Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-02-13
new States Of those whom John Randolph

for thelr suhsorvtoncy to slavery, called
slavery into now Northern territory It tcnuscd
much feeling in the Northern people, who now
realized that the slave powcr-,tho name
WINS paramount In the Nation and that II
Ind entered upon crusade OF propagandlsm.
fHE TEXAS CONSPIRACY. ~ 90
The next territorial gain for slavery was by
the annexation of Texas. The natural desire
for expansion and empire would mako this
desirable. But Texas wus stolen from Mexico,
aud we wcrc the instigntor of tho thief and
tho. receiver, OF tho thcft Aud itwas openly
and nvowcdly TO extend slavery into tree ter
rtOry, 10 preserve Its political sympathy in
the Nation. Flllibustcrs from the Southwest
migrated to Texas encouraged by politicians.
A strange udvcntutcr, Samuel Houston, who
had been naturali2cd among the Indnns, and
made Chief. and hnd returned to civilza-
'tion, went TO Texas In 1893 and became leader
In the conspiracy. .... .
They formed State constitution that year,
for erection into State of the Republic of
Mexico. md in 1875 proclaimed SECESSION and
independence. President Santa Anna came
with ilvc thousand troops. Houston rotrcated.
But while the Moyicun forces were crossing
tho san Inclnto River, Houston surprised and
routed the part which had crossed, and took
Santa Anna prisoner. He made n treaty with
Houston ngrccing to. withdraw the rest of his
army, and acknowledge tho independence of
Texas. Some savage mnssncrcs hnd boon be-
fore this, and Santa Anna was probably under
onor, could not bind Mexico. and the war
nomrnlly continued. But tho fact of inde-
pendoncc was gained by this casy victory over
Il small detachment, aud Il was strengthened
by Immigration from tho United States
TnE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS. .
Our Government quickly recognized Tcxas
as an independent Nation. The Texas Min
lister in 1S3I-vnn Buren, being resident
made ovprtures for entry into the United
States, but us this would adopt II war with
Mexico II was declined. But active intrigue
This bold aggression of the slave power. and
the plratical way of II, aroused great opposi-
ton in the North, But this spread of empire
had elements of popularity which weakened
public men, and In the nature OF thnrs II wns
not possible to hold ont aga nst tcmptat on.
After the death of President Harrison in
instrument in the annexation intrigue, which
was not carried out till after the next election
of Electors of President. Before the nomi-
nations for that election, Henry Clay had
written u letter agninst annexation, US bad
fnith to Mexico, and as imuolitic because of
the great opposition to 1t in this Nation. After
he wps nominated he wrote letter In favor
of annexation on FUR terms. President Van
Buren, was the leading candidate in the Demo-
cratic Convention, but he had written II letter
against annexation. because of which he was
prevented by II new rule, requiring II vote of
two-thirds to nominate, which was then and
there invented for this purpose, and james IL.
Polk. of Tennessee, was nominated. who had
hcen n Jealous promoter of annexation and OF
the slave power
and Polk was elected. Before he was in
stalled the last session of Congress In Tyier's
term to,oSnps the anneSation id project With
slavery from any part of the territory wore
voted down At length resolutions were
adopted declaring the consent Of Congress
to annexation, the conditions, being that
Texas was to transmit to the President eyi-
dence Of her consent, and copy of her State
to 20 be ta IN M IL the Mem M
four other States, to be admitted when they
had the requisite, population, The original
thirteen States had ceded all their lands max
ipn ptlb1ip domain TaNug w Tn
| keep the public lands that bclongcd-to Mexico.
These conditions were so extraordinary that
n stratigem was made TO cloak them. This
was IN the form of nm alternative. resolution
authorizing the President to open negoti-
ntions for annexution, the terms to be sub
mittcd to the next Congress. They that wapted
TO be fooled, or that wanted n cover, pretended
to think that acting President Tyler would take
this alternative, and leave the whole affair to
waiting. and Tyler forestallcd all by dispatch
ing messenger to get her consent according
to the first terms. Thus he had the glory of
fixing annexation before Polk came in.
But there was meaner deception than this
1t was In the form OF Il pretense of conces
sion TO freedom, by n stipulation that In such
of the Territory of Texas us lay north of the
latitude of thrty.siN degrees thirty minutes
the new States should he admitted with or
without slavery, as the inhabitants might dc.
sire. Texas never owned n foot OF land north
of that line. This WINS trick to set up for her
n clam to Mexico, the meaning of which will
appear further along.
