appeared, on the one side, a ready and eager belief in the tidings, and a disposition to acknowledge at once the independence of Texas, or to consider the alternative of its annexation to the United States; on the other side, something of distrust and doubt as to the correctness of the intelligence, and of decided opposition to any immediate action upon the grave questions involved in the subject. We of the North, it was then said, heard with no willing ears the unwelcome news of the triumph of the Texians. Never was there a greater mistake. I received the imperfect accounts of that battle with hopeful, but anxious, rejoicing, and with extreme solicitude for its truth; because I considered it as delivering us from the otherwise certain calamity of a war in the West. I believed then, as I believe now, that there has existed, in parts of the United States, a settled purpose to sever Texas from the Mexican republic. I knew that the commanding general of the United States on that frontier was collecting troops, and preparing, by order of his Government, to take post within the possessory limits of the province of Texas. I had reason to think the present administration long since treated for the cession of Texas. I saw that the individuals under arms in that province were mostly our own countrymen, carrying on war by resources wholly drawn from this country. Under these circumstances, if events were the reverse of what they prove to be, a war between the United States and the Mexican republic would have been inevi table. I say this, without impeaching, in any sense, the good faith of our own Government. If Santa Anna had beaten or driven before him the Americans in Texas, if a victorious Mexican army had approached the banks of the Sabine, or even of the Nechies, whatever might be the policy or wishes of the administration, whatever the conduct of its officers, it would have been impossible to restrain the overflowing enthusiasm of the people of the Southwest, their military ardor, their sympathy in the cause of their kinsmen and fellow-citizens in Texas. 1 appeal to the gentleman from Kentucky just before me, [Mr. WILLIAMS,] to bear me witness, whether the young men of the West would not have taken arms and rushed to the frontier by irrepressible thousands, if they had seen the Mexicans, flushed with victory, approximating towards the borders of Louisiana. I know it; I know that the Government of the United States, if so disposed, could not have prevented it; and, therefore, I regard the victory of San Jacinto with hearty satisfaction. Nor is this satisfaction diminished by the circumstance, that the result of that battle brings home to us the question of the future disposition of Texas. We have now reached, without a war, a point which otherwise we should have reached inevitably, ere long, through a Thus much is pure gain to us, in the saving of blood and of treasure. The political question, with all its difficulties, we should have had at all events. But we have no occasion, in the changed circumstances, to look to the otherwise possible, if not probable, expenditures and hazards of a war with the Mexican States. war. [MAY 23, 1836. to the durability of the Union itself, which I cannot contemplate without deep solicitude and repulsive dread. I will not permit myself to anticipate the appropriation by Congress of any money to the accomplishment of such an end. Looking to the alternative of the independence of Texas as the only probable one, it greatly simplifies the question of the interior defences of the United States. We shall border on the Mexican republic nowhere but in the extreme and yet unpeopled West. In the interior, our military organization will have relation almost exclusively to the Indians. Whatever appropriations may be needed for the sup pression of the existing hostilities among the Seminoles and Creeks, Congress, we know, will promptly vote, as occasion requires. And it may be taken for certain that all the Indians, still remaining within the limits of any of the United States, will be speedily removed to the country provided for them beyond the Mississippi. The time has gone by to give them any different destination. Their lot is now inevitable. Most of them, including the more numerous tribes, the Creeks and Cherokees, are under treaty to emigrate. When the emigration shall be completed, there will be Indians who have already emigrated, Making a total of 31,348 72,181 150,341 253,870 collected on the Western frontier of the United States. Can these Indians, a large part of them driven by us from their ancient homes, and aggregated together in spite of themselves, look with an affectionate eye towards the Government of the United States? It is impossible. Whether there will ever appear among them another Philip of Mount Hope, another Tecumseh, to rally their tribes against us, we know not; but we have ample experience, in the late contest with the Winnebagoes, and in the present attitude of the Creeks and Seminoles, to teach us the necessity of being on our guard in this matter. Concentrated as they are and will be on the borders of Arkansas and Missouri, in communication with the savage tribes of the Mexican territory, and through them with the Mexican republic itself, and in control of the vast plains of the heart of the continent, they have it in their power to be either highly serviceable to the frontier settlements of the United States, or deeply injurious, by the congenial warfare of those great savannas, where men are capable of rapid change of place by means of the horse, and never want