iJ ' - fi' lli. ;'i
"PRINCIPLES AND MEASURES, AND MEN THAT WILL CARRY THOSE PRINCIPLE AND MEASURES INTO EKrECT."
.BY JAMES R. MORRIS.
WpODSFIELD, OHIO, FRIDAY, JULY 19,1844.
VOLUME I. NUMBER 21.
I:
VV
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
IS PUBLISHED EVERT TRIDAV MORNING, '
" v.. 4
BY J. It. MORRIS. ; '
TERMS : $1,60 per annum in advance; $2,00
if paid within six months; $2,50 if paid within the
year, and 8 ,00 if payment be delayed until after
the expiration of the year.
. (& No paper will be discontinued, except at the
option of the editor, until all arrears are paid.
' 09 All communications sent by mail must be
pOfit-paid. y -:' : I : tl . ,
Advertisements inserted at the usual rates.
1'OETHY. .- .
r HOPELESS LOVE.
. . T MRS. AMELIA B. WELBY. '." ..
' The trembling waves beneath the moonbeams
'"' quiver. '"' --' : ;!. V ; ;
' Reflecting-back the blue, unclouded skies:
The stars look down upon the still bright river, j donia. Major Delponte, with a dozen other offi
' And smile to see themselves iu paradise: cers, and a score of attendants, were hunting in
Sweet songs are heard to gush from joyous bosoms,
; That lightly throb beneath the greenwood tree, , "varaarem:- was suuoenry neard. The parly
And glossy plumes Boat in amid the blossoms, : ! took to flight with the utmost precipitation, and all
' ' And ill around arehappy all but me! ! ' escaped except Major Delponte, who was oneof
) the bravest, but at the same time, oneof the poor-
And yet I come beneath the light that trembles ' , est of the whole array. When he was told that he
O'er these dim paths, with listless steps to roam, I must pay a thousand ducats for his ransom, he only
Forbore my bursting heart no more dissembles; laughed, and asked where be was to get such a
; My sadUps quiver, and the tear-drop comej jium. Vardarelli then threatened to shoot him, if it
I come once more to list the low-voiced turtle, WM not forthcoming by a certain day. The ma
To watch the dreary waters as they flow, , Jjor replied mat it was loosing time to wait; and that
. Ana lay me aown oeneaia us iragraiu royrue
That drops its
blossoms when the west winds
blow.
Oh! there is one on whose sweet face I ponder,
' . One angel-being mind the beauteous band, '
Who in the evening's hush come out to wander
" , Amid the dark-eyed daughters of the land!
Her step is lightest, where each light foot presses,
Her song is sweetest 'mid the sougs of glee,
' Smiles light her lips, and rose buds mid her tresses,
'. Loop lightly up their deep redundancy.
Youth, wealth and fame are mine, all that entran-
l ces,
The youthful heart, on me their charms confer;
Sweet lips smile on me too, and melting glances,
Flash up to mine but not a glance from liorl
' Oh! could I give youth, beauty, fame and splendor,
- My all of bliss my every hope resign, . ;
' To wake in that young heart one feeling tender
To clasp that little hand and call it mine!
. - ; ; ...i ;.-' . ,. .
In this tweet solitude the sunny weather, '
.j Hath called to life light shapes and fairy elves,
The rose buds lay their crimson lips together,"-'
. And the green leaves are whispering, to them-
selves, .
, Theclear, faint startling on the blue waves flashes,
And, filed with odors sweet, the south wind
; blows, . .. . . , . it's'
The purple clusters load the lilac bashes, .
. And fragrant blossoms fringe the apple boughs.
Yet I am sick with love and melancholy,
My locks are heavy with the dropping dew,
Low murmurs haunt me murmurs soft and holy,
And oh, my lips keep murmuring, murmuring,
- too! " ' ' '
"I hate the beauty ofthoss calm, sweet bowers",
' The birds' wild music, and the fountain's fall;
Oh! I am lick in this lone (and of flowers,
- My soul is weary weary of them all !
Yet had I that sweet face on which I ponder, .
