The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-14

Nothing could be more material to the ad-
vancement of the Slave Power than the extern
sion of the slave territory, and the erection of
new slave States within the Union. In the year
when the Missouri Compromise was forced
through by the Slavery tactics, Mexico estab-
lished her independence of Old Spain. In 1924,
she decreed a prospective manumission of
slaves. In 1929, she followed it by a law of
immediate and unconditional emancipation,
which Texas, one of her provinces, presently
after took measures to execute within her own
domain.
BY appliances from within and from without,
Missouri was wrought into a spasm not unlike
that which she has more recently exhibited by
the apprehension of having freedom establish
ed so near her borders. writer always I'M
derstood to be Mr.. Benton) under the signatures
of "Americanus and ala Salle," in series
of communications to the Missouri newspapers,
widely republished in the Southern States, ar
gued: l. The Importance of providing new Sc
curities for the slave interest in the national
councils; 2. The necessity of opening new
field for slave cultivation, and a new market
for men; 3. The insecurity and depreciation of
slave-property incident to the contiguity of a
free Republic. The matter was taken up at
Washington. President Jackson instructed Mr.
Poinsett, then Minister in Mexico, to offer four
or even five millions of dollars for the purchase
of Texas. Mexico was greatly in want of money
and our diplomacy with her proceeded to deal
in threats as we'll as Establishments. But she
would not be persuaded to sell by Mr.. Poinsett,
or by Mr.. Butler, his successor. In 1880, she
began to be approached in a more effective
way. President Jackson's friend, Gen. Hous-
ton, formerly Governor of Tennessee, went to
Texas, and Louisiana paper announced that
ho hod 70 nlrtin nd hot
its readers might expect shortly to hear of his
raising his flag" The approved .tli6ustering
machinery, civil and military, was presently
going. In December, 1885, about ninety per-
sons. not pretending to be delegated for such a
service, and all but two of them bearing Amer
lean names, published a Declaration of indie
pendence for Texas, at La Bahia, or Goliad.
In March, 1886, Convention of Delegates met
at place called Washington, and sent out a
more formal declaration, subscribed by forty
four names, three or four apparently those of
natives. President Jackson ordered General
Gaines over the frontier, to keep match upon the
Indians. Volunteers, collected by public ad-
vertisements in the newspapers of the Southern
cities, Joined Houston's standard. In April,
1886, eight hundred men, of which number it
has been asserted, on good authority that all
but fifty were freebooters, fresh from the Uni
ted States, defeated the President of Mexico at
St. Jacinto, and the provisional independence
of Texas was established
Possibly the figures in the above table may all be
precisely correct but there is such TO affect
the The Presidential term OF ISii kon-
ed in both coumns-once the Administration of Harr-
son, and once for that of Tyler
North American Review, XI.IIT, 2JI. In an article
from the pen of the Judge Buliard of Now Orleans.
Entered according of Congress in the year 1S55 by
Ebert Perez in the Clerks Office of the Circult Court
OF the District of Columbia