the readiest and most effective of cavalry weapons, the lance, with which so many of the celebrated battles of Spanish America, as Bojaca, Junin, Ayacucho, have been won. To make the Indians our hearty friends, we should enter, at once, into plans of conciliation and of political fellowship, suited to the object. Meanwhile, to prepare against the contingency of war in that quarter, and to prevent even its approaches, we need a continuous line of posts along the Western frontiers, a cordon militaire, for our own defence, and for the restraint of the Indians. Whatever augmentation of the army this necessity may call for, let us grant, promptly, freely, manfully, with For the rest, there can be no question of the propriety of recognising the independence of Texas, whenever that is a clearly established fact. We may do this without giving just cause of umbrage to any foreign Power. The Mexicans, who obtained from us an acknowledg-out being terrified from our duty by the apprehension ment of their sovereignty, founded on revolution, can scarce complain of the application of the principle to the case of Texas. Its erection into a separate Government, in amity with us, would interpose a neutral barrier Power between us and the great body of the Mexican republic. The annexation of Texas to the United States is a totally different thing, involving a train of evils, as the propagation among us of a spirit of military conquest, the chances of foreign jealousy and collision, and peril that a regiment more or less of regular troops can affect in any way the inextinguishable devotion to liberty which inspires the American people. For myself, I shall continue, in the discussion of this matter, to look with a steady eye to the single point of the exigencies of the public service. No secondary consideration shall distract my thoughts, no incidental objects divert my attention, from the only true question in all these cases, that is, what does the general interest of the country, as such, require? In this, I am fixed and re INDEX TO THE DEBATES IN THE SENATE. Abolition of slavery; (see Slavery.) day of adjournment fixed for the 4th of July, 1780. pre-emption rights; a report on the memorial of the and Mississippi five per cent. fund; a bill to carry Appropriation bill for the civil and diplomatic expenses Appropriations for the army for 1836, 1413; read three Indian department, 1458; passed, 1739. to carry into effect certain Indian treaties, 1928; Arkansas, a message from the President, with the pro- a bill to provide for the admission of Arkansas do. in addition to the above act, 1577; passed. bill to increase the military peace establishment, Bayard, the Hon. Richard, from Delaware, took his seat Bond and Douglass, Colonels, a bill for the relief of the Bourtoulin Count a resolution authorizing the purchase Brahan, John; report of the Secretary of the Treasury, in answer to a resolution on the subject of mo- Bullion for the mint; a bill to supply the mint with bul. Carey & Lea's History of Congress; a joint resolution Choctaw lands; a resolution proposing to suspend the reservations; (see Pre-emption claims.) treaty; a bill for adjustinge ertain claims under 1 Colonization Society; a petition from citizens of Ken- resolution to authorize the commissioner to rent Congress; a resolution proposing that the Judiciary Com- a bill to appoint a day for the annual meeting of above bill returned, vetoed by the President, as the subject taken up, 1859, 1878; bill rejected. Cumberland road; a report from the Secretary of War, a bill to continue the road as proposed, 390; ta- a bill making an appropriation for do., 4633. Dade, Major, petition in favor of, referred, 613. Deposite banks; a motion to print extra copies of the Sec- Duties on imports; a bill to repeal the duty on certain ar- wines; a bill to suspend so much of the discrimi- imports; a bill to amend the several acts imposing Electioneering agents; a resolution calling on the Secre- Executive patronage; (see Officers.) | Expunging resolution; notice given that it would shortly Florida post roads; a joint resolution authorizing the es- railroad; a bill to authorize it to run through the Florida war, a bill making further appropriations for, | Lands; to appropriate, for a limited time, the proceeds of 1299; passed. banks; a resolution instructing the Judiciary Com- a bill prohibiting the incorporating of banks in Foreign paupers; a resolution in relation to foreign pau- Fortification on Lake Champlain; a resolution proposing from the House, reported with amendments, 1877; France and the United States; (see United States.) Globe newspaper, Mr. Webster's complaints against, 1693. Grant, Joseph; a bill to extend his patent right for ma- Haight, Stephen, re-elected assistant doorkeeper, 8. Harbor bill, for the improvement of certain harbors, &c., Hill, Hon. Isaac, the resignation of his seat, 1616. Hull, Commodore Isaac; a bill for his relief, 58. subject to a select committee, 26; agreed to, 33. a bill prohibiting postmasters from transmitting Indian claims, speculations in; a memorial from Missis hostilities; a bill for suppressing them, 103; passed, 291. land sales, 48; motion to take it up, 810; con. the committee on, moved to be discharged from two bills on the subject of pre-emption rights, 836. resolution authorizing the payment_of_the_ex-❤ a bill to change the mode of conducting the sales Land Office; a bill to reorganize the General Land Office, Mail contracts; resolution instructing the Post Office Maine boundary; resolutions of the Legislature of Massa- Maine resolutions, on