American Democrat. (Macon, Ga.) 1843-1844, May 29, 1844, Image 2

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explanations of Her Majesty's Govern ment on the subject ot its policy in refer ence to Texas. He would repeat, what he had supposed had been explicitly sta ted in his note to Mr. Packenham, the assurance that this Government fully ap preciates the spirit of frankness and good faith in which the explanations were fur nished. If they have failed to allay the anxiety which it had previonslyjelt on the subject to which they have referred, it was because they were accompanied by an avowal on the part of Her Majes ty’s Government, in reference to the abo lition of slavery generally, and to Texas in particular, calculated to defeat the ob ject which the explanations were intend ed to effect. It was not possihle for the President to hear with indifference the avowal of a policy so hostile in its char acter and dangerous in its tendency to the domestic institutions of so many States ofthis Union, and to the safety and prosperity of the whole. Nor could he abstain from declaring his regret at the avowal, consistently with that frankness and sincerity which have ever character ized the conduct of this Government in its intercourse with other countries. The United States, in concluding the treaty of annexation with Texas, are not disposed to shun any responsibility which may fairly attach to them on account of the transaction. The measure was adop ted with the mutual consent and for the mutual and permanent welfare of the two countries interested. It was made ne cessary in order to preserve domestic in stitutions placed under the guaranty of their respective Constitutions, and deem ed essential to their safety and prosperity. Whether Great Britain has the right according to the principles of internation al law, to ‘ interfere with the domestic institutions of either country, be her mo tives or means what they may ; or whether the avowal of such a policy, and she exertions she has made to consum mate it in Texas, do not justify both countries in adopting the most effective measures to prevent it, are questions which the United States willingly leave to the decision of the civilized world.— They confidently rest the appeal on the solid foundation that every country is the rightful and exclusive judge as to what should be the relations, social, civil, and political, between those who compose its population, and that no other country, under the plea of humanity or other mo tive, has any right whatever to interfere with its decision. On this foundation rests the peace and harmony of the world. The undersigned has again referred, in conformity with the request of Mr. Packenham, to the portion of Aber deen’s despatch to which he has pointed his attention, with the view of rebutting the inference of the President that Great Britain has endeavored through her di plomacy to effect the abolition of slavery in Texas, by making it one of the condi tions on which Mexico should acknowl edge her independence. lie is constrain ed tn on n o-.i-olul petUSai, that be ettn discover nothing in it calculated in any degree to weaken the inference of the President. His lordship avows that Great Britain wishes to see slavery abol ished in Texas; that she would rejoice if the recognition of that country by the Mexican Government should be accom panied by an engagement on the part of Texas to do so, and that she feels it to be her duty to promote such a consumma tion. If to these emphatic declarations the fact be added, that Great Britain, at the very time they were made, was enga ged in negotiating with the Mexican Government, in order to obtain from it a recognition of the Independence of Tex as, and that she declined to unite with France and " the United States in a joint effort for that purpose, it is surely not a forced or unfair inference to conclude, without calling in the aid of other evi dence, that she used, in conducting it, all the legitimate means Os diplomacy, back ed by tier great influence, to effect an ob ject in the accomplishment of which she acknowledged she took so deep an inter est, and to which she obviously attached so much importance. Nor does the un dersigned regard the declarations of Lord Aberdeen, that Great Britain would not interfere unduly, or with any improper assumption of authority, that she will counsel, but not seek to compel or undu ly control either party, as in any degree weakening the inference of the President, nor does he consider the remarks of Mr. Packenham as a denial of its truth. The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to renew to Mr. Packenham the assurances of his distinguished consider ation. J. G. CALHOUN. Washington, April 30, 1844. The undersigned, Her Britanic Majes ty’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, has had the honor to re ceive the note which the honorable John C. Calhoun, Secretary of State of the United States, was pleased to address to the undersigned on tlie 27th of this month, in reply to the note of the under signed of the 18th instant, in answer to Mr. Calhoun’s note of the day preceding, relating to the despatch of the Earl of Aberdeen, of which a copy was delivered to the late Secretary of