TEXAS OR DISUNION: VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE SOUTH: SOUTHERN
CONVENTION PROPOSED.
The secret intrigue for the annexation of Texas was framed with
a double aspect--one looking to the presidential election, the
other to the separation of the Southern States; and as soon as
the rejection of the treaty was foreseen, and the nominating
convention had acted (Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Tyler standing no chance),
the disunion aspect manifested itself over many of the Southern
States--beginning of course with South Carolina. Before the end
of May a great meeting took place (with the muster of a regiment)
at Ashley, in the Barnwell district of that State, to combine
the slave States in a convention to unite the Southern States to
Texas, if Texas should not be received into the Union; and to
invite the President to convene Congress to arrange the terms of
the dissolution of the Union if the rejection of the annexation
should be persevered in. At this meeting all the speeches and
resolves turned upon the original idea in the Gilmer letter--that
of British alliance with Texas--the abolition of slavery in Texas
in consequence of that alliance, and a San Domingo insurrection of
slaves in the Southern States; and the conjunction of the South and
Texas in a new republic was presented as the only means of averting
these dire calamities. With this view, and as giving the initiative
to the movement, these resolutions were adopted:
"_First_: To call upon our delegations in Congress, if in
session, or our senators, if they be at the seat of government,
to wait on the Texian Minister, and remonstrate with him against
any negotiation with other powers, until the Southern States
shall have had a reasonable time to decide upon their course.
"_Second_: That object secured, a convention of the people of
each State should be promptly called, to deliberate and decide,
upon the action to be taken by the slave States on the question
of annexation; and to appoint delegates to _a convention of
the slave States_, with instructions to carry into effect the
behests of the people.
"_Third_: That a convention of the slave States by delegations
from each, appointed as aforesaid, should be called, to meet at
some central position, to take into consideration the question
of annexing Texas to the Union, if _the Union will accept it_;
or, if the Union _will not accept it_, then of _annexing Texas
to the Southern States_!
"_Fourth_: That the President of the United States be requested
by the general convention of the slave States, to call Congress
together immediately; when, _the final issue_ shall be made up,
and the alternative distinctly presented to the free States,
either to _admit Texas into the Union_, or to proceed _peaceably
and calmly_ to _arrange the terms of a dissolution of the
Union_!"
About the same time another large meeting was held at Beaufort, in
the same State, in which it was
"_Resolved_, That if the Senate of the United States--under the
drill of party leaders--should reject the treaty of annexation,
we appeal to the citizens of Texas, and urge them not to yield
to a just resentment, and turn their eyes to other alliances,
but to believe that they have the warm advocacy of a large
portion of the American public, who are resolved, that sooner
or later, the pledge in the treaty of 1803 shall be redeemed,
and Texas be incorporated into our Union. But if--on the other
hand--we are not permitted to bring Texas into our Union
peacefully and legitimately, as now we may, then we solemnly
announce to the world--that we will dissolve this Union, sooner
than abandon Texas.
"_Resolved_, That the chair, at his leisure, appoint a committee
of vigilance and correspondence, to consist of twenty-one, to
aid in carrying forward the cause of Texas annexation."
In the Williamsburg District in the same State another large meeting
resolved:
"That in the opinion of this meeting, the honor and integrity
of our Union require the immediate annexation of Texas; and we
hold it to be better and more to the interest of the Southern
and Southwestern portions of this confederacy 'to be out of the
Union with Texas than in it without her.'
"That we cordially approve of the recommendation of a
Southern convention composed of delegates from the Southern
and Southwestern portions of this confederacy, to deliberate
together, and adopt such measures as may best promote the great
object of annexation; provided such annexation is not previously
brought about by joint resolution of Congress, either at its
present or an extra session."
Responsive resolutions were adopted in several States, and the 4th
day of July furnished an occasion for the display of sentiments
in the form of toasts, which showed both the depth of the feeling
on this subject, and its diffusion, more or less, through all the
Southern States. "Texas, or Disunion," was a common toast, and a
Southern convention generally called for. Richmond, Virginia, was
one of the places indicated for its meeting, by a meeting in the
State of Alabama. Mr. Ritchie, the editor of the Enquirer, repulsed
the idea, on the part of the Democracy, of holding the meeting
there, saying, "_There is not a democrat in Virginia who will
encourage any plot to dissolve the Union._" The Richmond Whig, on
the part of the whigs, equally repulsed it. Nashville, in the State
of Tennessee, was proposed in the resolves of many of the public
meetings, and the assembling of the convention at that place--the
home of General Jackson--was still more formally and energetically
repulsed. A meeting of the citizens of the town was called, which
protested against "_the desecration of the soil of Tennessee by
having any convention held there to hatch treason against the
Union_," and convoked a general meeting for the purpose of bringing
out a full expression of public opinion on the subject. The meeting
took place accordingly, and was most numerously and respectably
attended, and adopted resolutions worthy of the State, worthy of the
_home_ of General Jackson, honorable to every individual engaged
in it; and so ample as to stand for an authentic history of that
attempt to dissolve the Union. The following were the resolves,
presented by Dr. John Shelby:
"Whereas, at several public meetings recently held in the
South, resolutions have been adopted urging with more or less
directness the assembling of a convention of States friendly to
the immediate annexation of Texas, at Nashville, some time in
August next; and whereas it is apparent from the resolutions
themselves and the speeches of some of its prime movers in
those meetings, and the comments of public journals friendly
to them, that the convention they propose to hold in this city
was contemplated _as a means towards an end_--that end being
to present deliberately and formally the issue, 'annexation of
Texas or dissolution of this Union.'
