The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23


The publication of the fourth volume of
Messages and Papers of the Presidents,
edited by Congressman Richardson, of Ten
nessee, has raised a discussion regarding a
question in history, which ought to be set
tied correctly The question relates to the
annexation Of Texas and to what admins
tration the credit of the achievement be-
longs. We say the credit of the achievement
advisedly, for although at the time and
for many years afterwards the act was
strongly condemned by a considerable por-
ton of the American people, one can easily
see now that it was simply carrying out
manifest destiny and that in it's final re-
suits it added enormously to the wealth
and prestige of the United States.
In his preface to the last volume of the
work alluded to Mr.. Richardson, in refer
ring to the administration of President John
Tyler, says 1.-The treaty of annexation be-
tween the United States and the Republic
of Texas was negotiated, but was rejected"
Immediately following he says: During
the administration of President Polk Texas
was finally annexed to the United States"
Mr.. Richardson is from Tennessee and this
is an attempt to claim the entire credit of
the annexation of Texas for James x. Polk.
a Tennessee President. The claim is not
well founded, and does injustice to Mr.
Folks predecessor. No doubt Texas would
have been annexed to the United States If
neither Tyler nor Polk had been President,
because it was in the book of fate that
it should be so, but, as a matter of fact,
all the political work preliminary to final
action was done during the Tyler admins
tration The independence of Texas was
acknowledged by the United States in 1897,
and by France, England and other Eu-
ropean countries about two years later. 1t
had not yet been acknowledged by Mexico
when Mr.. Tyler made overtures to the
President of Texas for its annexation to
the United States. After a negotiation ex-
tending over two years a treaty was con-
cluded April u, 1914, with the government
of Texas providing for annexation. The
treaty was rejected by the Senate by vote
of So to Is. This ended the treaty but it
did not end annexation. At the next ses-
sion Of Congress a joint resolution for the
annexation of Texas passed both houses,
the resolution was signed by President Ty-
Ter and instructions in accordance there
with were dispatched by him to the Texas
government on the last day of his term,
March 8, 1916. A curious thing about this
joint resolution was that it provided for
the formation and admission of new States
out of the territory thus to be acquired be-
fore it had been annexed. In other words,
it was annexation by joint resolution in
stead of by treaty. After passing the joint
resolution Congress passed an amendment
authorizing the President if he should
deem it advisable to first make a treaty
of annexation with Texas but no such
treaty was ever made. Mr.. Tyler was too
anxious to get the credit of closing the
matter up under his administration, and,
as the negotiation had been under way
nearly three years, he could hardly be
blamed. Accordingly he signed the joint res
olution and dispatched it on the last day Of
his term by special messenger to the Tex
as Congress- which gave its unanimous in
dorsement on June 49, 1S45 In the following
December the United States Congress
adopted joint resolution for the admission
of Texas, and the process of annexation
WdS COIupISl6Q WIlUOuI d 1t Is a
singular fact that, while the power of an
nexation by treaty had been doubted In
1903, when Louisiana was acquired, it was
exercised by mere joint resolution in 184J
1t thus appears that while the final and
formal act of annexation was done after
Folks inauguration all the preliminary
work was done under Tyler. Annexation
was followed by war with Mexico, result
ing finally in an addition to the national
domain only equaled by the Louisiana pur-
chase in 1903. By the latter we acquired
1,171,931 square miles Of territory The an
nexation of Texas brought us $780, 1873 square
miles and the Mexican concession of terri
tory, al the close of the war, 545 1888 square
miles additional. There was so little that
was creditable in Tyler's administration
that he should not be robbed of whatever
credit pertains to the annexation of Texas