The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1873-09-06
The Author Of Annexation.

| Oil creek.
The Author Of Annexation.
To the Editor of The Dallas Herald;
Newspaper articles very often tend tC
make up the history Of this country
Papers should, therefore, bc careful in
giving currency to statements affecting
the history of the times in which we
live. am forcibly impressed with
this fact ON reading, in the Galveston
News of the Goth of August Il state
ment to the effect that the late George
y. Saunders, of New York, was the
author of the annexation of Texas to
the United ates,-that is to say, that
George n. Saunders took the nitatory
steps which led to the nomination of
James X. Polk for the Presidency,
PolE's election, and the consequent an
I.neXation of Texas. This Is n brief
statement Of the points made in the
Galveston News.
The statement, unless am woefully
at fault, is not only wrong, but robs II
long-deccascd man of his just merits in
the case cited, and, being one who re-
spccts history only in so far rs it mar
rates facts for the guidance of those to
come after, beg, rs briefly as possible,
from a very distinct memory, to state
the facts, 0h.
The question of the annexation of
Texas, early in 1913, began to be a
second time agitated in the United
States. John Tyler was Preident, and
John G.. Calhoun Secretary Of State,
The Democrats had hcoh defeated in
1910 by the election Of Harrison over
Van Buren, ~ President, and John 1y-
Ter, being elected as Vice President,
succeeded to the Presidency on the
death of Harrison, April 1, 1871.
As anncXa,ton assumed proportions
in 1913 and Al 1914, both Tyler and
Calhoun favOling the measure, it was
agreed between Mr.. Van Buren, and his
| special friends at Washington, with
Henry Clay and his friends, each of
whom in the beginning Of lSi4, seemed
! certain of nomination hy his party for
the Presidency, that the Texas ques-
ton should be ignored, and that Clay
and Van Buren, should run the race in
| the fall Of 1871 on the old issues
between the Wings and Democrats. 1t
was further agreed that both Clay and
Van Buren, should write and publish Il
letter, taking this ground and being in
accord on the Texas question, virtu-
ally in opposition for the time being,
| TO anncXatian. Van Buren went home
to Kindcrhook and wrote his letter.
Mr. Clay took n Southern tour, and at
Raleigh, n, G., April Il, 1Hi2 (his birth
day., wrote his celebrated Raleigh let
| ter.
1t was here that the name Of Saun-
ders came In; but 1t was not George y.
Saunders of New York. BY means.
1t was Romulus NJ. Saunders of North
Carolina, then ana for many years be-
fore, an able and prominent member
of Congress. He WAS delegate to the
then ensuing Democratic National Con-
vention at Baltimore. On his way, he
visited General Jackson at the Hermit
tage, and satisfied him that, as things
stood, Clay would beat Van Buren,
that Van Buren (Jackson's tavorite)
must be thrown overheard, aud u new
man, thoroughly IN hNor Of anneXa-
! tpn, be nominated, Jackson loved
Van Buren, and was slow to yield ac-
quiescence. He demanded of Saunders
to know where 1t new man could be
found. Saunders was ready and very
promptly replied" A boy of your
own training James X. Polkw
Saunders left with a note written by
the old hero himself, asserting to the
plan. Saunders, then, in order to d.
feat Van Bnren, had The two-thirds
rule adopted. Van Buren, actually
polled respectable majority, but failed
of two-thirds, and Polk's name heing
sprung at tho upnortulio moment, went
through as n whirlwind. Polk was
elected; Texas annexed; war with
Mexico fnllaweG California, New
Mexico and Utah added to the Union,
and the world now beholds the conse-
quences, reaching to China, Japan,
Hindoatan and the islands of the South
Sea.
Therefore, let not the laurels of the
ng-ieceased North Carolinian be
snatc ned from his memory to adorn
the brow of the lateiy-deceased New
| Yorker j. III, B,