The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-10-11
From the New York Tribune.
PRESTON KING.

Preston King has always been Democrat
OF the Radical or Silas Wright school, AS
such, ne was sent to the Legislature of 1867,
ana OF 1878; as such, he was chosen to
Congress IN 1872, and reelected in 1914, SER
wing from November, lS43, to March, IS47. In
l846, the Representative of his district was
taken, IN accordance with a previous under
standing, from Lewis county, instead of St.
Lawrence.
When he went into Congress, the Demo-
cratic majority were, as they usually are, under
Southern influence and leadership. Against
the most earnest efforts of Mr.. King and his
section of the party, the annexation of Texas
was soon after made party war-cry and issues,
Mr.. Van Buren, being discarded as a candidate
tor PRESIDENT, and James X. Polk nominated
IN his stead Mr.. Van Buren, acuuiesced in
this decision; so did Sas Wright and his friends,
OF whom Preston King was one. Polk was
elected, and annexation thereby secured But
MIR. Wright had proclaimed during the canvass,
that Texas should only be annexed under such
conditions as to render that result no triumph
OF Slavery over Freedom. A great Convention
OF the Radical Democracy of our State at Her
kIner affirmed the same doctrine. Mr.. King
fully sympathized with these avowals. And,
when called upon to vote in the House on the
naked question of annexation, he recorded his
vote in the megatiue. Even the Commercial,
which undertook to deny our first assertion of
this fact, has been compelled, by the weight of
record evidence, to admit it. 1t SAYS:
ION the 18th of January, l845, the Com
mittee OF the Whole House reported an amend
ment to the joint resolution for annexing Tex
as, introduced by Mr.. Ingersoll on the 18th of
December; and on the question of agreeing
to the amendment, Preston King and Wash
in1gton Hunt both voted in the negative; as
also on the questions of engrossng the resolu-
ton and reading third time. On the passage
OF the resolution, both again roted IA the mega
tue"
| This was the only time that Preston King
ever voted directly on the question, "Shall
Texas be annexed to the United States?" prior
to such admission. But several incidental votes
| were atterward taken on an amendment intend
| ed to render the proposition more acceptable
to the friends of Van Buren,, Benton. and
| Wright; and on these Mr.. King voted with the
majority, expecting that the Pro-Slavery aspects
of Annexation would thereby be modified
Pledges to this effect had been obtained from
MIR. Polk, already in Washington, but not yet
installed in the White House. But John Tyler
day or two before his Hegira, dispatched 8
messenger to Texas, announcing his acceptance
of the original and more Objectionable plan Of
Annexation, and thus the hopes of Col. Benton
|
Congress dissolved on the Sd of March-two OF
three days after the final passage of the Annex
ing Resolves. But, the negotiations having
meantime been effected, Annexation came De
fore the next Congress December, l945) fol
final action; and then-the Pro-Slavery aspect
of the measure having been developed beyond
all doubt-Preston King, Bradford R. Wood
and Charles A. Wheaton, radical Democrat:
from this State,) voted No on the admission o
Texas with her Pro-Savery Constitution. And
Judge Culver (also member, and voting with
them) related at Syracuse that, just after this
vote was given, he walked down the steps of the
Capitol with Mr.. King, and expressed his salts
faction at the vote the latter had just recorded
when Mr.. King responded: II will never give
any vote whereby the power of Slavery is in
creased or its dominion extended" This vote
the Commercial, though it seems to have
searched the records assiduously, has contrivet
to overlook; nor does it say anything of the
original and earnest support of the Wilmo
Proviso by Mr.. King, nor of his uniform ant
stern opposition to the Nebraska perfdy ant
the whole series of pefarious measures whereby
Slavery has been planted in Kansas, and nov
disputes with Freedom the mastery of tina
Territory. The more distant and dead the
issue, the better it seems to suit the ends O
our cotemporary