y the
Mexican guerrillas, pressed by the British and French governments, who
wished to abolish slavery and establish a protectorate, they sought
annexation to the United States, which, after a severe Congressional
struggle, was accomplished early in the year 1845.

The farther the lapse of years removes us from the passions and pride of
the hour, perhaps the less reason shall we find for entire satisfaction
with our course, both as regards this act of annexation and the war with
Mexico by which it was succeeded. While the feelings with which we now
contemplate the French aggressions in Mexico show us that there were
other and good reasons besides love of slavery why we might wish to keep
this new and feeble Gulf State out of foreign hands,--while we cannot
fail to regard with admiration the courage and skill with which our
gallant army won its way to the very capital of a hostile State,--while,
too, the progress of events has given us no cause to regret that
sleeping California was given up to the fresh energy of the
Anglo-Saxon,--while we rejoice to believe that this present war will
result in adding to the manifold resources of Texas the crowning
blessing of freedom,--while, in short, we see that what men call
circumstance, but which is God's majestic Providence, is turning our
errors into good,--yet the final verdict of impartial truth must be,
that it was neither in the spirit of wisdom nor of justice that we
strengthened the power which even then waited to slay us, and that in
our pride and impatience we showed too little consideration to that
State at the root of whose greatness we were laying the axe.

Those who delight in historical parallels will remember that this very
tract, from the Sabine to the Rio Grande, which was included in Texas,
was the same territory which was in controversy between us and Spain at
the beginning of the century,--and that as in 1846 the advance of the
Mexican general across the southern boundary of the controverted
district brought on the Mexican War, so, forty years before, the advance
of an American general across the northern boundary of the same district
brought us to the verge of a Spanish war.

But whatever any one may think of the nature and justice of the Mexican
War, no one can doubt that its result was the infliction of the severest
of blows upon a sister-republic. And the severity consisted, we repeat,
not so much in the territory which she relinquished as in her entire