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

| the side of the gun. Such an occurrence va.
well calculated to impress upon the survivor
| the truth of the divine lesson !: g g What shad
ows we are Twhat shadows we pursue-D' Blu
it had no effect upon the pursuit of the Presi
dental shadow Instantly Mr.. Calhoun wa
invited to take Mr. Upshurss place in the De
partment of State, and took it with an alacrity
and with a patropizing declaration which show
ed his zeal for the Texas movement, and a.
good as aNowed its paternity lie declared be
took the place for the Texas negotiation alone
and would quit it, as soon as that negotiation
should be finished. In brief, the negotiation
instead of pausing in the presence, of SO awful
a catastrophe, seemed to derive new life from
it, and to go forward with accelerated impetu.
osity. Mfr. Calhoun put his eager activity in
to it,; politicians became more vehement
newspapers more clamorous : the interested
classes, Gland and scrip speculators) swarmcd
at Washington, and Mr., Tyler embraced the
scheme with fervor which Induced the suspi-
cion that he had adopted the game for his own,
and intended to stand cast of the Presiden-
tial die upon it. aay.~
The. machinations of the COMMITTEES, though
greatly successful with individuals and with the
politicians with whom they could communicate,
did not?reach the masses, who remained firm
to Mr.. Van Buren, !; and it became necessary
to fall upon some new means of acting upon
them. This led to different use of the Jack
sou Texas letter from what had been intended.
1t was intended to have been kept in the back
ground, secret i'll the hands of it's possessors,
until the meeting of the e'convention-then sud
denly produced, to turn the scale between Mr..
Calhoun and Mr.. Van Buren,, and this design
had been adhered to for about the space of q
year, and the letter kept close it was then re-
Cured to as a means of rousing the masses.
Jacksen's name was potential with the peo-
pie, and it was deemed indispensable to bring
it to bear upon them.e The publication of the
letter was resolved upon, and the Giobe, news
paper selected for the purpose, and Mr.. Aaron
V. Brown to have it done. All this was iu-
dicious and regular The Globe had been the
organ OF General jackson, and therefore the
most proper paper to bring his sentiments be-
fore the pnblic. 1t was the advocate of Mr..
Van Buren's election, and therefore would pre-
vent the suspicion of sinistrous design upon
him. Mr.. Brown was the legal owner of the
letter, and processing friend of Mr.. Van Bu-
ren, and, therefore, the proper person to carry
it for publication s. ssrsE- r-,.fr-,ft -
He did SO but the editor, Mr. Blair. see.
ing NO good that it could do to Mr.. Van Bu-
ren, but, on the contrary, harm, and being SIM
cerely his friend, declined to publish it Z; aud,
after examination, delivered it back to Mr..
Brown. Shortly thereafter, to wit, on the 22d
of March, 1914, it appeared in the Richmond
Enquirer, post-dated, that is to say, the date
of lS43 changed into I844-whether by de-
sign or accident is not known but the post
date gave the letter a fresher appearance, and
more vigorous application to the Texas ques-
ton The fact that this letter had got back
to Mr.. Brown, after having been given up to
Mr. g liner, proved that the letter travelled
in circle while kept secret, and went from
hand to hand among the initiated as needed
for use. ID. 4 fy - ,-- ~
The time had now come for the interroga-
tion of the candidates, and it was done with all
the tact which the delicate function required
The choice of the interrogation was the first
point. He must be friend, ostensible if not
real to the party nterrogated If real, he
must himself be deceived, and made to believe
that he was performing a kindly service I: if
not he must still have the appearance. And
for Mr.. Van Burcn's benefit suitable per
former was found in the person of Mr.. Hamett.
representative in Congress from Mississippi,
whose letter was model for the occasion, and,
in fact, has been well followed since 1t abound
ed in professions Of friendship to Mr. Van Bu-
ren-approached him. for his own good-soHght
his opinion from the best Of motives and urg-
ed a categorical reply, for or against, immedi-
ate annexation. The sagacious Mr.. Nan Bu-
ren was no dupe of this continuance, but took
counsel from what was due to himself and
answered with eandor, decorum and dignity
He was against immediate annexation, because
it was war with Mexico, but for it when il
could be done peaceably and honorably: and
lie was able to present a very fair record, hav-
ing been in favor of getting back the country,
Tin way to avoid difficulties with Mexico, }
when Secretary of State, under President Jack
son. His letter was sent to a small circle OF
friends at Washington before it was delivered
to its address but TO be delivered immediate
ly which was done, and soon went into the
papers. Mr.. Calhoun had superseded the ne
cessity of Interrogation in his letter of accep-
tance of the State Department he was q hot
anneXationSt although there was an ugly re-
cord to be exhibited against him. In his al
most thirty years of public life he had never
touched Texas, except for his own purposes. -
In 1919, as one of Mr. Monroe's cabinet, he
had concurred in giving it away, in order to
conciiate the anti-slavery interest in the north
east by curtailing slave territory in the south
west. In 1886, he moved her immature an
nexation, i'll order to bring the question into
the Presidential election Of that year, to the
prejudice of Mr. Van Buren and urged in
stant action, because delay was dangerous
Having joined MIR. Van Buren, after his elec-
ton, and expecting to become his successor, he
dropped the annexation for which he had been
SO impatient, and let the election of 1910 pass
by without bringing it into the canvass and
now revived it for the overthrow of Mr.. Y Nai
Buren and for7th excitement of q sectional
controversy, by placing the annexation oil
strong sectional grounds. And now, at the
approach of the election In, 1874, after yearl
of silence. he becomes the head advocate of an