"And whereas, further, it is manifested by all the indications
given from the most reliable sources of intelligence, that there
is a party of men in another quarter of this nation who--in
declaring that 'the only true issue before the South should
be Texas or disunion,' and in proposing the line of operation
indicated by the South Carolinian, their organ published at
Columbia, South Carolina, in the following words,
"That the President of the United States be requested by the
general convention of the slave States to call Congress together
immediately, when the final issue shall be made up, and the
alternative distinctly presented to the free States, either
to admit Texas into the Union, or to proceed peaceably and
calmly to arrange the terms of a dissolution of the Union'--are
influenced by sentiments and opinions directly at issue with the
solemn obligation of the citizens of every State to our national
Union--sentiments and opinions which, if not repressed and
condemned, may lead to the destruction of our tranquillity and
happiness, and to the reign of anarchy and confusion. Therefore,
we, the citizens of Davidson County, in the State of Tennessee,
feel ourselves called upon by these demonstrations to express,
in a clear, decided, and unequivocal manner, our deliberate
sentiments in regard to them. And upon the momentous question
here involved, we are happy to believe there is no material
division of sentiment among the people of this State.
"The citizens here assembled are _Tennesseans_; they are
Americans. They glory in being citizens of this great
confederate republic; and, whether friendly or opposed to
the immediate annexation of Texas, they join with decision,
firmness, and zeal in avowing their attachment to our glorious,
and, we trust, impregnable Union, and in condemning every
attempt to bring its preservation into issue, or its value into
calculation.
"Under these impressions, and with these feelings, regarding
with deep and solemn interest the circumstances under which
this new issue may be ere long sprung upon us, and actuated by a
sense of the high responsibility to his country imposed on every
American citizen, in the language of the immortal Washington,
'to frown upon the first dawnings of every attempt to alienate
any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the
sacred ties which now link together the various parts,' we
hereby adopt and make known, as expressing our deliberate
sentiments, the following resolutions:
"_Resolved_, That while we never have interfered, and never will
interfere with the arrangements of any of the parties divided
on the general political questions of the day, and while we
absolutely repel the charge of designing any such interference
as totally unfounded and unjustifiable, yet when we see men
of any party and any quarter of this nation announcing as
their motto, 'Texas or Disunion,' and singling out the city of
Nashville as a place of general gathering, in order to give
formality and solemnity to the presentation of that issue, we
feel it to be not only our sacred right, but our solemn duty to
protest, as we now do protest, against the desecration of the
soil of Tennessee, by any act of men holding within its borders
a convention for any such object.
"_Resolved_, That when our fellow-citizens of any State come
hither as Americans, loyal to our glorious Union, they will
be received and welcomed by us with all the kindness and
hospitality which should characterize the intercourse of a
band of brothers, whatever may be our differences on political
subjects; but when they avow their willingness to break up the
Union rather than fail to accomplish a favorite object, we feel
bound to tell them this is no fit place to concert their plans.
"_Resolved_, That we entertain for the people of South Carolina,
and the other quarters in which this cry of 'Texas or Disunion'
has been raised, feelings of fraternal regard and affection;
that we sincerely lament the exhibition by any portion of
them of disloyalty to the Union, or a disposition to urge
its dissolution with a view to annexation with Texas, if not
otherwise obtained; and that we hope a returning sense of what
is due to themselves, to the other States of the Union, to the
American people, and to the cause of American liberty, will
prevent them from persevering in urging the issue they have
proposed."
The energy with which this proposed convention was repulsed from
Nashville and Richmond, and the general revolt against it in most of
the States, brought the movement to a stand, paralyzed its leaders,
and suppressed the disunion scheme for the time being--only to lie
in wait for future occasions. But it was not before the people only
that this scheme for a Southern convention with a view to the
secession of the slave States, was matter of discussion: it was the
subject of debate in the Senate. Mr. McDuffie mentioned it, and in a
way to draw a reply from Mr. Benton--an extract from which has been
given in a previous chapter, and which, besides some information on
its immediate subject, and besides foreseeing the failure of _that_
attempt to get up a disunion convention, also told that the design
of the secessionists was to extend the new Southern republic to the
Californias: and this was told two years before the declaration of
the war by which California was acquired.