected!
portion set up for themselves. Impartial
history will yet prove that revolution 20
have been as destitute OF an adequ hle
as the annals OF revolution
ever furnished.
These Texian revolutionists, of course,
had the open sympathy, as we'll as the
cover, support the almost entire slave
holding South. 1t was evinced in the
sneeches and correspondence Of Southern
men. and in the almost undivided ex
preston of the Southern press. From
iS3O to 1885, the press was undisguised III
claiming, that slavery must be re'nstated
in Texas, for its future stability IN the
Southern part of this Union. J have bui
10 refer gentlemen TO the tone OF the press
Mt that day, to establish the fact, that
slavery was mt the bottom of this whole
So much, sir, for the revo.
luton and independence Of Texas-ns
10 the motive that dictated IT'S annexation,
I have proof which Southern gentlemen
cannot resist. Mr.. Secretary Upshur. in
his official despatch TO our Charge DAT
f,ires in Texas. in l543, declared. that
Slavery would be abolished in Texas
within the next ten years. and probably
within half that time, unless that Govern
men, were annexed to the United Suites
A distinguished Senator from South Car
DINA. (Mr McDuiie,) not two years
since. in the north wing Of this CAPT.
tol, when alluding to the dangers of the
increase of the slave population said,
Now. II we shall annex Texas. it will
orcrate as safety valve. TO let offthis su.
perabundant slave population among u.s.
Mr.. Calhoun, who, with all his political
eccentricities, has the merit OF speaking |
hi: sentiments boldly. has placed the true
reason for annexation on record. When
Secretary of State. in diplomatic com.
of the 9th April, 1874. defen
ding the policy, and urging the necessity
for annexation, he says: 1t was made |
necessary in order to preserve domestic
institutions, placed under the guarantee
of their respective constitutions. and
deemed essential to their safety and pros.