Thus was one State at present and four
States IN the future gained to the slave power
to keep its preponderance in the Senate. And
these were gnined ont of her territory, for
illinois had abolished slavery some twenty
five years before Said Henry A. Wise. Il Whig,
In arguing the necessity of this anneyation, to
secure ,,, slavery and all whichit implied:
Flor!d will be added on the other But there
the equation would stop. Let one more North
ern State be added, and the equilibrium is
gonc-gonc forever. The balance of interests
is gone-the Safeguard of American property
of the American Constrution-of the Amer
lean Union, vanished into thin air.
And more of the same fearful sort. What u
remarkable Republic, which would be thrown
into everlasting smash by the admission OF II
Yet he was sincere, and that idea was para
mount in our politics. Nothing hut slavery
was constitutional in that good old time. Free
dom could not be made constitutional save by
preponderntlng balance of slavery.
SLAVERY AND MANIFEST DESTINY.
In those times n tone was created in politics
which scotfed Mt the idea that Nations should
have IA conscience or be bound by morals
was encouraged in all the South. and was
countenanced by the Northcrn Democrats
claimed as the principle of this Republic
by which it had the right because 1t
had the power to se,,ze the. territory of
other American Republics The great Re.
public was boldly proclaimed to be great
pirate. And yet 1t was not above
the practice of the sneak-thlcf In promoting
annexation. The National conscience was de-
bauchcd in the glttcring name of manifest
destiny, which destiny was to absorb all the
continent and the neghboring islands. Yet
it meant only slavery. For ii was generous in
giving away large territory to Great Britain
on our northeast and northwest, and II made
no effort TO gain the friendship of the Cana
dams Our title was good to the whole of
Oregon, up the line of nfty-four deg. forty
min; Yet that territory for an empire was
easily given up. Slavery was not only the
Constitution and Union, but was the limit of
expansion.
THE INVASION OF MEXICO.
But the end was not yet of the gain of slave
States by the annexation of Texas. The pious
| Polk trumpcd the trick of tho pious Tyler by
setting up false claim on the part of Texas
| to boundary which took in n large TERRITORY
in Mexico. The line of the Nuecos River had
of old been established as the boundary of
Texas. Polk now invented Il claim to the Rio
Grande, taking two thousand miles of MeNi.
can territory In New Mexico, chihuahua
Conhnila and Tamaulipas
The state of war still continued between
Mexico and Texas-though in II state of sus
| pended animntion--when the annexation was
/ accomplished. But by decent negotiation
the consent Of Mexico could have been OBJ
her money indemnity. The fact of annexa
ton was consummated by Tyler. and the
formal ratihcations were I'm due time exc
cuted on both sdes--that by Congress being
| ut the beginning of tho Nineteenth Congress
| In 1915. Yet our commercial intercourse with
Mexico went on as before, our ships freely
But the Observation-Disclosures, of New
| York. being Secretary OF War-ordercd oui
| disposable troops, about one thousand five
| hundred, to assemble on the western bound
| AIRY of Texas under General Zachary Taylor
to defend the country +" to the extent that 4
had been occupied by the people of Texas.
| In accordance with this, General Taylor
stopped at the Neuces. Hints were given
| him TO advance to the Rio Grnnde, but he die
not take them. At length he received
positive order from President Polk, and h,
| marched on Mexican territory more than
hundred miles 10 the Rio Grande, opposit,
Matamoras, through n country in which tn,
Mexican laws were I'm undsputed operation.
The Mexican General notified him to return
and await the issue of the pending question
relative TO Texas. General Taylor answered
| that he was acting under orders. The Mexl
| can olhcer warned him. that his refusal woul,
| be regarded ns II declaration of war About
month after this General Arlsta crossed tn,
| river with II force of 5000 and attacked Gen
eral TnylOr-whose force had now been in
creased TO 2,3W-at Pulo Alto, and was badl!
| defeated. The war spirit was excited by thI
| taste OF blood and victory. Polk sent u ines
sago stating the lie that Mexicans had IN
vnded our territory, and shed the blood OF on
| citizens on our own soil.
| Congress rose TO the lie by resolving tina
| war existed by the act of Mexico, and by cal
| ing Tor bO,OOO volunteers and uDDrODriufin