The North-Carolina standard., 1849-08-01


approval and run the hazard of resolving the votes
of two-thirds of the members present which could
hardly be expected. if we are TO Judge tom recent
experience This ofitself is considered BY the Rres
ident as conclusive reason for proposing the resou
tion of the House, instead of the amendment OF the
Senate, as the basis of annexation.
The above extract will place you ia possession OF
the leading reasons for making the selection EVents
prove that the selection judicious. Texas was
annexed against every effort of open enemies and
treacherous friends both here and there. and the
most strenuous efforts to- defeat by England ana
France; and by it your weak and most exposes nank
was protected against danger from without and the
Vaccinations of abolitionists and their abettors al
home. 1t great victory, both tor your cause
and the country, and felt to be so at the time.
That it due to the selection made, nave the
HIGHEST authority. Mr. Donaldson, in his letter to
me after annexation achieved, said that any oth-
er but that pursued, would have defeated IL.
But Col. Bepton now objects, that the House reso.
luton contained provision TO extend tue m1SsouIi
Compromise line to the Western boundary OF Texas,
and asserts that this extension abolished slavery IN
the State meaning, as suppose, that It prevented
the introduction of slaves In the poron te
line wnen at the time there were no settlements or
slaves It was not seems, the resolution OF those
who voted for it, and passed it, and among them
himself whose vote could have defeated IL tnat aoo
ished slavery he calls 1T, but l. who made the Sc
lection of the House resolution, In preference to ms
amendment. The slightest agency, 1t seems, on my
part, in reference to any measure makes me solely
responsible for the whole. 1t would be better at
once for him take the ground, that only am res
ponsible for all the misdeeds OF the government,
since came into public life, whether OF commission
mr. onission Bpttwhat could do - The President
had to act and to select the other resolutions
his the House. The selection was LETT to him.
If that of the House was taintedby the Missouri Com
promise with abotonism as be states, his resolution
was much more deeply infected. l have his own
words for the assertion He declared, his amend
ment, as adopted by the Senate, was the same with
the string of resolutions he had introduced at the pre-
kL1 1H.as,o Eln
also declared, that they generalized and COM
prised in one, oidobjections to details. One OF
this string of resolutions thus covered under general
terms, divide Texas into two equal parts, by
line drawn North and South, OF which the western
part was TO be subject to the ordinance of '87. A
measure, coming from quarter so hostile and ac-
companied by such adeclaraton, was justly suspect
ed as Intending mischief 1t was so considered, gen
orally, by the friends of annexation the Senate, and
was assented to reluctantly and only because he had
few supporters, who with himself held the balance,
and refused to vote for the resolution of the House
without the amendment Among them, if my memo
~ serves me, was his friend Haywood, who was tor
covering all Texas and the whole region Norh of
$50 80 with the ordinance of 87. IfmeO ID GnoGs cf
dOnG fereHtes. 3
come now to the last of his charges, that Iaban-
doned the South, and left him and few others alone
by the side of the il-fated owners of the Comet En-
comium, Enterprise, and Creole. He does not state
by what act abandoned you, but leaves it to ben.
ferred from his remarks, that it was by voting in IA
Of the Ashburton treaty, which contained no supu
lation in favor of the of those vessels II is
trick of his to make his charges very vaguely,
make it difficult to detect his errors and rePel
his slanderous attacks. admit that voted for the
treaty. ! did more-I delivered speech
in its favor which, in the opinion of its friends,
edit from rejection Its fate w6s doubtful! The oppo
son, headed by Col Benton, was violent, and it re-
quired two-thirds to confirm tile treaty. ] am willing
take whatever share ofresPonsibility he may think
proper toallot TO for voting for it. look with no
the belief that rendered then great and permanent
service to the country For it's adoption the first
link, in that series of by which war between
Great Britain and rs was averted. Who Is there
blind, as see that if the treaty had been
rejected, war could not have been avoided The
two countries were in truth, on the very eve OF
rupture the way events were moving at the time,
without either being aware OF 1t. AT the very next
session the Oregon question for the first time assum
ed dangerous and MANAGING aspect. bill was in
troduced Immediately after its opening, which cover
cred the whole of that territory the object of which
was to tocommence systematically, the work OF cooni-
zation and settlement on our part. took my seat
the Senate two three weeks after the commence
men of the session. and found the bill its passage,
without opposition and apparently without divis-
ion of opinion. / saw danger to the peace Of the
two countries, and that the time had conc to take
a stand to save it, l determined to do my duty,
regardless of consequences to myself ] arose, and
opposed it, and thereby exposed myself to the OPP
position of The entire west, which was strongly In
its favor. MY name then, as well as when the Ash-
burton treaty pending in the Senate, was before
the people for the highest honor in their g-paced
there, not by myself but by my friends. Did then
permit the low motive of aiming at the Presidency,
to which he attributes my course on the treaty, to
sway me from the path of duty
My stand prevented the bill from becoming law,
and that constituted the second link in the series of
causes, by which we were enabled to avert war be-
tween the two countries. Col. Benton then went for
the bill and was l believe for the whole of Oregon.
Had the treaty been rejected the preceding session,
the stand took and the resistance made to the bill,
would have been all in vain. 1t would have passed,
and the country precipitated into war but it was
time was gained, which all important The
agitation, however, kept up about Oregon, and
similar bills were introduced the two succeeding
sessions, which failed by small majorities In the
mean time, negotiations were commenced and the
claim to the whole of Oregon made. The cry was
favor that both parties yielded it in the early part
of the session. had resigned my seat in the Senate
but was reelected short time before the session
commenced, and took my seat several weeks after
wards. and felt the strength of the current but
resolved breast it, and the peace of the whole
country if possible 1t was arrested and counter
current created. Col. Benton himself yielded to the
counter current, and delivered speech after the battle
was won, in which he belabored those who stuck to
IS all or none - after he found that they were in
minority. 1t was this chain of causes of which the
Ashburton treaty the first and indispensable link
which averted war, and by it saved the countries
from of The greatest calamtes which could have
befalen them, and, might add, the civilized world
shall ever remember, with proud satisfaction, that
took prominent lead and highly responsible part
on the side of peace throughout the whole.
Laso admit, that the treaty contained no stipulation
in favor of the of the vessels, nor any to pre-
vent similar ourages in future. 1t was an objection