Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-11-10

from advance sheets OF Benton Thirty ears View in
the press Of the Messrs Appleton.l
H..st- ------- . .-.- ta|S 80
AMMO 1914. JOHN TYLER, PRESIDENT. .1.
PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION BOLD
INTRIGUE FOR THE N2NINATIoN GEN. jack
sons TExAs LETTER IT'S SECRET HISTORY
..-.".st ~ a-.lE .tas s..I. aF
In the winter of 1928, nearly two years
before the Presidential election. there appear
ed in a Baltimore newspaper an deliberately
romnosed letter on the annexation of Texas,
written by Mr. timer, a member of Congress
from Virginia, urging the immediate annexa-
tion as necessary to forestail the designs of
Great Britain upon the young country. These
designs, it was alleged, aimed at political and
military domination on our southwestern bor-
der with view to abolition and hostile move
meuts against us :; and the practical part of
the letter was an earnest appeal to the .Ameri-
can people to annex the Texas republic imme-
tatelv, as the only means of preventing such
GREAT caamiticS This letter was clap of
thrnder in clear sky There was nothing
in the political horizon to announce or portend
il. Great Britain had given no symptom of
anv disposition teawar upon us, or to excite
instruction among our slaves Texas and
Mexico were at war, to annex the country was
10 adopt the war; Ear from fastening annex
alton an event desirable in itself whenit could
be honestly done, premature and iil-judged
attempt. npon gronndless pretexts, could only
,log aud dcy it There was nothing i'm the
position Of Mr. Gilmer to make him a prime
mover in the annexation scheme and there
was much in his connections with Mr.. Calhoun
tn make hilI the reflector of that Gentleman's
opinions. The letter itself was a counterpart
Of the movement made By Mr. Calhoun in the
Senate, in 1886, to bring the Texas question
into the Presidential election of that year :;
its arguments were the amplifcation of the
seminal ideas then presented by that gentle
man: and it was his known habit to operate
through others Mr.. q inner was a close polit-
ica friend, and known as q promnlgator of his.
dotrincS-haying been the FIRST TO advocate
nuilGcation i'll Virginia. r. r.saf
Putting all these circumstances together, 1
believed the moment | SAW it, that disccrned
the finger of Mr. Calhoun in that letter, and
that an enterprise of some kind was on foot
for the next Presidential clectio@---thougil still
50 far of therefore put an eye on the move
mcnt, and by observing the progress of the
letter, the papers i'll which it was re-published,
their comments, the cncomiums which it re-
cciyed, and the }NiSc meetings inwhich it was
commended, became satisfied that there was
no mistake in referring its origin to that gen
tleman and became convinced that this move
mcnt was the resumption of the premature
and aboftiye attempt of ! $50. In the course
of the summer of 1913 it had hecn taken up
generally in the circle of Mr.. Calhouns friends,
and with a zeal and pertinacity wich betrayed
the spirit Of presidential canvass Conci-
dent with these symptoms, and indicative of Il
determined movement on the Texas question:
WAS pregnant circumstance i'll the executive
branch of the government. Mr. " cbstcr
who had been prevailed upon to remain in Mr..
Tvlcr's cabinet when all his colleagues of lS4l
left their places, now resigned his place. also
induced, as it was well known, by the altered
department. of the President towards him /; and
was succeeded first by Mr.. Legare, of South
Carolina and on his early death, by Mr.. Up
shur Of Virginia. f ...
Alr. Webster was in1exibly opposed to the
Texas aHucyation, and also to the presidential
elevation Of Mr. Calhoun the two gentlemen,
his successors were both favorable to anneXa-
ton, and one Mr. UpShur) extremely so to
Ar, Calhoun SO thatsher were two steps
taken in tue suspected dirccton---an obstacle
removed and facility substituted This change
III the head Of the State department, upon
Whatever motive produced, was Indispensable
10 The success Of the Texas movement, and
could only have been made for some great
cause never yet explained, seeing the service
winch Mr.. Webster did Mr.. Tyler in remain
Ing with him when the other ministers Withdrew.
.laothcr sign appeared in the conduct of the
iFesIdant himself lie was undergoing another
FAaAge. Long IL Democrat, and successful IN
getting Office at that, he had become whig,
'lI win StIl greater success. Democracy had
carried linn to the Senate whiggism elevated
yum to the Presidency. He was now
settling back, as shown in previous chapter,
"%aFds his original party, but that wing of it
"l,c.i c had gone off with Mr. Calhoun in the
"AihcafiQn war-a natural line Of retrogres-
s'h on his part, as he had Travelled it in his
~, TS'St from the democratic to the whig camp.
iF papers i'll his interest became rampant for
ly4as, and III the course Of the autumn, the
."Aof became current and steady that negotia-
s'lS We're in progress for annexation, and that
success was certain
arriving at Washington at the commence
Is'l OF the session of 1913 IA, and descend
,as n5 ine steps Of the Capitol in throng Of
=, t.l'oeFS on the evening of the first days sit
.",s, was accosted by Mr. Aaron " Brown,
'Wcsehtatiye from Tennessee, with express
Y"S u great qualification at meeting with
r, r., - soon and who Immediately showed the
i aEg % ol his qualification to be the opportunity
@ Gt'''aed ~ y, INN to speak to me on the subject
N a. s leXas annexation. He spoke of it as
n d aui' hdn@ and probable event compliment
HI ''' '1 my carly opposition to the relnquish