The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-11-24

ton.
Years passed away. The Texan
Republic was established. The war
with Mexico was continued in a desul-
tory manner for several years, but no
serious effort was ever made by Mexico
to reconquer the country. 81.
During Mr.. Tyler's Administration
Gin 1912 or 1S43) propositions were
made to annex it to the United States.
One ground for such a movement was,
if it did not go to the United States;
Great Britain would obtain its control,
and make it formidable rival to the
Union in the culture Of cotton. .'..-
Another consideration was the slav-
cry question. England has abolished
that Institution in her West India Is
lands, and our Southern States did not
desire that it should become free terri
tory under British auspices. An an
nexation treaty was concluded by Pres
ident Tyler and submitted to the SEN
ate in 1914, Mr.. John G. Calhoun
then being his Secretary of State. It
was rejected by a two=thirds majority.
The issue then went into the Presi-
Dental election. Martin Van Buren,,
who had been considered as the proba-
bic Democratic candidate for Presi-'
dent, wrote an anti-TeNas annexation
letter. He was refused the nomina-
ton by the Convention, and Mr.. James
K. Polk, an annexatioaist, who had
never been talked of for the place, was
substituted instead. The contest was
between him and Henry Clay (Whigl,
who had declared against annexation.
The result was the success of Mr.. Polk.
Soon after that, resolutions were in
troduced into Congress to annex Tax
az. AMONG variety of. plans, that
of Milton Brown, of Tennessee, a
Whig member favorable to Texas, was
adopted in that body. The provisions,
adopted by a majority only OF. Con-
gress, annexed Texas upon their ratif-
cation by that Republic. It went to
the United States Senate. A majori-
ty of that body, including that emi-
nent Democrat, Colonel Thomas II.
Benton, of Missouri, were opposed to
it. Colonel Benton was in favor of it
upon treaty agreement, which would
require two-thirds of the Senate, and
which could not be obtained. He in
troduced a bill to that purport. When
the House bill of Browns camezup, it
was certain to be rejected by the SEN
ate ... 80
Under these circumstances, Mr.. Rob
ert j. Walker, lately deceased, who
was then a Senator from Mississippi,
resorted to an expedient that was sue
cessful in accomplishing his object. He
went to Colonel Benton and informed
him that it was his intention to offer
his bill as an amendment to Browns
House bill, leaving to the President
the alternative Of selecting either, as
he might prefer, to be submitted to
Texas In the mean time, he conf
dentially assured Colonel Benton that
he was authorized to say that the Pres
ident-elect, Mr.. James K. Polk, who
was then in Washington, would, if the
proposition was adopted, act under his
Colonel Benton's) bill. This was to-,
ward the close of Tyler's Administra-
ton; late in February or early in March,
his term closing on the 4th. of March.
Colonel Benton and those friendly to
his bill accepted the suggestion of Mr.
Walker. They favored his amend
ment, and it passed the Senate by. one
more than the requisite majority, the
vote standing 81 to 25. so
Imagine the astonishment of Colon
el Benton and his friends, when, in
stead of Mr.. Polk acting in the case,
the retiring President, Mr.. Tyler, in
the last moments of his Administra-
ton, accepted the House bill, and dis
patched Mr.. Duff Green as q messen-
ger to Texas to notify that Republic,
and to solicit its acceptance of the terms
oft red. They were, it is needless to
say, accepted. To the day of his death,
Colonel Benton and his friends always
that they had been swindled
out of their votes by Mr.. Walker, and
that Texas annexation was, therefore,
n fraud. They believed that Tyler and
Polk, the outgoing and incoming Pres
idents, had agreed with one another
that Tyler should act in the premises,
and that Mr. Walker had consented to
be the go-between for them and the re-
cusants in the Senate, promising the
latter what Mr.. Polk would do, who |
never had occasion to do any thing ut !
Ill. When the matter was under dis |
cussion, it had been suggested that Mr..
Tyler might possibly act, but it had
been dismissed by an Indignant remark,
from one of his Immediate friends, that !
It was base and dishonorabie to sup
pose that he would thus snatch from
Mr.. Polk a power and responsibility
which Congress intended to lodge with
lin alone. These suspicious were
when, On the 9Th of March,
Mr.. Polk sent to the Senate, for con-
as a member of his Cabinet,
he name Of Robert j. Walker for Sec
etary of the Treasury.
There is little doubt that to Mr..
Walkers astuteness the annexation of
Texas was owing. 1t in the beginning
ed to brilliant results, viz: To the
IeXican War; to the acquisition OF
CALIFORNIA;, with it's immense gold dis
overies, and to the conquest of New
Iexico and Utah-to the adding. off
hree-quartars of a million of square
niles to our already vast territory ,
ut whether, in the end, it was not the
ause, by its raising the slavery ques-
ion in the Territories we acquired from I
1exico, whether they should be free or I
lave, the origin Of that sectional diff
ulty between the North and South,
-hich culninat3d atlast in frightful
ivil war, that cost millions of lives !;
nd thousands of-millions of treasure, :,
40 bistoJ.ian will daoida IF II xvas