565
PAPERS OF 1\11RABEAU BUONAP.ARTE L,D1AR
No. 581
1837 A1lg.19, THE EVENING STAR, NEW YiORK, [~1EW YORK]. EDITORIAL ON A~NEXATION TEXAS. Although several of the le.ading Presses at the North are opposed to admitting Texas into the Union, we are nevertheless pleased to see the subject discussed with temper and we could wish, in reference to the true interests of the whole Union, and not to the interdicted ques- tion of Southern Slavery, that the whole scheme may be made to em- brace more general and more patriotic views-that we may regard it not in the light of a sectional measure, but as one affecting the interest and ·honor of our common country, free from jealousies, private spec- ulation or individual ambition. It has been said that we are discuss- ing the question of admitting Tex~s into the Union without the pre- liminary inquiry whether it was the wish of the Texians to come in.- TJiis is very true in the abstract, and we shoqld say that the individu- als who have taken an active part in the revolution, who are the po- litical leaders, and influential men of that republic, would no doubt prefer remaining as they /are, an independent Government, making there own alliances, and forming their· own treaties-they have in- dividually more to gain by remaining as they are. The people, how- ever, who have purchased land and formed settlements in Texas; whose objects are peace, prosperity and equitable laws, will prefer annexa- tion to the Union, and sustain it-the leaders will finally yield their opinions to the general wish, and the question will be tranquilly and satisfactorily settled. . While we are not about to fight either Texas or 1\Iexico to produce this result, we must not lose sight of the cardinal object in view, which is not to increase our territory, but to sustain our laws and protect our frontier. The fact is, Texas of right belongs to the United States. "\Ve lost it because our diplomatists were not equal in sagacity to the Spanish negot1.ators. We allowed the Sabine, a little unimpor- tant stream, to be the boundary fixed by treaty, whereas had we stood out we should obtained the just and natural boundary line wbicli separates Mexico from the United States, the Rio d~l Norte. 1\Ir. Adams and· Don Onis were aware o{ this fact when the treaty was ratified. If then, as a matter of security and perpetual peace, we can recover our natural boundary line amicab\y and honorably, by and with the consent of Mexico and of Texas, who that feels like an American, or who understands the importance of the question will venture to oppose it 1 It was ours by right-by its peculiar position, and if we have lost it for want of diplomatic skill, we must be con- tent to pay something for the good will of that territory, either to its late or actual possessors. \Ve offer to do this in assuming to our citi- zens the debt :Mexico owes them for spoilations, and at the same time assuming the war debt of Texas, and we shall then acq-uire a territory four times as large as Louisiana, and at half the cost of that State. .That Spain never attached any value to 'l'exas, we may gather from the fact that Ferdinand VII. gave a deed for the whole territory to
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