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Letters to the Editor must free postage, or they
may not be attended TO.


LETTER OF Mr. WALKER,


OF MISSISSIPPI,


Relative to the annexation of Texas: in rep the call
ofthe people of Carroll county, Kentucky, to
nicate his views that subject.


WASHINGTON CITY, Jan 8, 1874.


GENTLEMEN: Your letter: dated Ghent Car
rol county, Kentucky, November 25th, 1943, has
baen received 1t contains the resolutions of a
meeting of the people of that county, in favor of
the annexation of Texas, and requesting the can
didates for the presidency and vice presidency OF
the Union to make "known to (you) or to the
pubIic their views on this subject. As COM
miree you have transmitted me these proceedings
together with special letter, addressed to me as
candidate for the "vice presidency" requesting
nv opinions on this question. l am not candi-
date for the vice presidency. The only State in
which my name has been designated, to any con-
siderable extent, for this station, was my own; and
knowing how many, with much older and better
claims than mine, were named for this office, for
this and other reasons, by letter dated November
90 1S43, addressed by me to the democratic con-
vention which assemblies this day in Mississippi,
nv name is Withdrawn Internationally.


The treaty by which Texas was surrendered to
Spain, was always opposed by me; and in 1926,
1884 and 1885, various addresses were made by
me, and then published, in favor of the reannexa-
ton of Texas; and the same opinions have been
often expressed by me since my election, in 1886,
10 the Senate of the Uuion.


1t was revolution in Mexico that produced the
conflict for ndependenceain Texas. The citizens
of Texas had been invited there by Mexico, under
the solemn guaranty of the federal constitution OF
1924 This constitution, to which Texas SO long


e. Ill ted hIyth I1SDr
er Santa Anna After severe struggle, the peo-
pie of Mexico were subdued by a mercenary
army: the States were annihilated, and military
dictator was placed at the head OF a central des-
potism In the capital of Mexico, and of the state
of Coahuila and Texas, the civil authorities were
suppressed by the bayonet the disarming of eve
ry citizen was decreed, and the soldiery of the
usurper proceeded to enforce this edict The peo-
pie of Texas resolved to resist, and perish upon
the field of battle, rather than submit to the des
potic sway of treacherous and sangunary mill
tary dictator Short was the conflict, and glori
Gus the issue The American was success
ful the armies of the tyrant were overhrown and
dispersed and the dictator himself was captured.
He was released by Texas, and restored to his
country, having first acknowledged by solemn
treaty. the independence of Texas After the fall
of Santa Anna and the total route and dispersion
of the Mexican army, and when resubugaton
l.
the resolution acknowledging the independence of
Texas. 1t was adopted in March 1887, and the
name of Texas inscribed on the roll of independ-
ent nations Subsequently, France, England; and
Holland, have recognised her independence; and
Texas now has all the rights of sovereignty over
her territory and people, as full and perfect as any
other nation of the world. 1t was to Spain, and
not to Mexico, that we transferred Texas by trea-
ty; and it was by revolution in Mexico, and the
&c ind hTyC C1oaIF7
but BY this republic and other nations that Mexi-
co acquired any title to Texas. 1t was by sue
cessful revolution, and the expulsion of Spanish
power that Mexico, unrecognised bv Spain,
quired all her right to this territory; and it is by
similar successful revolution that Texas has OBJ
tained the same territory These principles have
been recognised for many years by Mexico, and
by this republic; and it is absurd in Mexico now
to attempt to recall her unequvocal assent to these
doctrines and ask to be permitted to change the
well-settled law of nations, and oppose the rean-
nexaton of Texas. 1t is an admitted principle of
the law of nations, that every sovereignty may
cede the whole or any part of their territory,
less restrained by some constitutional interdict;
and which, if it exist, may be removed by the same
sovereign power WHICH imposed the limitation
There is, however, no such limitation in the con-
stiution of Texas, which is single central gov
ernment, with the same authority TO make the ces-





transfer of Louisiana or Florida. Nor does it
change the question of power that these were dis
tant colonies; for the sovereignty extends alike
over every portion of the nation: and this princi-
pie was fully recognised, when Mr.. Adams, as
President, and Mr. Clay, as Secretary of State in
1925 and 1927. by Instructions TO our minister at
Mexico; and General Jackson. President, and
Mr.. Van Buren as Secretary of State by subse-
quent similar instructions in 1929, endeavored to
procure from Mexico the cession of Texas, then a
contiguous and integral portion of the Mexican
confederacy And if nation may code portion
of her territory, being completely sovereign over
the whole, she may certainly cede the whole; and,
IN any event this would be question, not of our
right to receive, but of the authority of the cedng
nation to make the transfer, simply an inquiry,
whether we Obtained a good or bad title. In
this case, the title would be unquestionable; for
Texas being independent in fact and so recognis-
ed by ourselves, and the great powers of Europe,