, . To bloom for me within this Eden home, ..
That lip to sweetly murmur when I wander,
That cheek to softly dimple when I come,
How sweet would glide my days in these lone bo w-
. . .. it ' -
Far from the world and all its heartless throngs
Her fairy feet should only tread on flowers,
I'd make her home melodious with my songs.
"Annie! such blissful hope once filled my bosom,
. And dreams of fame could then my heiurt en
' - thrall, ' . ;:.; ;
And joy and bliss cround me seemed to blossom,
- But all these blissful hopes are blighted all !
No smiling angel decks these Eden bowers, .'
No springing footstep echoes mine in glee j
Oh I am weary in this world of flowers ! ...
I sighI sigh amid them all ah me !
A BRIGAND STORY. r
"We give another little story from "Dumars in his
Cwricle," as we find it in Blackwood. They
serve to show the style of the writer, and as agree
able effusions from the mind of a man of enlarged
. . - j H.:k . IW.Ia iMifl hnmnr it
. ooserv.uon, uu .u. . m . ,
will be read with interest What follows is one of .
. . . , .
:Z?:Z:
TV , . . .r. "
' GaeUnoVaidalelli was a native of Calabria,' and i Thenewsofthe affair put the King in very bad
one of the earliest members of the revolutionary I"' fiwt twenty-four hours, after which
society of Carbonari. When Murat,' after some bowever, the love of s joke overcoming his
time favoring that society,; began to persecute it. , "V, be laughed heartily, and told the story to ev
Vsrdarelli fled to Sicily, and tdok service under T 0M h " " there are always lots of lis
Eing Ferdinand. He was then 26 years of age, I tenerswhen a King narrate, three years elapsed
possessing the muscles and courage of a lion, the ' bflfr ventured . to ,ho bis face at
airilitvof alcbamois. the eyeofan eagle. Sucn a
recruit was not ' to be despised, and he was made
Sergeant in the Sicilian guards. ' On Ferdinand's
restoration in 1815, he followed him to Naples, but
finding that he was not likely 'ever to rise above a
very subordinate grade, he became disguted with
the service, deserted and took refuge in the moun
tains of Calabria. " There two of his brothers, and
' some thirty brigands and out-laws, assembled
around him and elected him their chief, with the
right Of life and death over him. He had been a
slave in the town; he found himself a king in the
mountains.'! v.;. I :' - ,:s
' Proceeding according to the old formula observ
ed by banditti chiefs, both in Calabria, and in Melo
dramas,. Vardarelli proc)aimed himself redressor
general of wrongs and grievances, and acted up to
his profession by robbing the rich and assisting the
poor. The consequence was that he soon ; becams
exceedingly popular among die latter class; and at
last his exploits reach the ears of King Ferdinand
himself, who was highly indignant at such goings
on, and gave orders that the bandit should be im
mediately hung. But there are three things ne
cessary to hang a man a rope, gallows, and the
mail himself. In this instance, the first two were
easily ' found, but the third was unfortunately
wanting. Gendarmes and soldier were sent after
Yardarelli, but the latter was too cunning for them
all, and slipped through their fingers at every turn.
His success in eluding pursuit increased his repu
tation, and recruits flocked to his standard. His
band soon doubled its members, audits leader be
came a formidable and important person, which of
course was an additional reason tor the authorities
to wish to capture him. A price was set on his
head large bodies of troops sent in search of him;
but all in vain.
One day the Prince of Leperano, Col. Calce -
1 rrtllt fe w ,eaSuf f'om Bari, when the cry of
: if he bad a piece of advice to give' his captor, It
was to shoot him at once. The bandit at first felt
half inclined to do so; but he reflected that the legs
Delponte cared about his life, the more Ferdinand
ought to value it He was right in his calculation ;
for no sooner did the King learn that his brave ma
jor was in the hands of the banditti, than he order
ed the ransom to be paid outofhis privy purse, and
the major recovered bis liberty.
