Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-02-07
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The New Era being Inaugurated-The
present Democratic Congress came into being
more redolent Of pledges of economy, strict
construction, &c than any similar body pre-
ceding it from tho foundation of the Govern
ment. Yet they are evidently about to legal
Ire the policy Of the assumption Of the debts
Of the States, so heartily denounced by all
who ever ran for a seat in the United States
House of Representatives on Democratic
party ticket as the GROWING abomination Of
the 50 called Federal party. There can be
little doubt, from the tone Of matters in the
House yesterday, that this policy is about to
be initiata by the aid of large number of
nominal Democratic votes, as far as the action
Of Congress can fasten it on the Government
how far honorable gentlemen, who propose
hereafter to claim afiliation with the Demo.
cratic party, can reconcile participation in this
scheme, is their affair, not ours. We owe it to
the country, however, to let it know that such
Is the policy being deliberately inaugur ated
in the passage Of the Texas debt bill as it
came from the Senate We showed, yesterday,
that, for S6O,000 per annum of duties-not a
dollar of which could ever have gone to these
creditors Of a defunct independent gev-
eminent, had Texas remained independent
the United States gave not only the five milliors
which she stands ready to pay with interest,
but the FIVE millions already paid to Texas, on
virtual pledge that it would be appropriated
to the payment of her ante anne xation debts
We heard it alleged yesterday tkat the
lands acquired by the General Government
under the boundary law convention with
Texas, made it the duty of the United States
to pay more than the five millions and inter
est, to these urgent creditors To this we have
to say, that those lands never were, and never
will be, worth cent to the General Govern
ment. Texas reserved to herself every acre
OF her domain that will sell for one penny an
acre-transferring only such as the Indians
will ever hold, and an impudent claim to ter
ritory Of New Mexico For years we COM
batted, in Texas, this claim to New Mexican
territory, as involving the most preposterous
impudence ever dreamed of in the so usually
eItravagant claims Of the people Of a new
country. It frightened Congress however,
into agreeing to pay the ten millions under
the boundary law; impression being that
Texas was ready to play the your-money or
your-life. game-to invade New Mexico if the
National Legislature refused to pay her ten
millions to desist.
1t is now urged that the General Govern
ment owes Texas something on account Of
Mexico's claim on US for damage. done by
United States Indians on the Texas frontier
before Texas obtained her independecs Al.
silly and childish as this subterfuge is, 1t is
being pertinaciously insisted on as an excuse
for voting to take two millions from the United
States Treasury proposed to be donated to the
holders of Texas bonds. Neither in law nor
in equity has Texas, as a revolted province,
the right to set up such a claim. If We owed
any thing on that account, it was to Mexico.
and the debt vas wiped out by the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo. Texas took tenfold pay
from Mexico, for any such damage she may
have sustained, when she carried of by force
| three or four times her legal extent Of terri.
tory when she achieved her Independents &c.
Inc act OF annexation only takes from Texas
her customs revenue-uttcrly worthless, as
that was as security to her bond holders
and gave her in exchange the obligation to
protect her against external danger, then
always imminent. The Mexican war was q
heavy instalment of that obligation paid by
the GeneraI Government, which assumed no
obligation, moral or express, to pay her cred
itors, in addition to fighting her battles and
investing her citizens vith tenfold the ability
to pay them they previously had All these
are cogent facts, going to prove our declara.
tiog at the b9ei Timing of this article.
Senator OWNS Great Measure We sir.
cersly hope that Senator Gwin will urge to
happy conclusion, ere the session ard III.