The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-07-25
an active part to defeat the treaty.of annexa.
ton, negotiated by me on The, part Of the United

an active part to defeat the treatysof anneza-
ton, negotiated by me on The, part Of the United
States. He knows that il contained nopro'
visions that countenanced the abolition of slave
ryin any portion of Texas. was strongly
s4urged during the negotiation 10 insert ProyIs
,sion to. extend the Missouri compromise line
sneross Texas TO its western boundary, and was
gsiufosned that it would aid in securing consti'
etutional majority in, the Senate, in its favor
I peremptoriy refused. He knows that he
offered proposition 10 abolish il in one halt o'
the whole Of frfexas, and tha, by line, not
drawn east and west, but north and south, SO as
TO hem uthe Sonth on all sides; by surrounding
her with abolition States. 1. He also knows,
that his friend and supporter on the occasion,
eMr. HAYWARD, of North Carolina, went still
[inrther, and offered resolutions to extend the
yordinance ofI77s, not only over all of Texas,
but even all the Territories lying west OF
Arkansas and Missouri, and south OF 80 30,
with however a proviso excepting the portion
s1of Texas lying south of a line drawn east and
west In the 34lh degree of parallel OF latitude.
The presumption is strong that in offering his
resolution, he acted with his friend Col. Benton,
10 whose course he adhered on the Texas
question. But, be that as it may, certain 1t is
he sat mute He raised no voice of indignation
sagainst a measure which proposed to exclude
slavery forever from that very region, which he
charges me with having given away to the
Indians, and losing it to the South. As bad as
The policy of AIR; ADAMS and Gen. Jackson
may be- in reference 10 that region, they did not
exclude slavery. = The Indians, who occupy IT,;
are shareholders, and having an interest in
common with. you. may be regarded as faithful
allies on that vital question. The resolutions
Of his friend ,Mr. Hayward were designed to
deprive YOU of this advantage; and yet Colonel
Benton now raises his voice in loud denuncia-
ton against me upon the false charge Of giving
away sthe territory to the Indians, while he
;appfoved, at least by his silence, of excluding
YOU entirely from the territory, and one half
Texas to boot, and to extend the princi pie of
the ordinance Of 's7 over the whole, including
Texas and the territories. So much for his
own position, in reference to the subject of the
charge. - - ;, -.
Inow remains to show that it is, like all his
other charges, destitute Of foundation. He
resfs his charge thatI abolished slavery in Tex.
as, OF, the fact that / was then Secretary of
State, and that selected the resolution, as it
passed, ,Iuo. I1OuSo vi RepiSoohtot'Se3 i"SsNea
81. the amendment originally proposed by him,
as the basis on which TO annex Texas. Thus
iar.;hs has departed from his usual rule and
stated facts correctly. shun no responsibility.
I am willing 10 take the whole on this occasion;
but il Is dsie to the President and the members
Of his administration to say-they were unan.
NOUS in favor of the selection made. not only
selected il, but assignedmy reasons for making
II, in a despatch to our then Minister TO Texas,
Nj. Donaldson. | assigned them becaute l
anticipated that there would be an attempt to
undo what was done, after the expiration of Mr.
Tyfer's administration. This | was resolved
20 prevent, by stating reasons for The selection
that could not be oyerruled. The attempt, as
suspected, was made, and the late President
has siuce been arraigned before the public By
two friends and associates of Col. Benton
(Biair and Tappan,) because he could not be
f5rsed to overrule what his predecessor had
done. The following is an extract from the
despatch:
= alt is not deemed necessary to state at large
the grounds on which his decision rests. The
Presideni.) 1t will be sufficient to state,
Briefly, that the provisions Of the resolution, as
It came from the House, are more simple in
their character, may be more readily, and with
less difficulty and expense, carried into effect,
and that the great object contemplated by them
IS much less exposed to the hazard Of ultimate
defeat.
That they are more simple in their character,
avery few remarks will suffice 10 show
Recording 10 the resolution as it came from the
House. nothing more is necessary than that the
Eongress Of Texas should be called together,
iis consent given TO the provisions contained in
IL, and the adoption Of a constitution by the Peo.
ME IN Convention, to be submitted to the
Congress Of the United States for its approval,
In the same manner as when one of our own
territories is admitted as State. On the con-
tracy, according to the provisions ofthe Senate s
auaendmsnt the Congress Of Texas must in
like manner, be convened, it must then 60
through the slow and troublesome process OF
carving a State out of part Of its territory !;
afterwards It mnst appoint agents or commits.
sionersto meet similar agents or commissioners,
TO be appointed on our part, to discuss and agree
on the terms and conditions on which the State
shall be admitted, and the cession of the re-
naming territory TO the United States; and
after all this, and not before, the people of the
said State must call a convention, frame a
constitution, and then present it to the Con-
gress Of the United States for its approval, but
which cannot be acted on, until the terms
agreed, upon by the negotiators, and which
constitute the conditions on which the State is
TO be admitted, shall have been ratified.
~ That they may be more readily and with less
difficulty and expense carried into effect, is
plain from the iact that the details are fewer
nnd less complex. 1t is obvious that the nu.
merous and complicated provisions contained
in the amendment Of the Senate, must involve
much time and difficulty in their execution 8
while as to the expense, the appropriation o
@1nn nA0 nror;dnd for hy IL is q cenr addilnna]