But Ferdinand had sworn the extermination of
the banditti, with whom he was obliged to treat as
from one potentate to another. A certain colonel, :
whose name I loreet. and who heard his vow.1
pledged himself, if a battalion were put under his
command, to brine in Vardarelli. his two brothers
and the sixty men composing his troop, hound
I hand and foot, and to place them in the dungeons
of th Vimria. Th nffVr un tnn irnnrt n ha r..
fused; the minister of war put five hundred men at
the disposal oi the colonel, who started with them
at once in pursuit of the out-law. The latter was
soon informed by his spies of this fresh expedition,
and he also made t vow, to the effect that he would
cure the pursuer, once and for all, of any disposi
tion to interfere with the Vardarelli.
He began by leading the poor colonel such a
dance over hill and dale, that the unfortunate offi
cer and his men were worn out with fatigue then
when he saw them in the state that he wished, he
caused some false intelligence to be carried to them
at two o'clock one morning.
The colonel fell into the snare, and started im- i 1,,sleau ol ,08lnB meD Dy a airec "im
mediately to surprise Vardarelli, who he was assur- i dlers blocked UP the air-hole with stone4 et Ruard
ed was in a little village at the further extremity of over and then S"g round to the door of the
. ...... Collar njtiitfi tzr kon!in1n1 U J
i a narrow pass, through which only four men could i
pass abreast. He made such baste that he marched i
four leagues in two hours, and at day-break found
himself at the entrance of the pass, which, howev
er, seemed so peculiarly well adapted for an am
buscade, that he halted his battalion, and sent on
twenty men to reconnoitre. In' a quarter of an
hour the twenty men returned. They had, not
met a single living thing. The colonel hesitated
no longer, and entered the defile, but, on reaching
a spot about half way through it, where the road !
widened out into a sort of platform, surrounded by
high rocks and steep precipices, a shout was sud
denly heard, proceeding apparently from the clouds
and the poor Colonel looking up, saw the summits
of the rock covered with brigands, who levelled
their rifles at him and hb soldiers. Nevertheless,
he began forming up his men, as well as the na
ture of the ground would oermit. when Vardarelli
appeared upon a projecting crag. "Down with ed down ,ike wild beasto Med from cavren to
your arms or you are dead men !" he shouted in a cavernt and forest to forest Some were shot, oth
voice of thunder. The bandits repeated his , m betrayed by the peasantry, some gave them
summons, and the echoes repeated their voices, so eI UP 80 that before the wa ou a" the
that the troops who had not made the same vow as ' Vardarelli were dead or prisoners. The woman
their colonel, who thought themselves surrounded i who had disPIayed such masculine courage, was
by greatly superior number, cried out for quarter,
in spite of the entreaties and menances of their un
fortunate commander. , Then Vardarelli, without
leaving his position, ordered them to pile their
aims, and to march to two different places which
he pointed out to them. They obeyed, and Varda
relli, leaving twenty of his men in their ambush,
came down with the remainder, who immediately
proceeded ,orCnder the Neapolitan muskets useless
,t ' .,
iiiorine moment atieasi,! oy ine same process
tHo extinguish, con.
flagration of the palace at Lilliput
-
: : : The general commanding in Calabria takes the
matter rather more seriously, and vows the destruc
tion of the bandittir By offers oi large pay and
privileges, they are induced to enter th Neapoli
tan service, and prove highly efficient is a troop of
gendarmes. But the general cannot forget his old
grudge against them; although, for lack of oppor
tunity, and on account of the desperate character
of the men, he is obliged to defer his revenge for
some time. At last he succeeds in having their
leaders assassinated, and by pretending great Indig
nation, and imprisoning the perpetrators of the
deed, be lulls the suspicions of the remaining ban
dits, who elect new officers,' and on tn appointed
day, proceed to the town of Foggia to. have their
election confirmed,' Only eight of them, apprehen
sive of treachery, refused to accompany their' com-
Tade. The remaining thirty-one, and a woman
who would not leave her husband, obeyed the gen
eral's summons. ,
It wason Sunday, the review had been publicly
announced, and the square was thronged with
spectators. The Vardarelli entered the town in
perfect order, and armed to the very teeth, but giv
ing no sign of hostillityoi mistrust On reaching
the square they raised their sabres, and with one
voice exclaimed, Vina il Re.'" The general ap
peared on his balcony to acknowledge their salute.