State, Mr. Up shur, at his request. Mr. Calhoun’s notes of the above men tioned dates have been transmitted by the undersigned, for the information of Her Majesty’s Government. The undersigned avails himself ofthis opportunity to renew to Mr. Calhoun the assurance of his high consideration. R. PACKENHAM. The most effectual remedy for flies, is a strong infusion of Souchong tea, sweet ened with sugar—as fatal a solution as arsenic. The skin of potatoes boiled in water for some time, and the water after wards boiled down to a small portion, also yields a deadly poison. To the Editort of the Washington Globe: WASHINGTON, May 16, 1844. Sir — The following letter having been submitted to my disposal, I ask of you to give it an immediate publication in your paper. I am satisfied that you will take pleasure in complying with this request, that the public may lie apprised of the sentiments of another distinguish ed democrat upon the interesting subject to which the letter refers. Youj compli ance will much oblige yours, <fcc. W. T. COLQUITT. Detroit, May 10, 1844. Dear Sir —in answer to your inquiry whether l am in favor of the immediate annexation of Texas to the United States, l reply that I am. As you demand my opinion only of this measure, and briefly the reasons which influence me, I shall confine myself to these points. I shall not dwell upon the policy of uniting coterminous countries, situated like ours and Texas, with no marked geographical feature to divide them and with navigable streams penetrating the territories of both ; nor upon the common origin of the people who inhabit them, upon their common language, manners, religion, institutions, and in fact, their identity as a branch of the human family. Nor shall I urge the material interests in volved in the measure, by the free inter course it would establish the various sections of a vast mutu ally dependent upon aiul supplying one another.* These considerations are so obvious that they need no elucidation from me. But, in a military point of view, annex ation strikes me as still more important, and my mind has been the more forcibly impressed with this idea from reading the able letter of Gen. Jackson upon this sub ject, which has just come under, my ob servation. With the intuitive sagacity which makes part of the character of that great man and pure patriot, he has fore seen the use which a European enemy might make of Texas in the event of a war with the United States. A lodge ment in that country would lay open our whole southwestern border to hisdevasta tions. We could establish no fortress, nor occupy any favorable position; for the immense frontier may, in a vast ma ny places, be crossed as readily as a man passes from one part of his farm to anoth er. The advantages an active enemy would enjoy under such circumstances, it requires no sagacity to foretell. These considerations recall to my memory an article which made its ap pearance just before I left Europe, in a leading tory periodical in England, which is understood to speak the senti ments of a powerful party. This is Fra zer’s Magazine; and a more nefarious article never issued from a profligate press. It ought to be stereotyped and circulated from one end of our country to the other, to show the designs which are in agitation against us, and teach us tbfit our satety ill llial mighty coutcst which is coming upon ns, is in a knowl edge of our danger, and in a determina tion, by union, and by a wise forecast, to meet it, and defeat it. The spirit of this article is sufficiently indicated by its title, which was, “a war with the United States a blessing to mankind.” I cannot refer to it at this moment, but must speak of it from recollection. 1 have often been surprised it has not attracted more atten tion in our country. Its object was to provoke a war with the United States, and to lay down the plan of a campaign which would soonest bring it to a fortu nate conclusion for England. The basis of this plan was the organization of the necessary black force in the West India Islands, and its debarkation upon our southern coast. The consequences which our enemies fondly hoped for, in such a case, but with an entire ignorance of the true state of the country were foretold with a rare union of philanthropy and hatred. I wish I had the number at hand, to cull some choice passages for your reflection. The result was to be the destruction of the Southern States, the ruin or depression of the others, and the dissolution of this great and glorious confederacy, on which the last hopes of freedom through the world now rest. What more favorable position could be taken for the occupation of English black troops, and for letting them loose upon our Southern States, than is afforded by Texas? Incapable of resisting in the event of a war between us and England, she would be taken possession of by the latter, under one or another of those pre tences, which every page of her history furnishes, and the territory would become the depot whence she would carry on her operations against us, and attempt to add a servile war to the other calamities which hostilities bring with them. He who doubts whether this would be done, has yet to learn another trait in the an nals of national