the subject of abolition, 1109. Marine corps, a bill to regulate and increase the pay of Marshall, Humphrey; an unfavorable report of the Com- Metropolis Bank; a memorial for a recharter thereof, 58. Mexico; a bill to carry into effect the treaty with that Michigan applies for admission as a State, in a message credentials from its Senators presented, 6; ques- bill for the admission of Michigan into the Union, school lands; a bill supplementary to the bill to iii Michigan Senators; resolution for paying them agreed | Post Office accounts; a communication from the Postmas- a bill to provide for the execution of the laws of Mint; (see Bullion.) a bill confirming the claims of, 964; passed. a bill granting a certain quantity of land to, for 1123. Narragansett bay, resolutions of Legislature of Rhode resolution directing the Commissioners of the National defence; resolutions offered by Mr. Benton, Naval service; a bill for the enlistment of boys, 1413; Naval academy; a bill to establish one, 1453. Navy; (see Appropriation.) a bill for organizing the navy, 1855; laid on the Naudain, Hon. Arnold, from Delaware, resigns his seat, New Hampshire resolutions in favor of the expunging New Orleans custom-house; presentments of its dilapida- New York; a resolution instructing the Committee of Fi- memorials on same subject, 46, 391. a bill for the relief of the sufferers by the fire, a bill to extend the relief of the act now in exist- Northeast boundary of the United States; a message Ohio; report from Secretary of War respecting the a bill to define the northern boundary line of, 14; a joint resolution respecting do., 35. 1021. Order, questions of, 74, 141, 209, 414, 494, 556, 835, Page, Hon. John, from New Hampshire, took his seat, Office; a bill to provide for the erection of a build- Pension bill, which grants half pay to the widows and ter General, 1048. the bill changing the organization of the Post Of- Post routes; a joint resolution for the establishment of Pre-emption claims, a bill to extend the time for receiv- President's annual message received, 4; (see Appendix.) on the mediation of Great Britain in relation to concerning sale of lands in the vicinity of Fort with the result of the mediation of Great Britain, respecting French spoliations, 662. on discriminating duties with Portugal, 679, informing Congress that France had paid the four returning the bill appointing a day for the annual enclosing a report from the Secretary of State, in relation to Texas, 1871. President pro tem., Mr. King, from Alabama, appointed, Printing; a report of the committee on the contingent a supplementary bill, 1913; passed. a resolution proposing a reduction of the revenue, 52. a resolution directing the surplus revenue to be Rescinding resolution, offered in place of the expunging Ripley, General; a bill to audit and settle his accounts, School lands; a bill to authorize the relinquishment of Shackford, John, re-elected Sergeant-at-arms, 8. sider a bill in addition to an act for providing for 1199. Arkansas; petitions against admitting the State into the Union except on certain conditions, | Wabash, a bill to improve the navigation of, 563; order- Smith, Hon. Nathan, from Connecticut; his death an- Smithsonian institution; the President communicates cer- a joint resolution authorizing the President to ap- Statuary; resolution in relation to statues for the east Suspension of the rules; a suspension of the 17th rule several memorials praying Congress to acknowl. proceedings of a meeting in Warren county, Mis- a memorial from Shelby county, Kentucky, pray- resolutions of Legislature of Connecticut, on the report of the Committee on Foreign Relations, 1928. report from the Secretary of State on the subject, proceedings of a meeting of citizens at Nashville, Tobacco trade; a resolution requesting the President to Transfer drafts; a resolution calling on the Secretary of proposition for printing an extra number of copies Transfers of public money; a resolution on the subject, Treasury, Secretary of, his annual report, 4; (see Ap- Treaty with Spain; a bill giving effect to the 8th article a proposition for appointing a board of commis- Tyler, Hon. John; his resignation, 636. militia; a bill to provide payment for their servi- Western boatmen; a memorial on the subject of a marine Western frontier, the bill for the better defence of, Wetmore, Alphonso, petition of; the Committee of Claims Wildman, Hon. Zalmon, of the House of Representa- Wisconsin, bill to establish a Territorial Government in, bill to create the office of surveyor of public Yeas and nays, on a resolution to supply the Senators the judiciary bill, 63, 65. regulations of the Senate chamber, 71, 72. on reference of the Michigan memorial, 289. resolutions in relation to national defence, 572. Ohio boundary, 785, 799. slavery in the District of Columbia, 787, 804, 810. bill for relief of the corporations of the District resolution for the safe keeping of the journal, 977. bill for graduating the price of public lands, 1032. bill for the admission of Arkansas, 1056. bill for payment of revolutionary pensioners, 1094. establishing the Territory of Wisconsin, 1177. Mr. Clay's land bill, 1254, 1301, 1302, 1395, navy appropriation bill, 1299, 1427. fortification bill, 1524, 1550, 1576, 1592. the bill to reward the recaptors of the frigate cases of B. F. Curry and S. Gwin, 1668. the bill to prohibit the circulation of incendiary extending the charters of the District banks, 1695, bill for extending the time for receiving proof of the bill supplementary to the bill to establish the |