The aid-de-camp on duty came down to receive
them, and after complimenting them on the beauty
of their horse and good state of their arms, desired
them to file past under the general's window, which
they did with a precision worthy of the regular
troops. They thenTormed up. again in the middle
of the square and dismounted.
The aid-de-camp went into the house again with
the list of the three new officers; the Vardarelli
1 were landing by their horses; when suddenly
there was a great confusion and movement in the
crowd, which opened at various places, and down
every street leading to the square, a column of
Neapolitan troops was seen advancing.
The Vaordarelli were surrounded on all sides.
Perceiving at once that they were betrayed, they
sprang upon their horses and drew their sabres; but
at the same moment the general took off his bat,
which was the signal agreed upon; the command
"Faccia in terra," was heard, and the spectators
throwing themselves on their faces, the soldiers
fired over them, and nine of the brigands fell to the
ground, dead, or mortally wounded. Those Who
were unhurt, seeing they had no quarter to expect,
dismounted, and forming a compact body, fought
their way to an old castle, in which they took ref
uge. Two only trusting to the speed of their hors
es, charged the group of soldiers that appeared the
least numerous, shot down two of them, and suc
ceeded in breaking through the others and escaping
The woman owed her life to a similar piece of dar
ing, effected, however, on another point of the ene
my's line. She broke through, and galloped off,
a'ter having discharged both her pistols with fatal
e"ec-
The attention of all was now turned to there
' naming twenty Vardarelli, who had taken refuge
, 10 me ""led castle The soldiers advanced
! ga'nst them, encouraging one another, and expect
' mS to encounteran obstinate resistance, but to their
' surprise, they reached the gates of the castle with.
out a "hot being fired at them. The gate was soon
... iulu me BuiuiiyiB niuu Bureau ujeuMfeivgs
spread
through the halls and galleries of the old building.
But all was silence and solitude; the bandits had
disappeared.
After an hour had passed in rummaging every
corner of the place, the assailants were going away
in despair, convinced that their prey had escaped
them; when a soldier who was stooping down to
look through the air hole of a cellar, fell, shot
through the body.
The Vardarelli, were discovered; but still it was
no easy matter to get at them.
' ' """"u u ,uucr 'uc
e neaPoa "8".1 ,aSS013 ana combustibles against
80 "lal ,ne slalrca3e was soon one immense fur
I nace. After a time the door crave wav. and the
a '
fire poured a torrent into the retreat of the unfor
tunate bandits. Still a profound silence reigned in
the vault. Presently two carbine shots were fired;
two brothers, determined not to fall alive into the
hands of their enemies, had shot each other in death.
A moment afterwards tn explosion was heard; a
handit had thrown Wntuelf into the flames, and bis
I cartridcB-box had hlnwn nn- At lx th ranin.
derof the unfortunate men being nearly suffocated,
and seeing that escape was impossible, sunendered
at discretion, were diagged through the air-hole,
and immediately bound hand and foot and convey
ed to prison.
As to the eight who had refused to come to Fog-
gia, and the two who had escaped, they were bunt
the only one who finally 'escaped.
She was never
heard of afterwards.
THE MILLER AND HIS WHIG CUSTOM-
... ERS. ' ; , '
". The Illinois State Register happily illustrates in
the following jeu Feiprit, the force of that re
markably conclusive dogma, that high duties make
low prices. Argui. " '
Some weeks since Mr. M'Connell was in Mr.
Douglass' congressional district making democrat
ic speeches, where he met a staunch democratic
friend of his who accosted him very famiilarly, and
said : Friend Mack, I hear you are going to make
democratic speech here to-day about the tariff.