antipathy. It would be done, and be called philanthropy. Every day satisfies me more and more, that a majority of the American people are in favor of annexation. Were they not, the measure ought not to be effected. But as they are, the sooner it is effected the better. Ido not touch the details of the negotiation. That must be left to the responsibility of the government; as, al so, must the bearing of the question up on, and its reception by, other countries. These are points I do not here enter into. I am, dear sir, with much regard, truly yours, LEW. CASS. Hon. E. A. Hannegan, Washington, D. C. Intelligence op the dog and elephant. —The dog is the only brute animal that dreams, and he and the ele phant are the only quadrupeds that un derstand looks. The elephant is the only animal that, besides man, feels sor row; the dog the only quadruped that has been brought to speak. Leibnitz bears witness to a hound in Saxony that could speak distinctly 30 words. f Yom the Baltimore American. The Public Debt of Holland. The successful effort of the Hollanders to reduce their public debt, exhibits a de gree of patriotism and manly spirit wor thy of all admiration. It is pleasant to contemplate such an acl. The people capable of such an effort deserve to be held in high estimation. It appears that the. Treasury of the kingdom of the Netherlands was nearly exhausted, with heavy arrears and a large floating debt, which rendered it doubtful whether the interest on the funded debt could henceforth be paid in full. In this state of things, there was the alternative of an additional property tax of nearly one and a half per cent, on the one hand, and on the others a voluntary subscrip tion to a loan at a low rate of interest, with gifts to the Treasury, to pay off a five per cent. debt. The loan was pro posed towards the end of March last, and it is stated that the whole amount was taken in the space often days—“ all class es of the community, throughout the whole Kingdom having contributed their share, even laborers, servants and females sending in small donations.” The reign ing King of the Netherlands, with the other members of the royal family, to gether with the capitalists, subscribed large sums towards the completion of the loan. The London Morning Chronicle thus refers to this notable instance of public spirit: “ Very little attention seems to have been bestowed upon the financial procee dings which have lately taken place in Holland, but they arc deserving of no tice. For many years after the revolu tion of 1830, by which Belgium was separated from Holland, the large expen ses to which the latter country was sub jected, obliged her to have recourse to annual loans. The excess of expendi ture was occasioned chiefly by the neces sity of providing for the punctual pay ment of the interest on the public debt, as the whole burden of.it fell upon Hol land, even for that portion for which Bel gium was ultimately to be responsible under the treaty which acknowledged the independence of the latter kingdom. Since the -final adjustment of the debt between the countries, Holland has been seriously occupied with the re-establish ment of order in her finances, having in view to make a permanent provision for the annual interest, and also a reduction of her Five per Cents to a rate more in accordance with the diminished rate of interest which money bears injthe coun try. The chief measure proposed for this object was a property tax ; but as that., form of taxation was felt by the govern ment to be objectionable in a country al ready so much burdened by taxation, it was resolved to make an appeal to the patriotic feelings of the twonation, and the capitalists were invited to subscribe vol untarily to a loan of 127,000,000 guild ers in a Three per Cent, stock at par, which would furnish the governtner t with such tv sum of money as would en able them to reduce the Five per Cents., and supersede the necessity of a property tax. This appeal has been fully respon ded to, and the whole amount has been subscribed. The success of this measure is most creditable to the Dutch people, and shows that a high feeling exists among them for the support of the nation al credit, such as should always charac terise a commercial country, where the maintenance of the public faith, and the strict observance ot a contracted obliga tion, must always be considered as a par amount duty.” The following is the bill fixing the time for holding the election of electors of President and Vice President. A BILL to amend an act entitled “An act relative to the election of President and Vice President of the United States, and declaring the officer who shall act as President and Vice President of the United States, and de claring the oHicm* who shall act as President in vacancies in the offices both of President and Vice President,” approved March first, one thousand seven hundred and ninety two. Re it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem bled, That the time of choosing the electors of President and Vice President of the United States, in each State, shall be the Tuesday next after the first Mon day of November next; and afterwards except when a special election shall be held in pursuance of the tenth section of