Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-06-23
MIR. BENTON ON THE MEXICAN
WAR.

On the thirteen of May, Mr.. Benton address
ed the citizens of st. Louis in regard to the va
rious topics of public interest, in the course Of
which he thus noticed the war with Mexico:
The same annexation of Texas and its Sc
quence, the present war, with Mexico, was an
other of the great subjects on which he had
been called upon to act within the last few
years. This great drama, Mr.. b. said, divided
itself into many acts and covered long space
of time, during all which he had been an actor
in it, and he hoped a consistent and prudent
one. He considered this drama as being in
1919; when Mr.. Monroe's Cabinet ceded Texas
to Spain. 1t was then given away; and if it
had not been given away there could have been
no war with Mexico about getting it back
He denounced that treaty in many newspaper
articles as soon as it was made, and vowed at
the time unceasing efforts to get back the cedeo
province. Mr.. Adams administration, with
MIR. Clay Secretary of State, presented the first
opportunity to make the effort for its recovery.
Mr.. Cloy, "a monlher of tho House Of Eep-o-
sentatives, had severely condemned the treaty
which gave away Texas: Mr.. Adams had OPP
posed that article of the treaty at the council
table when the majority of Mr.. Monroe's Cabi-
net adopted it. But this was not known to him
(Mr. b. until long afterwards. His reliance
at that time was on Mr.. Clay, as a Western
man, and from his publicly known opinions on
the subject. He and Mr.. Clay were then
separating in the new division of political par
ties; but it did not prevent them from commu-
ming together on the subject of Texas, and CO.
operating to get her back. They had an in
terview at Tennison's Hotel at Washington.
Among other things intended by the new Ad-
ministration, Mr.. e. mentioned the recovery of
Texas: he (Mr. B. cordially concnrred, and
promised his faithful cooperation. The Adj
ministration made the attempt: he (Mr. B. }
wrote articles to promote it: but the scheme
failed. Mr. Poinsett was then minister in
Mexico, and favorable to the object, but could
not succeed: and so ended the first attempt to
recover back the great province which the un-
wise treaty of 1919 had given away. | speak
historically (sad Mr.. b. and justly, and with
out design to favor or to injure any man, but to
place Alright before my constituents my own
conduct. and that Of others, in this great drama
which has ended in war between two Repub-
lies. Mr.. Adams, at tn, council table, voted
against the article which gave Texas away.
Mr.. Clay, in the House of Representatives,
denounced the cession. They made the first
effort to get it back; and in speech which
processes to be fair and impartial, let Justice be
uOuC W GFCll dClOls L<CI SNCit Vic tdhc HIS
proper place for censure or for praise in the
great drama of the Texas question and its
bloody sequence.
The next attempt was in General Jackson s
time, Mr.. Van Buren, being Secretary of State
A large sum was offered than in the previous
Administration, but with no better result. The
negotiation miscarried, though zealously sup
ported by President Jackson, his Secretary of
State, and the Minister at Mexico. He (Mr.
B. co-operated with them, filling the newspa-
pers with articles in praise of Texas, and using
all the arguments for getting her back which
have since been repeated by others who gave
no help then. And so the second attempt to
repair the mischief of the treaty Of 1919 failed,
as the first had done.
The mission of General Memucan Hunt,
Minister from Texas, was the next serious at
tempt to bring Texas into the Union: but the
parties were then changed: it was after the bat
tie of San Jacinto. and Texas herself became
the applicant. Mr.. Van Buren, was then Pres
dent, Mr.. Forsyth his Secretary of State, and
both in favor of getting back the country. But
Texas and Mexico, though not fighting, had
not made peace; they were in the legal state of
war with respect to each other; and to have ad-
mitted Texas into the Union would have adopt
ed her side of the war, and to have placed the
United States at war with Mexico. Neither
justice nor policy permitted this, especially as,
iflet alone, they would make peace after awhile;
and then annexation could be effected without
a breach with Mexico. Upon this view thew
acted. He Mr.. B. concurred with them, and
so did all the people of the United States.
The question of admission ofTexas then went
to sleep, and was quietly waiting the end of the
war with Mexico. All the old friends to the
recovery of the country were willing to await
that event; but in the year 1912, during Mr..
Tylers administration, new set of friends,
who had cared nothing about Texas before, and
one of whom had given her away when he had
her, became fi,riops for immediate enncxa,ion;