Well, says Mr. M., I'll think of it; have you any
objections, friend Bob? ; '
. Well, I have, said his friend; I am afraid you are
going to interfere with my interest with your con
founded discussion about the tariff, and about high
and low prices. .. .... ., . . .. v
If that is so, Bob, I am very sorry, said Mr. M.;
pray how can that happen? . -, ; ' .
. Well now, Mack, I will tell you in a private way
like, but I don't want you to.be blabbing it all
around the country and make a blowing horn of
yourself about it, and get me into a deal of a scrape,
perhaps into the newspapers, besides.
, Oh, of course, says Mr. M- I will not whisper
if to any one; but how is it? , , , ..; ;
Well, says Bob, now you know I am a miller,
and keep a gristmill and grind for toll. .
. , Yes, I know, and a first rate mill it is too, and
all your neighbors say that you, are an anomaly in
nature; a first rate, accommodating and honest
miller, that never takes too much toll. ,-. .
Oh yes, I understand you I understand your
grist of soft corn but that is neither here nor there
let m tell yon how it was, .... . . , .;,
Some weeks ago, one ol my whig customers
came to mill, and brought with him a copy of Mr.
Evans' speech upon the tariff; and while his grist
was grinding he sat down and read it over to me,
and commented learnedly and long upon that part
of the speech that proves that a high tariff makes
goods lower, and the higher the duties the lower
the price to the consumer. I listened attentively,
and never disputed a word he said; and when be
was about to start home, I asked bim to lend me
the speech, for I was greatly taken with it, and
wanted to read it to the people as they came to the
mill. My whig friend readily complied, thinking
that he had made such a valuable convert to the
high whig tariff protection cause. As soon as he
had left, I went to work and made me a new toll
dish, and I made it (pbout two, inches higher than
the old one, and inimediatcly commenced taking
toll with my new dish.
The report was soon circulated in the neighbor
hood, too, that I had turned whig, and my whig
neighbors nocked In by dozens to see me, and
among the rest, my old friend that loaned me the
speech, with several others came together to get
grinding, and all shook me cordially by the hand,
and welcomed me to the household of whiggery.
As soon as their greetings were over, I took my
new toll dieh, and in their presence heaped it
rounding full out of each of their grists.
Hallo, Bob, says one of them, you have got a
new toll dish, ha'n't you?
Oh yes, says I, the old one got a little shackling
like, and a little wore off at the top, and rather too
small for the interest of my customers and I thought
it was best to have a new one.
Yes, by gracious, says another of them, do you
see that, Williams; if it ain't about a third bigger
than the old one, 1 will be shot: sure enough says
the other. Why, Bob, what the mischief does
this mean? how is that for the interest of your
customers, as you say?
Oh. sava I.verv tihiin. don't von unrleralnnd it
the higher the toll, the lower the price of grinding,
the more meal you get
Pshaw! now, Bob, says one of them, how can
you make that out? Now none of your humbug
ging us with your big toll dish in these hard Tyler
times.
Well, now, says I, it is all as plain as day come
set down here and let me explain it to you; and I
straightway took out Evans' speech and read it to
them and explained how the high tariff worked,
and although it appeared to increase the cost of the
goods to the importer and retailing merchant, yet
the higher he paid for them, the lower he could
afford to sell them to his customers, the fanners
and laborers who consumed them, and now, said
1, the same universal law of trade" and cause and
effect applies with equal force to the miller and his
customers. He does the grinding and takes the
toll you are his customers and consume the meal,
and the toll being the price and cost of grinding,
it follows as a necessary consequence, that the
higher the toll the lower the price of grinding, and
although my new toll dish appears larger, yet you
get more nieal by it; and all this I proved very
clear by Mr. Evans' speech and the argument of
my whig neighbor who gave me the document;
and I tell you, friend Mack, it was a knock down
argument to those boys they looked at each other
like so many pigs in a Newfoundland fog each
expecting the other to answer my speech, but it
was no go; it was a good whig argument and
proven by accredited whig documents, and they
immediately gave in and admitted, that although
they did not exactly understand it at first, yet it is
now clear and as self evident as Mr. Evans' argu
ment, showing that the higher the tariff, which
stands in the place of the toll, the cheaper the
goods, which stand in the place of the meal.
