The United States derived advantages from the annexation of Texas, and creditors had aided Texas to rise to the condition in which her union was thus advantageous. They did not give her a dowry, but they enabled her to assume her own. The union of Texas with the United States and of her revenues was a division of her sovereignty, rendering her less fully and exclusively approachable by creditors. Was there not in these circumstances sufficient consideration to sustain the agreements between Texas and the United States for the benefit of the creditors? Bynkershock teaches us so (p. 191). Again, Texas by annexation became subject to the debts of the United States. How is it then that the United States could acquire Texas without coming under some moral obligation to guaranty the debts of Texas? It remains only to notice the argument of the honorable senator from Texas, Mr. Houston, which seems to result in this: that Texas had a right to ascertain and fix the amount of her liabilities, and she has fixed it at $3,355,360 25 and the United States and the creditors are concluded by that decision. I reply, that was not the agreement in the compromise. It was that the creditors should release their claims. If they will release for the $3,355,360 22 it is enough. But they have not released for that sum, and they will not. Then the senator insists that Texas is just and they unreasonable. I do not think so. The principle assumed by Texas is that she owes her creditors not what she agreed to pay, but the value of what she received from them. It needs only that this proposition should be stated to secure its rejection. It can be no more just in the case of Texas in regard to these debts than in any other case of public and even private indebtednesss. The argument, however, is attempted to be sustained by precedents. I reply, if sound it needs no aid from precedents. If unsound, then no precedents can make it sound. There is only one ground on which a government can justly scale its debts-that is the ground of absolute inability or bankruptcy, and then there must be a devotion of all its wealth. Neither Texas nor the United States can adopt that ground. Each of the parties is prosperous, each is rich, and they can neither assume the condition nor interpose the plea of insol vency. History of J. 306 Jubilee. 321 Eulogy on John Q. Adams, at Albany 75 Jubilee of the New York and Rail- In Court. 281 road, 1851. 321 330 44 Henry Clay, in Senate.. 104 Lafayette.. 25 K. "O'Connell.. 44 At the Western Railroad Jubilee 330 Extradition of Fugitives from Justice 469 Lake, Jarvis N., Letter to Fair, Agricultural, Albany, Address.. 164 LETTERS, GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE— Farms and Farmers, Improvement of 176 "Daniel Webster, in Senate... 111 Kossuth, Letters on........504, 505, 506 Ewing, Thomas, Letter to.. EXECUTIVE SPEECHES.. H. C. W., 1840.. 378 148 246, 260, Freedom and Slavery, Position 286, 295, of the two Parties on, 303 G. Whigs of Orleans.. 394 Benjamin Squire... 396 Whigs of Michigan.. 399 "Calvin Townsley.. 400 George Ashmun. Washington Hunt.. 401 402 404 Harrison, General, Letter to.. 381 "James Brooks... 406 Harvey, Jacob, Letter to.. Holland Land Company, Letter on.. 457 "Orleans Whig Convention.. 410 Horticultural Fair, Address.. 283 "E. J. Fowle, on Albany Meeting 412 Hughes, Bishop, D.D., Letter to.. 482 "James Watson Webb. 414 Hunt, Washington Letter to ........ 404 Pray, Austin, Letter to.. 356 335 377 449 435 SPEECHES AND ADDRESSES-- PAGE 275 John Quincy Adams.... 46 325 Printers of Pittsburgh, Letter to..... 506 SPEECHES IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE 603 Prison Association, Letter to... 503 .473, 503 Railroad, Erie, Address, at Elmira... 306 .... Reform, Law, Letter on.. S. Webb, Henry L., Letter to Schools, Letters on...... 193 206 ments.. 291, 303 239 286 "Boston, Mass., Address... 86 66 399 "New York, Address. 303 Centennial, Cherry Valley.. Orleans, Letter to. .394, 410 St. Patrick's Dinner. 229 "Syracuse, Address.. "Yates County, Address..... 260 246 |