New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-11-05
The whiss and the War-Where do we
stand

From the first development OF the plot OF Tyler
Upshur, Gilmer, Walker d Co. 10 annex Texas 70
this Country up to the contamination OF that giant
iniqaity. it was denounced and resisted by the
Whig Press and Wing sentiment OF the Country
a. Hagitious unjustifabe, and a wanton rapture Of
our existing relations and stpulstions Oi feace ana
Amity with Mexico. There were some exceptions
at the South 10 the unanimity and heartlness Of
this expresson--and q solitary one exception In the
Free states--to wit, the Courier and Enquirer. AZ
FIRST, the Wings were not at all peculiar in this view
wall parties at least throughout the Free States
shared it. The protest Of the Msssschusetts LIE
gislature in le43 against Annexation as iniquitous
was concorred in by the Loco Foco Members 50
with that Of the Ohio Legislature in 1874. In TINS
we all accepted and affirmed the doctrine laid down
by our Government in ls37, when Texas hrst ap
piled TO be annexed to this Union. MI Van Bu'
rsns Cabinet took the matter into consideration
and unanimously rejected the proher OF Texas, on
grounds thus set forth in the answer to the Minister
OF Texas by Hon. John Forsyth OF Georgia, Mr.
Van Burens Secretary Of State, who said
$50 ens as Tsras sAaH remain uer, while the United
States peace with her adversary the pioPosoh o.
the Texan Minister Tbs I'M
gssstor Of ifar with that adversary a.. INC ~ n
led states might he justly suspected OF oeFsa OF ne
friendly purposes Of her compact WIN nleAlS1 .e
consideration this would imply dpo"h0" on oar
,Douss ne gaarr,i Of Ieras w" MetSo-s dlspS',n1h
wholly variance with the spiut Of the Treaty ana VIII
the uniform policy aud obvious welfare OF the Ohteo
States"
This decision and the reasons assigned for H.
were received by the American People with uni
versal appreciation. The positions OF Mr. Forsyth
were 50 maniiestly sound that not even the most
interruptions instruments Of the Texas land specu-
lators and slave ;jobbers dared publicly 10 contro-
vert them--Need we now argue that they emphat'
ically condemned any Annexation OF Texas to tins
Country until Peace should be established between
her and Mexico
fBear in mind that this was after Mexico had
committed. or permitted most all of the spolia
ton, upon our citizens so Justly complained Of, and
before she had adjusted them by treaty and com
menced paying them by instalments-s process
only interrupted by our Governments assent to
Annexation.
Mr. Van Buren, In 1874 resfirmed and enforced
tho doctrine thus laid down by Mr. Forsyth in 1887,
A still pertinent and mpregnable notwithstanding
the long cessation OF actual hosttes against Texas
by Mexico In his letter to Mr.. Hammett be said :
"If a. sensible men, We cannot avoid the conclusion
the immediate Annexation Of Texas Mould dra eie
a uaT uifi Arico be espedient 10 attempt IT
Could hope 10 stand justified In The eyes OF man
kipd for entering into such awsr more especially II It's
to be preceded by the appropriation to
our own the Territory the sovereignty Of which Is
ia dispute between two nations one OF which ". aye to
ioin in the susse This, SIR, Is matter OF the very
srsyest impoIt-one in respect 10 which no American
Statesman OF citizen possibly Afford TO be indifferent
, nsvs IL has hitherto been our pride and
boast that while the lust OF power with fraud and vio
soyernments TO aggression aud conquest, movements
these respects have always been regulated BY Ies'eI
sincerely loves his country, consider and that deeply
WHISTLER NO would not, BY the immediate Annexation o
us with dstrustfuI aud envious eyes that would do u
more real lsstins injury As nation than the sequsol
Can the bearing OF this the right and wrone
of the present Ear be misunderstood
About the same time April II, AL Mr. Clay, ii
utter ignorance OF Mr.. Van Buren's letter, wrote
from Raleigh to the National lntegencer a frsnl
and brief exposition OF his own reasons for opPos
ing the Annex alton scheme from which lettei .h'
following 10 an extract
Mexico has not abandoned bat peIseveres IN the
oa o. her ss 10 tsss oy .S,Ss ssss as s'
cuntances II the Government OF the United States wer
mich Tsss Ssa sss .nons them IN
sotual OF suspended war between Mexico aud Texas.
sssT r,fa AsTee ,ssAhel Now tor one, eertainl
willing to involve thus country IN ofeisn war 10
the sake OF acquiring Texas, &C
Between the writing aud the publication Of thu
letter. while We were all Ignorant OF It's existence
great meeting Of the citizens OF this Emporium
was held at the Tabernacle to enter our solem
protest against this Annexation business, the
pending. All parties united in It the Whig part,
with entire unanimlty, with all that pretended q
keep conscience among the Loco-F ocos-HeHrI
Niool the Congressman elect from this District be
ing one OF the Vice Presidents. The chair wa
taken BY the venerable ALBERT GALLArIS tn
most eminent citizen OF New.York and the highes
authority on International Law among US. he
one of the pstriarchs Of Jeftersonisn Democracy
and now Wing though he takes no active part /
politics That meeting after fall dehberation, o
motion of David d. Field chairman OF a retiring
committee, unanimously
Received That the Annexation OF Texas TO this Union
isassd Law Of Nsr,ons % pss,frvs Dssarafsn 81
s<ssast Msxsse-a bsr " Ceng"esf ana an unjust AZ
which thu. Nation would be supported BY no sense {
right and b. snasd By the unsnmous voice OF ih
eivihssd and Christian wora."
Such Was then the universal sentiment of the en-
tire Wing party and a majority Of the Loco oco
who bad any opinion OF their own throughout ths
Free States at least The Wing State conventio,
winch met at Syracuse on the 18th Of septernbe
Of that year to nominate Clay Electors and Mil Ar,
Fillmore for Governor, on the report Of an able
whig Member OF Congress unanimously.
eks,.lsS This. the in,Qutou. aud sishonos.be ssAesn
os n. Anne xsflOn Texas, the device VI Igesche
Fraud Tor tie personal and psTtsan Purposes Dc
fo the benent OF sPeeaaiofs fsnoefes sno DIS
ualonsts outrage the Rights oi MAJ, NE Laws
Nstions, and the honoT OF the Soentty, Se &c.
Such was the spirit in which the Whig part,
throughout the Free States regarded the schsm
OF Annexing Texas, such were the resalts ant
cipated from IL; such was the Judgment passe
beforehand by the Wits party on the authors an.
causes Of the present War. And Mr. Clay. writing
about the same tine Sept 81 his las. public let
ter before the Presidential Election. reiterated hi
inHexible hostility 10 Annexation while Texa
should continue al war with and Der independenc
unsecosnixed BY Mexico, saying