From that time I have been using my new toll
dish pretty freely, and manufacturing meal and
flour has got to be a first rate business; and what is
better, my whig customers, although their gristsof
meal don't last quite as long as they used to, are
well satisfied, and now Mack, I don't want you
(o be blowing away here that Evans' speech is not
true, and that this whig doctrine about llie high
tariff making goods lower, is all wrong, for if you
do, my pond is out, and I am ruined, with my new
toll dish operation. .
But, says Mr. McConnell, pray Bob, how do
you get along with your democratic customers,
surely you can't humbug them with your Evans'
speech and whig arguments? '
Oh shaw, no, says Bob, I use the old toll dish for
them, and all goes off well but now don't you
tell any body what I told you.
COL. POLK AND TEXAS.
The following is Col. Polk's reply to a commit
tee in Cincinnati, and the letter is characteristic of
his manly, noble and patriotic heart:
Columbia, Tenn. Apnu. 23, 1844.
Gentlemen: Your letter of the 30th ult. which
you have done me the honor to address to me,
reached my residence during my absence from
home and was not received until yesterday Ac
companying your letter, you transmit to me, as
you state, "a. copy of the proceedings of a very
large meeting of the citizens of Cincinnati, assem
bled on the 29th inst. to express their settled oppo
sition to the annexation of Texas to th United
States. " You request from me an explicit expres
sion of opinion upon this question of annexation
Having at no time entertained opinions upon pub
lic subjects which I was unwilling to avow, it gives
me pleasure to comply with your request I have
no hesitation in declaring that I am in favor of the
immediate reannexation of Texas to the territory
of the United States. I entertain no doubts as to
thepotrerorfcrpeftency of the reannexation. The
pi oof is clear and satisfactory to my mind that
Texas one) constituted part of the territory of
the United States, the title to which I regard to
have been as indisputable as that to any other
portion of our territory.' At the time the negotia
tion was opened with a view to acquire the Flori
das, and the settlement of other questions, and
pending that negociation, the Spanish government
itself was satisfied of the validity of our title, and
was ready to recognise a line far vest of the Sa
bine as the true western boundary of Louisiana, as
defined by the treaty of 1863, with France, by
which Louisiana was acquired. This negotiation
which had first been opened at Madrid, was broken
off and transferred to Washington, where it was
resumed, and resulted in the treaty of Floiida, by
which the Sabine was fixed on ss the western
boundary of Louisiana. From the ratification of
the treaty of 1803 with France, until the treaty of
1819 with Spain; the territory now constituting the
republic of Texas belonged to the United States.
In 1819, the Florida treaty was concluded at Wash
ington, by Mr. John Q. Adams, (the Secretary of
State,) on the part of the United States, and Don
Louis de On is on the part of Spain; and by that
treaty this territory lying west of the Sabine, and
constituting Texas, was ceded by the U. States lo
Spain. The Rio del Norte, or some more west
ern boundary than the Sabine could have been
obtained had it been insisted on by the American
Secretary of State, and that without increasing the
considerations paid for the Florida. In my judg
ment, the country west of the Sabine, and now
called Texas; was most unwisely ceded away. It
is a part of the great valley of the Mississippi, di
rectly connected by its navigable waters with the
Mississippi river, and having once been a part of
our Union, it should never have been dismembered
from it. The government and people of Texas,
it is understood, not only give their consent, but
are anviously desirous to be reunited to the United
States. If the application of Texas for a reunion
and admission intaour confederacy shall be reject
ed by the United States, there is imminent danger
that she will become a dependency if not a colony
of Great Britain an event which no American
patriot, anxious for the prosperity of this country
could permit to occur without the most strenuous
resistence. Let Texas be reannexed, and the
authority and laws of the United States bs estab
lished and maintained within her limits, as also in
the Oregon territory, and let the fixed policy ot
our government be not to permit Great Britain or
any other foreign power to plant a colony or hold
dominion over any portion of the people or terrl
tory of either. These are my opinions; and with'
out deeming it necessary to extend this letter, by
assigning the many reasons which influence me in
the conclusions to which I come, I regret to be
compelled to differ so widely from the views ex
pressed by yourselves, and the meeting of citizens
of Cincinnati whom you represent. Differing,
however, with you and with them, as I do, it was
due to frankness that I should be thus explicit in
the declaration of my opinions.
