--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean to say that Congress can hereafter…" description: "\"I mean to say that Congress can hereafter decide whether any states, slave or free, can be framed out of Texas. If they should never be framed out of T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/william-h-seward-17225_congress_i-mean-to-say-that-congress-can-hereafte_2275729.jpg" --- # I mean to say that Congress can hereafter decide whether… ![“I mean to say that Congress can hereafter decide whether any states, slave or free, can be framed out of Texas. If they should never be framed out of Texas, they never could be admitted.” quote by William H. Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/william-h-seward-17225_congress_i-mean-to-say-that-congress-can-hereafte_2275729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/william-h-seward-17225_congress_i-mean-to-say-that-congress-can-hereafte_2275729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75c/william-h-seward-17225_congress_i-mean-to-say-that-congress-can-hereafte_2275729.jpg) > “I mean to say that Congress can hereafter decide whether any states, slave or free, can be framed out of Texas. If they should never be framed out of Texas, they never could be admitted.” [William H. Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seward argues that states cannot be admitted if they are excluded from Texas, implying Texas controls its own borders. **In simple terms:** Texas decides which states can join; exclusion prevents admission. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of territorial control in statehood. Themes statehood territorial rights political boundaries Mood historical analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - state admission - border disputes - historical analysis - policy making Key Concepts legal precedent federalism Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about state sovereignty? - How do borders affect political power? A Different Perspective Historical context may limit modern relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Hereafter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hereafter/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) ## Related quotes > [The proposition of an established classification of states as slave states and free states, as insisted on by some, and into northern and southern,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-seward/the-proposition-of-an-established-classification-of-states-as-slave/) [William H. Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) > [All the people ought to decide, but now most states are tossed on the scrap heap and ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/all-the-people-ought-to-decide-but-now-most-states-are-tossed-on-the/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing states, yet no part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/though-slavery-is-thought-by-some-to-be-mild-in-missouri-when/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Rather than rewriting the law under the pretense of interpreting it, the Court should have left it to Congress to decide what to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/rather-than-rewriting-the-law-under-the-pretense-of-interpreting-it/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [It is not the role of Congress to decide legal cases between private parties. 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