the act to which this is an amendment, the time of choosing said electors shall be the Tuesday next after the first Mon day of November In every fourth year succeeding the last election of said elec tors; and when such special election shall be held, the time therefor shall be the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November in the year when the same shall be held pursuant to the section aforesaid. Foolish waste of time. —The Journal de Calais states that an inhabi tant of Southampton, has recently been amusing himself by filling 24,000 bottles with 6,000 copies of an abridgement of “Universal History.” These bottles, well corked and sealed, have, by his or der, been placed in deep cavities in the icy caverns of Greenland, in the hope, should a partial destruction of the globe again ensue, that they might survive the wreck, and enlighten future ages, whi would otherwise be ignorant of the events which have come to pass in this world. It is not stated in what language this bottle conjuror has chosen to preserve the knowledge of the present race of mankind. The ARAB and the panther. —A correspondent of some French paper, writing from Algiers, says that panthers, driven by the severity of the weather from the Atlas mountains, have taken refuge in great numbers in those of Sahel. He then relates an incident showing the coolness of an Arab in fighting one of them. He was armed with only one pis tol when the brute attacked him. He calmly awaited the charge, and not till the brute had sprung upon him and thrown him to the earth did he fire; but then, holding the muzzle of the pistol at the heart of the beast, he shot him thro’. From tht Columbus Times. Mr. Clay # and tnc CofTVe Tax Mr. Clay, in his Milledgeville speech, said (if correctly reported) that a duty of two cents a pound on coffee would low er the price, as it would induce a greater number of persons to grow it. . If this doctrine be true, 1 hope that Congress will levy a duty of eight or ten Ctnts per pound on coffee, and will then get it for nothing or next tiPnoth ing, for ifa duty of two cents will lower the price, certainly ten cents will reduce it much more. There is, however, one difficulty in the way, and I suppose some of our editorial friends who are in favor of protection can obviate that It is this: as no part of the duty is to he paid to the grower, 1 camfbt see how he is to be ben efitted by the duty, unless our own peo ple become cultivators of coffee, and I have always supposed that it would not grow, even in the Southern States, much less in the Northern and Middle States, whose interests the Southern Whigs ap pear so anxious to protect. Can your neighbor of tlie Enquirer, explain how the West India coffee growers are to be benefitted by a tax levied on us ? If he can, the tobacco planters of the United States ought to be under lasting obliga tions to him, for they have taken lip a foolish notion, that the enormous duties on tobacco in England and France have a tendency to keep down prices here. I do not pretend to understand these ques tions myself, but some of our Whig friends who have advocated both sides, may be able to do it. A COFFEE DRINKER. Abolition Row. In New York city, on Tuesday, at the annual meeting of the American Anti- Slavery Society, the greatest possible ex citement prevailed. Rev. Cliaries M. Dennison of Boston obtained the lloor, and made a speech, in which he spoke of“ The Garrison party” in no measured terms. The president called him an a postate; and then Dennison said, “Before this'meeting I cast back the charge of apostacy upon him who made it.” (Great uproar—applause and hisses, mingled.) Garrison, rising hastily, said, Once there was a Benedict Arnold.” [Hisses, loud er than before, and great excitement.] — Garrison—“ You are cowards!” [Anoth er storm of hisses.] “Yes, I call you dastards!” [Continued confusion.] A voice—“ Judge not.” Garrison, in a tre mendous passion—“l say that whoever spoke then is a coward and a dastard !” [Of the scene at this moment, it is im possible to give any description.] Gar rison, continuing—“l say there was one Benedict Arnold.” [Hisses.] Mr. Den nison, jumping on the seat, shouted out at the top of his voice, “I think you are the Benedict Arnold. A voice from the lower end of the room—“ This meeting is not to be broken up by clergymen and a gagger.” Another voice— ‘ You’re impudent.” Tlie uproar and excitement was tremendous; —some were hissing, some were clapping their hands, some cheering, and several ladies and male members were shouting at the top of their voices to hear the President, who finally was heard. He again charged Dennison with betraying the abolition cause, and forming another Society— with taking possession of the books, stereotype plates, money, newspaper, and in short, the entire property of the Socie ty. Dennison denied the truth of the charge. A general scene of confusion, hisses, and uproar ensued; and the meet ing exploded in the most extraordinary manner. A fracas at Nauvoo. The St. Louis Republican of a late date, contains an account of a disturbance which took place at Nauvoo, on the 26th ult. “It seems that Joe Smith "ordered his police to arrest a man by the name of Spencer, for an assault on his brother in his own house—the residence of .his mother also—the .accused refused to be come prisoner, alleging it was illegal to arrest without a writ from the Mayor.