I am, with great respect,
Your obedient servant,
JAMES K. POLK.
To Messrs. S. P. Chase, Thomas Heaton, &c. com
. miltee, Cincinnati.
From the Nashville Union.
GEN. JACKSON AND ANNEXATION.
We present our readers to-day with another
lettci from Gen. Jackson on the subject of the
immediate annexation of Texas to the United
States, in which he brings this important question
before the country in its true light This letter
comes forth at the earnest request of General
Jackson's numerous friends, who have addressed
him of late, and expressed a desire to know if his
sentiments have not changed in regard to annexa
tion, since so much information has been brought
to bear upon this question, by the letters of Mr.
Van Buren and other distinguished men of our
country.
Hermitage, May 13, 1844.
To the editor of the Union:
Sir: I am induced to address this letter, because
I have, within a few days past, received letters
from many of my friends who have expressed a
desire to know whether my views in relation to
the policy of annexing Texas to the Tnited States
have been changed by the light which the subject
has received from the recent letters of Mr. Van
Buren, and other prominent citizens; and because
it seems to be necessary that I should answer or be
misunderstood.
Having no connection with the question except
the interest whicb, in common with other citizens,
I take in all that concerns my country, what I have
heretofore said upon it was dictated by no desire
to be a prominent actor. It was certainly far from
my expectation that there should be an effort in
any quarter to make the question a mere party one.
Hence when it was brought to my notice by the
Hon. Mr. Brown of this State, I answered his
inquiries with promptness and frankness.
I bad not forgotten the principles by which my
administration had been guided when attempting
to obtain Texas by negotiation with Mexico, nor
the care which was taken to convince Mexico,
afterwards, that this government had no agency,
directly or indirectly, in the steps resoite'd to by
the people of Texas to establish for themselves an
independent government. In the reference which
Mr. Van Buren has made to my conduct as presi
dent in these respects, he has stated what is entire
ly true, and has delineated with the ability and
perspicuity which so eminently distinguish him,
the general principles which characterise the course
of our government in its intercourse with foreign
powers. But just and accurate as he is, and sub
scribing most fully as I do, to all that he alleges as
applicable to the question as it stood in my admin
istration, and as it did under his own, I think that
the circumstances are so far altered as to give a
new aspect to the whole question, and to authorize
a corresponding change in the discretion with
which our government may now act upon it
. At the present period, it cannot be doubted that
Texas is able to maintain her independence of
Mexico, if each State is left to its own resources,
uninfluenced and unaided by any foreign power.
Eight years have elapsed since the memorable
battle of San Jacinto, aud there has been no serious
attempt on the part of Mexico to occupy the coun
try, and it is certain) none can be made with any
prospect of success. In this state of affairs, ac
knowledged by ourselves and the principal powers
of the world as an independent nation, and treated
as such, Texas renews to us the almost unanimous
wish of her citizens to be annexed to the United
States telling us, substantially, that if now re
pulsed she must form such alliances e.'sawhere as
will best enable her to improve her resources
and repair the disasters which the has suffered from
a protracted quasi war. She is sensible that ber
happiness will be best secured by. incorporation
into our Union that the disposition and pursuits
of her people, being homogenious with those of
the United States, can receive no adequate protec
tion from any other quarter. We admit the truth
of these assertu ns, and feel that they constitute
a powerful motive for action, independent ofjthe
considerations which sre suggested by s prudent
regard for the stability of our own institutions.
In relerence to Mexico, I would use the follow
ing language : We have carefuliy abstained from
all interference with your relations lo Texas except
to acknowledge her independence in the same man
ner and upon the same principles that we did your
independence when you separated from Spain.
