Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-07-25

inio Two parts, as nearly equal az posslblc
by line running north and south, and to
allut The eastern 10 you, and the western
to The aboliionis's, 10 the entire exclusion
of your increasing slaus population" 1t
can hardly be, that he forgot all this in de-
livering his speech; but, il moi, what
malcbess eff'iunlery and Inconsistency lo
make The charge he does against lne!
There would indeed seem 10 be no limits
to his audacily and Inconsistency. and he
appears 10 have selected Texas as prope-
field 10 make the greatest display of :hem.
As il 10 cap the climax after having so de-
Iberately asserted, and so srrenuously
maintained, that The western boundary Of
Texas, dit! not extend to the Rio Grande,
he placed, short time afterwart, bis vote
on record. that j, did-by voting for the
bill declaring war against Mexico. The
bill assumed it did in asserting that the
blood shed on the eastern bank was blood
shed on The American soil. which coulrl not
be unless Texas extended to The Rio
Grande. Ifit cid not the war stands with
out justification. IL it did not The march
of our army 10 the Rio Grande was an in
vasion Of neighboring Country unaulho'
rized hv the Constitution or law and yet
Col. Benton. who had but short time he.
fore declared solemnly, after full invesIga-
ton, that all the east bank of the river
for some hundred miles wide belonged 10
the Mexican Republic; and emphalicalIy
declared, he washed his hands Of all at
lem,ts 10 dismember the Mexican Repub-
lie, by seizing her dnminions, New Mexi.
CO. Chihuahua, Coahuila, and TaumauIi-
pas" voted for the bill Flo went further.
He reported it as the Chairman of the Com
mltee on military affairs, in total disre.
gard of his own motion made the day be-
fore 10 refer 80 much Of the Message Of the
President, as relates TO declaring war 10 its
appropriate Committeeman on Foreign
relations. Commen, is unnecessary.
Blu, / am not yet done with Texas. nor
with the effrontery and absurdiiy Of the
charges he made against me, in reference
to it. lie says ! gave it: away-gavc il
away by the Florida treaty. Flow cnuli
I give il away by that, or any other treaty :?
The power to make treaties belongs 10 the
President, and never was invested in me.
II was al the time invested in Mr.. Monroe,
as President of the Uuted States. Nor
did l negotiate it. | was only one member
Of the cabinet, and the youngest Of the
whole. How could /, then, give away
Texas? To prove The charge he resorts
to his old patent reasoning; that was all
powerrul-so much so, as to make the
President and all the members of his cabi
mel mere cypbers. He would haveit, that
they wore but tools in my hands; and
alone was responsible for all that was done.
Wel-if he will have it 50, meet the
charge directly. 1t is not true, that the
Florida treaty gave awi Texas. | did
not believe, when the treaty was made.
that Louisiana extended, or ever did ex.
tend to the Rio Grande, or even to the
Nueces, and thar it was uncertain whether
it extended beyond the Sabine. | knew
I was claimed to extend far beyond. even
to The Rio Grande; JUST as we claimed
the whole Of Oregon. aud with just about
as little title. have seen nothing to change
this opinion: On the contrary, if my in-
fOrmaul is scassA~.--t------->-. .-.----.'.'-
m the State Department, obtained within
the last few years, which couclusively
prove, that Louisiana never extended an
inch beyond the Sabine.
In reply TO Col. Benlon's assaults as to
the treaty, annex an abstract from a
speech in answer 10 him, when he made
the same charge, in lS47. 1t was an off,
hand reply to prenedtated attack.
1.-The Florida Treaty, forming another
subject Of attack, figured also on that oc-
casion, is connected with annexation; and
what he said now is but a repetition Of
what he said then. He then, as now, made
me responsible for that treaty. although |
was but nne of six members Of Mr. Mon
roe's cabinet, and the youngest Of its mem.
without advancing a
particle OF proof that l even gave i, my
supper, or appreciation. He rests The charge
on some disclaimer, as it seems that The
then Secretary of State Mr.. Ad,ms) has,
at some time made, tha, he wa, not res
ponsible rorille treaty. The Senator may
be right as to that; but how can that, by
any possibility, show that I was RESPONSE
BILE But ] am prepared 10 uke my full
share of responsibility. as a member of
MIR. Monroe's cabinet, wilhouthaving any
particular agency in forming tie treaty, or
influence in inducing The csbiIet TO adopt
it. | then thought, and still lhak it good
treaty; and so thought The Snare of The
United States; for If my memGy does not
deceive me, it received everyvole of the
Senate. A Senator: "yes very vote"
1t then received the unanimousvole of the
Senate, promptly given. o course, if
that treaty was the cause of lie war with
Mexico, as the Senator seemsto suppose,
this body is as much the authr and cause
of the war, as The individual q whom he
is now so anxious 10 fix it.
have said it is good lreaS. not with
out due reflection. We acquitd much by
it. 1t gave US Florida-an ACQUISITION not
only important in itself, but so in rele-
renee 10 the whole soulhwestrn frontier.
There was. at that lime, ror powerful!
tribes Of indians, two of whom the Creeks
and the Choctaws, we're contis sous to Flo
rida, and The TWO others-the !hickasaws
and Che,okees were adjoining They were
the most numerous and power rll tribes in
the United States, and from ttir position
were exposed to be acted on nd excited
r. !