— All the parties, however, collected round the Masonic Hall, or Court House. Joe Smith, Mayor, being present, ordered the police and the people to take said Spen cer into custody. The constable having placed his hands on hjm, Spencer put himself in a fighting position, and was assisted by Dr. Foster and his brother, younger Foster, and also James Rigden —who said they would not submit to the authority of the Prophet. Joe Smith put hands, too, to assist in taking him, when the younger Foster took out a pis tol, presented it, and said, he would shoot the prophet. The prophet got hold of the pistol, and held firmly round the britch, until, by the assistance of Rock well,, a second, the prophet succeeded in getting the pistol from Foster. The Dr. j and Lasner at this time took up stands, and vociferated they would kill the pro phet—said he wasavillian and an im- j poster, and that he knew it; that they would be doing a meritorious act to rid the world of such a vitlian, an imposter and tyrant. Rigden said he would cer tainly shoot him—at any rate told him he remembered by-gone times—knew of blood being shed on the island opposite; that he, the prophet, was the right man. He [Rigden] belonged to his band—had sustained him by money and force : he j knew the Mormon Prophet, Joe Smith, ) was the author of murders, and it was ■ high time he should die, and he would kill him. The prophet got his hnnd cut and his nervous system shook. Finally, the authorities succeeded in bringing up the three traversers before the Court.— They were all fined, but took appeals.” M. J. HNSTON, EriTOlV. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1814. The Publishing Department of this paper will, from this date, be tinder the management of Mr. Thomas S. Reynolds. The regular subscription price of the “Democrat,” will hereafter be two dollars and fifty cents per annum, in advance. To our City Subscribers. Subscribers in the city, who fail to re ceive their papers regularly from the car rier, will oblige us by making it known at the office. Mr. Woodbury’s Letter. We invite tlie reader’s attention to the very able letter of Senator Woodbury, on annexation, which will be found in our paper to-day. To the Patrons of the American Democrat. The undersigned, begs leave to call the attention of the reader, to the fact, that in the second number of the “ De mocrat,” a promise was made, that the publication should be continued for at least one year—this pledge, has been faithfully redeemed. The undersigned deems it irrelevant not to dwell on the causes which defeated the plan he had marked out lor the publication, nor the painful circumstances, under which at his very advanced time of life and with sight so impaired as to render reading nearly impracticable, lie pe.severed in to discharging the duties of the editorial de partment. He regrets deeply how little he has been able to accomplish, for the great cause which, with unabated zeal and undeviating fidelity, he has for fifty years, endeavored to support, .at no or dinary personal inconvenience and pe cuniary loss. If he ha* been able to do but little, be has the '’onsol ition of know ing, his exertions were disinterested, as he has neither sought or received remu neration. But at the age of seventy-sev en even a patriot may fairly consider himself as exonerated from his labors, as having completed his tour of duty. The brief space intervening between that ad vanced period and the grave, belongs to another world rather than the present. Admonished by these and other con siderations, the undersigned, as he has long desired to do, retires from the edi torial chair of the American Democrat, leaving it to a younger and abler occu pant, with the most ardent wish for its ultimate and complete success. Another motive, inherent perhaps in the infirmity of human nature, self re spect dictates to the former editor of the Democracf, retirement from the field ere the crack of the Constitution rifle, be come too feeble to be heard on the flank of the enemy. The writer would be untrue to his own feelings, did he withdraw without ten dering his acknowledgments, to those editors of both parties who on various occasions, have spoken in a kindly spirit of his humble labors. WILLIAM GREEN. To the Patrons of the American Democrat, In taking the Editorial control of the “ Democrat,” the undersigned is fully a ware of the nature of the duties, and the high reponsibility he has assumed, and while he is frank to confess that he has entered upon these duties with some dif fidence, as well as distrust of his own ability, to acquit himself as he could wish in the struggle which is now going on between the two great political Par ties of the country, he is led to hope from the justness of the cause, and his single ness of purpose that his efforts will meet the approbation of his friends, and party. Believing this, he will briefly and suc cinctly state the principles by which he will be guided, lie will adopt as the creed of his faith and theguide ofhiscon- j duct the principles inculcated by