We have, indeed been more scrupulous with you
than with Spain, for, without consulting or res"
pecting the feelings of the latter power, our gov
ernment did not hesitate to open a negotiation with
you for the retrocession of Texas, and that, too,
long before your independence was acknowledged
by Spain. But the time has now come when we
feel that the delicacy ought no longer to restrain
us from a treaty with Texas, particularly as we
know that our failure to do so will produce results
that may endanger the safety of our own confed
eracy. I cannot think there is disorepancy between these
views and those avowed by my administration,
when .proper allowance is made for the change of
ciroumstances, - or that they contain any well
founded cause for complaint on the part of Mexi- -co.
It may now be stated as a fact, on which we
may rely with the greatest confidence, that if Tex
as be not speedily admitted into our confederacy,
she must and will be inevitably driven into alli
ances and commercial regulations with the Euro
pean powers, of a character highly injurious, and
probably hostile, to this country. What would
then be our condition? New Orleans and the
whole valley of the Mississippi would be endan
gered. The numerous herds of savages within the
limits of Texas and on her borders, would be easi
ly excited lo make war upon our defenceless fron
tier. I do not deem it necessary to be more explicit
here in the enumerations of the reasons which
justify to my mind, the speedy annexation of Tex
as to the United States. My aim is to give this
country strength to resist foreign interference.
Without Texas we shall not have strength. She
is the key to our safety in the south-west and west.
she offers this key to us on fair and honorable
terms. Let us take it and lock the door against
future danger. We can do it without giving just
offence to Mexico. Indeed we may say that the
measure is called for by the interests of Mexico,
no less than our own; for without it, she can have
no reliable guarantee against future invasion.
As to the form of annexation, I do not think it
material whether it be by treaty or upon the appli
cation of Texas by an act or joint resolution ot
Congreds.
I cannot close these remarks without saying that
my regardfor Mr. Van Buren is so great, and my
confidence in his love of country is strengthened
byso long and intimate acquaintance, that no dif
ference on this subject can change my opinion of '
his character. He has evidently prepared his let
ter from a knowledge only of the circumstances
bearing on the subject as they existed at the close
of his administration without a view of the disclo
sures since made, and which manifest the proba
bility of a dangerous interference with the affairs
of Texas by a foreign power.
I am respectfully your servant,
ANDREW JACKSON.
MORE RIOTS.
IN PHILADELPHIA.
We are pained to announce further riots in Phila
delphia. The first cause of alarm was the impos
ing Native American procession on the 4th iust.
and by authority of the Governor, arras were taken
to some of the Catholic Churches. This becoming
known on Saturday morning a mob assembled in
front of St. Philip's Church. Unsuccessful efforts
were made to induce the mob to disperse, and in
the evening the military were called. At firsts
display of force was successful, but at length the
military were dared to fire, and Charles Naylor, -Esq.
running up before a cannon in a manner of
defiance, he was immediately arrested. This de
terminated stand of the military arrested the mob,
and they dispersed. '
On Sunday morning the mob again assembled
with a gun, and declaring they would fire unless
Mr. Naylor was released and he was released.
when he urged the mob to disperse. Further dep
redation being threatened, the mob were addressed
by Messrs. Levin and G rover, who besought
them to disperse. This they promise to do provid
ed the Hibernia Greens, who were guarding the
Church were sent away.
They accordingly were drawn off the crowd fol
lowing them and pelting them and retreating rap
idly some of the soldiers fired their guns. One of
the Greens was seriously wounded and is reported
dead; another was caught by the mob and killed.
LATER NEWS. ,
. One of the Hibernia Greens was caught and ter
ribly beaten. After the church was given up, a ru
mor that the Greens had fired on their assailants
caused a new excitement' The crowd at the
Church became dense; the defenders stood firm
A log of wood was hoisted to batter in ths door,
but was thrust aside. : A breach was soon made in
thsbrick wall above the door; the mob rushed.in
and dispersed themselves over the church.. An
Irishman was arrested in the church. In about an
hour smoke issued from the cellar, but the fir was