Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-10-19
K CIRCULAR
OF HON. THOMAS H. BAYLY, OF VIRGINIA,
TO HIS CONsTITURNTs

| OF HON. THOMAS H. BAYLY, OF VIRGINIA,
TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.
To my Constituents: The most eventful session of Con
ess which has ever been held under the constitution jus
terminated On other occasions have 90 many questions
upon the determination of which the very existence of III
Government depended, occupied is deliberations The pub
lie mind b still agitaed In respect them aad although
am down with Its protTaced labors and ann anxious
return 70 my home from which have been absent for nea
eleven months, yet feel to be my duty nger here Ions
enough pen this address to you. would rather appea
before you in person, but that is impossible.
desire TO review the different to which have
alluded, and prefer to do it in the order in which they be-
came laws. 1855
The first in ths. order is the act proposing the State
Texas the establishment Of her northern sod western bou
dsry the REIMBURSEMENT of all territory claimed by her exte
o to that boundary and all her claims upon the United
States, and estabshDs Territorial Government for New
Mexico. sf ss4s
This act has three distinct features First be proposs "a
Texas to her northern and boundary second
the Government provided for New Mexico vhd the pro-
vision which Is made for ths Texan debt As il rests wa
Texas herself accept or reject the proposal respect her
boundary made to her would that standing by ITSELF
disconnected with other msss there could be aohng OBJ
ectonable in it. The Territorial Government for New Mexi-
is in the usual form, and without any restriction to
slavery II therefore, II disconnected with sxtraneous
considerations is impossible there would have been
against in either House Of Congress Next the Texan
debt Texas while she Independent republic,
acted heavy liabilities She pledged for their payment her
revenues But whom she admitted into this Union she
surrendered to her ships, forts asenas cust0m.house
cusomhsuse revenues, her and munitions Of war; and
her public buildings, with their sites. Il would that
when took her Of paying her debt which spe
cicaly pledged for its redemption, we took them "cum
onere subject to the lien upon them and that are
bound for those debts especially the which hold
than sufficient for their discharge II is said how
ever that in the resolutions Of annexation is stipulated that
the United States should not be liable for the debts of Texas
But must be remembered that the creditors of Texas
parties to that stipulation, and consequently bound
byt Such being the case the opinion has extensively pre-
vailed and has been daily gaining strength with the states
Of the country that boundr the debts Of Texas
would seem, therefore, that there ought be but little OBJ
lection to the provision for them and there would be-
the question not connected with Others But the SUBJ
ect Of slavery has been connected with all of these quesons
and there lies the whole difficulty. Il is said dsmember
Texas But il cannot be done without her consents and
cannot her to protect her interest II is re-
piled that bbe her to consent Let examine this
er and the whole extent Of this brbe There has been
shown to official statement which believe Texas
has allowed to be published showing where the debt
Texas is held That statement shows that very little il
held in Texas should have been quite Of this with
seeing the document for her debt contracted during
her for independence when her people poor and
faxed to the u Of their capacity bear taxation and
he certainty IS her loans contracted elsewhere. Few
therefore, of the people of Texas have any interest this
bondhoder Texas is taxing her people to pay
debt Tho bill under consideration will relieve them from
burden which they feel and they have, therefore,
little direct interest in this view Of the Indeed they
less than the people Of Virginia II will be recoected
hat Gen. Hamilton many years ago. disposed OF James
,ond guaranteed by the State and Texas obtained the BEN
,6 Virginia paid the bonds, although she received
,ey Events beyond his control made impossible for him
refund but, in the most honorable MANNER he hypoheca
ed Texan bonds security to Virginia. That security will
available and to the extent Of the debt about
hundred and thirty thousand dollars principal and interest
ny memory me, will the Virginia treasury be relieved
md people, too, in the shape of taxes But will any
ay that Virginia is bbed! Or that she will be Influenced
It all by what have referred to
Besides the United States in the bill have passed. has
acknowledged her obligation to provide for the debt of Texas
She will, therefore, know that even she reject this bill
hereafter repudate that obligation without disgrace
The interest which Texas has in the bill Is the interest
which every State has in preserving its credit and honor
be doubted that it will add ultimately greatly her
prosperity to have the incubus of her pubic debt removed
rom her shoulders Without credit she construct
to develop her vast in condition Of
epudaon Of character and capital 10th to connect
heir fortune with hers the fear that day another she
will resort to heavy taxation to pay her debt deters emga
from her borders. Remove that incubus and her strides
prosperity will be long and rapid. She will be in condi
ion 10 be divided into two States if it shall be desirable long
before New Mexico will be in condition to into the
Union State Indeed at distant day, she will be in
condition in which her right to be formed into four Saes in
addition the present State secured in the articles of
ion and reassered in the bill under consideration would be
enforced.
The question which will be submitted to Texas will be, |
whether her prosperity WILDE promoted by this bill twill
not she will reject it. II it will she will acceptit she will
benefited and strengthened by this bill, will the South
be- Whatever contributes the strength Of Of the South
States contributes to the strength Of all There can be
conflict the interest ofTexss and the other Southern States
willing trust Texas to decide where she is directly in
erested and where indirectly bat decidedly interested
on the same side with her. And the because be-
ieve she will decide wisely.
also said that the bill converts slave territory into free
SOIL This propositions absolutely econclable
with each other; yet both Of them mnst be established before
the truth Of the assertion be sustained. that
the territory transferred is Texan territory and that the
stution and laws Of Texas do extend it. itbe Tex
territory in which slavery exists it will continue to exist
after the transfer for the act establishing territorial govern
ment does not change its character It be not Texan terri
tory then its character also remains unchanged and slave
ritory is not converted into free soil.
The assertion am commenting upon is not only untrue,
but the revere Of it is true The bill forythee
thousand six hundred and hiyeven square miles Of free
soil into slave territory, the people residing upon shall SO
decide when they form constitution preparatory coming
into the Union State BY the resolutions Of annexation
ii is provided
New States of convenient sze not exceeding four in
NUMBER addition the said State Of Texas, and having
sufficient population may hereafter by of said State,
be formed out Of the territory thereof which shall be entitled
States be formed out Of that portion of said
territory lying south Sc deg so mn of north latitude
monty the Missouri compromise line, shall be adj
mitted into the Union NTH fota slavery, the pese Of
each State asking admission may dss And in such State
States shall be formed of said territory north OF said
Missouri compromise line, slauey Involuntary serritude
ercept for crime shall be prohibited =,
Most Of the territory last referred to included within the
limits of New Mexico.
The act establishing Territorial Government for New
Mexico provides
That when admitted State the said Territory any
portion the same shall be received into the Union NTH