the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions of 98 and 99, and will ardently and zealous- j Iy before God and his country, exert ! himself in sustaining them—believing as he does that without rigidly ad hering to them, that the Constitution of the country cannot be maintained in its pristine purity; simple and unadultera ted as we received it from the hands of our patriot sires. Entertaining these views, and opposed to all forced constructions of that sa cred instrument, it is scarcely necessary to add that his constant exertions will be i given to advance the great Republican came—the cause of human progress and human liberty, and that great system of government the completion and perfec tionof which was a duty bequeathed tous by the illustrous Jefferson himself—. Constitutional Democracy. Upon thesubjectof annexation— which recent developments have made one of all engrossing national importanae—ho will state Ins views more particularly. Believing with Mr. Clay (who it seems entertains one opinion in common with the Democracy,) that “it is now clearly ascertained that the South is the weaker portion of the confederacy,” and that from this fact and the tendency of Whfo measures to destroy the moral and politi cal influence of the Souih in the nation al legislature, he will exert his most strenuous efforts to further such mea sures as are deemed most conducive to add strength end security to the South ern portion of this confederacy. That the re-annexation of Texas to the Union will contribute greatly to this he is fully convinced, while in a national point of view it will furnish us with a safe boundary on tlie most invulnerable flank of the Union. The flank coterminous with a foreign power opposed to the genius of our free institutions, and proximate to one of the most exposed and important commercial depots in the South West.— He therefore deems the quest ion of an nexation, as paramount and faT above any other that has been submitted to the people of the country for years, and will give it a hearty support. With this brief outline of the measures and principles which it will be his aim to advance and defend, he casts his ban ner to the breeze and will do battle for the principles inscribed upon it with all his might. M. JOHNSTON, For One Dollar. Subscribers will be furnished with the Democrat from the first of June until the first of November next for One Dollar in advance. The important bearing which the settlement of the great questions now before the people of the country will have upon the present policy as well as upon the future legislation of the coun try—maks t! . approaching canvass one oft’ e mo-'t import ...it submitted to 'the Aai.TC.an-people ince the adoption of our federal compact. Whe have to contend with an active and unscrupulous enemy, who will spare no appliances either of labor or money, iftrircnlnting far and wide among the people their documents, papers, speeches, &e. It is incumbent upon us therefore, if we desire to maintain the ascendency of our principles, to make equally active and energetic exertions to diffuse a knowledge of them among the people, satisfied that if this is done, they must triumph. As an anxhiliary in this great work, we offer our paper on the low terms a bove mentioned, and call upon our friends in the surrounding counties gen erally to aid us in enlarging our sub scription list. Recent Occurrences. Understanding that “ recent occur rences” were stamped with the decided reprobation of almost every respectable member of (he Whig party, and that the executive committee of the Clay Club had called a meeting expressly to dis claim all connection with, or responsibi lity for, the disgraceful “occurrences” at the Clay Club, last Monday night week. We were content to let them sink into deserved oblivion, but the insidious mis representations contained in an anony mous letter to the Savannah Republican, and industriously circnlat and about town, compels us to make a plain statement ot the facts of the case. It being known that a meeting of the friends of annexation was about to take place, the executive Committee of the Clay Club, courteously tendered them the use of the Club Room for that pur pose. The first meeting accotdingly took place there, without any interrup tion, but Col. Jone being too much fatig ued to speak that night, the meeting was adjourned to Monday evening. On Mon day it was currently reported, that some of the whigs were dissatisfied withour meet ing in their room, and threatened to come there and disturb the proceedings. Wish ing to avoid anythingof this kind, it was determined to hold the meeting in the Cou rt House. Notices to that effect were accordingly posted up, but in the even ing a prominent member of the Clay Club, (whose name can be given if ne cessary) called on one of the Secretaries of the meeting and insisled that it should take place in the Clay Club Room as had been intended—that they had been invited to use the room for one week and were perfectly welcome to it and must use it—that the individuals who had ex pressed dissatisluction, were not authori zed to do so, <fcc. —that no disturbances or interruption should take place. Un der this frank and courteous invitation which we have no doubt was given in