465
PAPERS OF l\lllUBEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
and Texian rela.tions, I think I am authorized in aying, that o soon a our Government is organized fully, and the ff>ct properly com- municated to the President of the UniteJ State , we shall be acknowl- edged by this Government free and independent; and if the citizens of Texas, as I believe is the case, desire a connection with the U. S. it is Yery necessary for the ac ompli hment of thi end, that the prop- osition be acted upon previous to the expiration of President Jackson's term of ervice. I felt curiou to know and have ascertained from undoubted authority, that l\Ir. Van Buren is under a w1·itten pledge in a private letter, to advocate the annexation of Texas to the U. S. I learn that Genl. Harrison and Judge White, the other two can- didates, for the Pre idency, have a similar disposition. Neither of the e gentlemen, however, if the subject is not acted upon until one of them may come into office, will be enabled to wield the influence in its behalf which President Jackson can. The 1 orthern States will oppose the connection with great warmth,-the South will advocate it witl1 equal .spirit. The Abolitionists are all against us of course, but the locality of .three of the non-slave holding tates, (viz; Ohio, Indiana & Illinois) is-such as to justify the belief that they will be with u ; and with theiraid, which if not given immediately may be expected eventually, we shall become a part of the United State . As a citizen of Texas I feel .deeply solicitous that the connection be an early one, being impressed that to defer will only be to increase the violence of the opp'osition in this country to the connection-a con- nection whlch I think will guarantee for future ages the existence of domestic slavery, and happiness and prosperity to 'rexas and the slave holding States in the U. S. and the perpetuity o·f a Republican form of Government for t_heir citizens, I may almo t be ~llowed to say, for allways; for with the existence of dome tic slavery, such as i in the United States, and Texas, I believe at no time 01· under any circum- stances would their citizen eon ent or permit any other than the Republican system. Take from us, however, this property, which I believe is in jeopardy without Texian Independence and a connection with U. S., or at any rate the lave holding state of this confederacy, and om people, like the rest of the world, will degenerate-the poorer class into the menial and servile offices of life, and the rich into lords and ma ters. Our eye should be steadily kept uppn the political attittide in which we shall be enabled to leave those who may follow u . The fanaticism of the world is daily increasing upon the ubjeet of domestic lavery, and believing as I do, that Almighty God intended, and by His divine wisdom approves this domestic relation, (in proof of which we have almost countless instances in wholy writ,) I am unwilling to survive the period at which it eea es to be, and for a non-connection with the U. S. to bring upon us a hazard if not the e consequences, i not improbable; and with the lights we have before us the omission t-0 take such steps as are best calculated to keep up our domestic relations:, is, I conceive, a disregard of such actions and principles as are best calculated to prompte the best and happiest relations, and the purest system of Government which .the wi dom of man has been enabled to devi e. I held an interview with one of the able t and most influential journalist of thi country, l\fr. Ritchie of the Richmond ;Enquirer, on the ubject of annexing Texas to the 30-Lfbrarr.
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