Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-06-12
PRESIDENT TYLER AND TEXAS.

ago. we alluded, III passing, TO the agency OF EX-
President TYLER in that most disastrous event of
our history for the last thirty years. the annexa-
ton : OF Texas, followed, as we predicted on its
FIRST inception, by the existing war-a war which,
GROWING our arms with success, has already wasted
the lives OF thousands of the flower of our popula-
ion, and not to speak of yet unknown consequent
ces, has entailed on their survivors National Debt
which, were the war to end tomorrow, would ex-
ceed hundred millions of dollars-an amount
which, II the war continue much longer, will be
fearlully increased. In alluding to President Ty-
LERs agency in that l-tmed and il-starred mea-
sure, we also referred, not by way of accusation,
but rather OF palliation of his precipitancy in the
matter, to the persons by whom he " sur
rounded, counselled, and impelled to that unwise
measure" The Ex-President is quite right in sup
posing that we did not mean to charge him with
any personal pecunary interest in that transaction
We almost regret, indeed, having referred to il at
all, seeing that our alluson to it has served to re-
open It's secret history, in part at least. But in
spect to the Ex-President's having 'no reason to
believe that the holders of stock or owners of land
knew any thing of what was going on" &c. we
can only say that Mr. TYLER, directly contrary to
what we had supposed to be his nature, must be
the most increduous of human beings. The only
way in which we can account for his disbelief, is
by presuming that, shut up within the walls of the
palace, he was out OF hearing of public report and
general opinion We ourselves pretend to no per-
sona knowledge of the particulars of these specula-
tons, or Of the individuals engaged in them. We be-
leved in the general fact of the existence of such
lntrigues, however; and, in the statements which
we subJoin from an article in the Richm0nd Uhig,
elected by the Ex-Presidents Letter. we recognise
representations identical with those which reached
our ears at the time. But there is witness on
this subject to whom can appeal, of whose ex-
istence Mr.. TYLER himself shows his conscious
ness, in the person of Senator BENTON, whom, be-
ing so reminded by the Ex-Presdent's Letter, we
call to the stand. And thus he answers, from his
Speech delivered at meeting of his constituents at
Boonville, in Missouri, on the 18th day of July,
1914, and published in the Washington Globe Of
the 29th day of August, in the same year:
=" Disunion was primary object Of the treaty !;
an intrigue for the Presidency was its secondary
object; land speculation and stockiobbing were
: auxiliary objects; and the four objects together
brought ii forward at the time and in the manner
in which il came forward just forty days before
the Baltimore Convention, and at the exact mo-
ment TO mix the Presidential election, and to make
dissension discord and mischief between the North
and the South. Mr.. B. said he meant this for the
prime nao0ers and negotiators Of the treaty, and
not for those who supported the treaty without
participating in the views of its makers. He had
in various speeches exposed the disunion scheme
and the intrigue for the Presidency :: he had not
shown The part which ia,1d speculation and stock
jobbing actedm concocting the treaty, and press
ing its ratification. He had not noticed this part
but 1cas conspicuous one, and barefaced one,
and Was seen 6y eue,y body at Uashfng1on cfty
: The city was a buzzard roost; the Presidential
mansion and Department of State were buzzard
roosts defled and polluted by the foul and vora-
cious birds in the shape Of land speculators and
: stockholders, who saw their prey in the treaty,
and spared no effort 10 secure IT,"
Enough, surely is TO be found in this quotation,
from what on this question must be deemed very
our accidental ausion to it.
We do not, of course, concur in several other
points of the Ex-Presdent's Letter but, desiring
not to provoke controversy upon them, or to say of
himself any thing that might be deemed unkind, we
confne ourselves to notice of a single one OF
them We believe that Mr.. TYLER entirely mis-
takes the opinion of the People when he says that
large majority of them differed from in regard
to the policy of the annexation of Texas at the
time it took place. We believe, on the contrary,
that the majority on the other side; and that
if it to do over again, still larger majority
would be found opposed to the annexation of
Texas in the manner in which it was effected.
FROM THE RICHMOND wHIe oF.rEsrERDAr.
There are some statements in Mr.. TYLER's letter which
contrary the generally received opinion that
cannot permit them pass without calling public attention
to them.
Mr.. Tyler for example, states that in proposing assent
ing the annexation of Texas he not counseled inn
PEELED to that by persons interested Texas lands
Texas bonds. Why, does he not know that least two
members Of his Cabinet Secretaries Upshur and Gmer)
uery large andhoder8n Texas and that they strongly
and necessarily urged this measure And have heard
from we believe an entirely authentic source that they
counered little difficulty in overcoming Mr. Tyers
objections the scheme the suggestion Of which he
first startled Is il also that several other gentle
men, largely interested in Texas lands and scrip,
of his Cabinet whose be given if shall be
deemed necessary in constant communication with him
the subject Mr. Tyler declares that the fact of nego
aon between Texas and the United States such pro-
found cabinet that he does believe the holders Of
stock or the of land knew any thing of what
going How happens it, then, we beg to know that
the 2sh of March, nineteen days before the tact publicly
in Washinuton. Mr. Bolts, in a public