TEXAS STATE Lrnn,\nY
11-!-
signed by )Ir. Clay, for whom he entertained a high respect, discuss- ing the necessity of recognizing the declaration of the independence of Texas. The ten<lency of the whole report was to show the propriety, at a future time, to annex Texas to the Unite<l States. The question, for the house to consider was- first, the general policy of allowing a state, without· remonstrnnce_. to extem1 itself, and thus put an end to the trade between this country and .Mexico-the connexion between which could be completely cut off by a few American privateers en- sconced in the Texian ports. The principle had been disclaimed in 18:35, when it was proposed to annex part of Cuba to the United States, and that instance ougM to guide this country in not allowing this contemplated extension of the American territory. The next consid- eration was whether the country would now allow a renewal and an in- crease of the sla,·e trade? Such would be the result of this policy on the part of America, and from a pamphlet he had received this day it appeared that the non-slavery states of America had themselves been rouse<l to a sense of their own danger if that policy were successful. It was well known that there had long been a struggle between the slave states and non sln,·e states in Congress, and parties were equally bnllnnced; but if Texas should· .eventually he annexed to the Federal Union, 18 ,·otes in Congress at Washington would be added to those in fnvor of that most degrading feature in the civilized world-slavery. On nil these grounds, he most cordially supported the motion of the hon. member from 8outhampton.-(Hear, hear.) Lord Palmerston oh:-erred, that if at the beginning of the observa- tions he should ha,·e to make to the house, he said that he <lid not feel himself at liberty to agree to the proposal of the hon. member for Southampton, he trusted that neither the hon. member nor the house would imagine that it was a proof that he did not feel the importance of its object, or thnt his ~lajesty's goYernment were not as much ani- mate<l ns was the hon. member with the desire to put an end to the evils to which the addre:;s he had moYed so mainly related. (Hear, hear.) He (Lord Palmerston) trusted that he should he able to prove to the hou~e that the address mo,·ed for was at present in some re- spects uunece~sary, nncl in other respt>cts premature. 'fhe obse1·rntions oi the two hon. gt>ntlemen who had preceded him, divided themselves into two different branehes-the one relating to the political part of t)I(> question, and the other relating to the trade in i-laves. \\'ith regnrcl to the politic·al question, undoubtedly the pos~ibility that. the prodnee of Tt>xas might l,e added to the United States was a rnbjcet which ong-ht :<rrio11t:I): to en~age the attention of the Hmise and of the• 1·011ntn-. hut he ili<l not. think the cnmts which had oc- 1·11rrcd alfonle,l a1;_,. ~r111111tl for supposing that there was any prob- ability of its oc:1·111Ting a,; to c-all npou this House to a1hlress the Crown with refere111·c to that matter. The state of Texas at present was thi:<-a n•rnlt hatl tnkl'n pince th<>re, the )[exic-nn army hail been <lrspakhril for the pm·po::r 111' puttin~ it ,!mm Tlw fir,-t operations had l11•P11 ;.!l'Piltly ,-111·<·(',-,.rul. lmt a p,1rt ol' thP army ha,·i11g c·o11si1kr- alily adra111Td l1do11• tlt1• n•,<t. it wa:< :<urpri:-1•tl 1,y I he '1'1,xia11 fore·<·. ro11tl'cl with gr!'at ,-l.111;. .d11t•1-. a11d t hL' l'r1•:<idl'11 t taken pri~olH'r. It might IH' po~:-ililc that tlll· rl':-:i,;tanec• of the pL'o(!I .. of 'l'exa:< might pn•rnil agai11:-t the authoritil•,; of ~lrxit:o, hut llll tlH• otlwr hnncl, the
Powered by FlippingBook