The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-07-16

United States and Spain the Sabine was adopted an
the line of boundary between the TWO Powers. UP
TO that period no considerable colonization had beeh
effected in Texas; but The territory between ihe
bine and the Rio Grand being confirmed TO Spain ny
the treaty applications made To that Power iof
grants Of land and such grants, permissons oil SCI
tlement were fact made by the Spanish authorities
in favor of citizens of the United States proposing 10
emigrate To Texas in numerous families, oeiofe ."e
declaration of independence by Mexico ANA tue Q
early gran were confirmed, as Is well known oy
successive acts of the Mexican Government alter IL,
separation from Spain la January, 1873, na'iono'
colonization law passed, holding out strong u"
ducements To all persons who should 'nehn0 ~
though the Me can law prohibited for time cizens
of foreign countries from settling as coionlS's Ia
tories Immediately adjoining such foreign eoun'es,
yet this restriction was afterwards iepeaieu ="
suspended 50 that, In fact Mexico rom inc com
mencement of her political existence held OUT me
most liberal inducements to emigrants INTO her "rn
tories with full knowledge that these inducements
were likely TO act, and expecting they would ae, WIN
the greatest effect upon citizens oil me ohi'eu o
especially of the Southern States whose agricultural
pursuits naturally rendered the nch lands OF Texas,
so well SUITE to their accustomed occupations, OBJECTS
of desire TO them. The early colonisis oil the United
States introduced by Moses and Stephen Austin un-
der these Inducements and invitations, were persons
of most res ectabe character and their undertaking
was attended with very severe hardshps occasiohed
in no small degree by the successive changes IN the
Government OF Mexico. They nevertheless perse-
vcred and accomplished a settlement. And, under
the encouagemen,s and ailurements thus heiu OUT Ny
Mexico other emigrants followed, and many thou
sand coonists from the United States and elsewhere
had settled in Texas within ten years from the date
of Mexican independence. Having some reason to
complain as they thought, of the Government over
them and especially of the aggresslons OF Mexican
military stationed in Texas they sought relief by APP
plying to the supreme Government for The separation
OF Texas from Coahula and for local Government
Cor Texas itself Not having succeeded in this OBJ
ect in the process of time, in the progress OF events
they saw fit attempt entire separation from MEX
ico to sci up a Government Of their own, and to es
tablsh political sovereignty. War ensued, and The
battle of San Jacinto, fought on the 2lst OF April,
1886, achieved their Independence. The war was
from tha, time al an end and In March following
the independence of Texas was formally aeknow'
lodged by the Government of the United States.
In the events leading to the actual result OF these
hostililies the United States had agency and took
no part lis Government had, from the first, ab
stained from giving aid or succoT to either party II
knew its neutral obligations and fairly endeavored TO
fulfil them all. 1t acknowledged the Independence
of Texas only when that independence was an appa
rent and asceraincd fact and It's example IN this
particular has been followed by several the most con-
siderable Powers of Europe.
1t has been sometimes stated il for The purpose
of giving more reason 10 the complaints OF Mexico,
that of the military force which acted against Mexi.
with efficiency and success in 1886 large portion
consisted of volunteers then fresh from the United
States But this great error Ii Is well asceriaIned
that of those who bore arms In the Texan ranks IN
the battle of San Jacnto thee-fourths least
colonists, invited into Texas by the giants and the
colonization laws of Mexico and called to the field by
the exige nces of the time in 1885, from their farms
and other objects of private pursuit.
Mr.. de Bocanegra's complaint IS twoiold: first
that citizens of the United States have supplied the
rebels in Texas with ammunition, arms vessels,
money! and recruits--have publicly raised forces in
their Cities and fitted out vessels in their ports loaded
them with munitions Of war, and marched to commit
hosties against friendly nation, under the eye
and with the knowledge of the public authorities In
all this Mr. de Bocanegra appears TO forget that
while the United States are at peace with Mexico
they are also peace with Texas that both stand
the footing Of friendly nations; that since 1887
the United States have regarded Texas as an indie
pendent sovereignty, as much as Mexico, and that
trade and commerce with citizens of Government
at war with Mexico cannot, on that account be re-
garded as an intercourse ty which assistance and
succor are given to Mexican rebels. The whole cur
rent Of Mr.. de Bocanegras remarks runs in the same
direction as if the independence of Texas had not
been acknowledged 1t has been acknowledged it
acknowledged in 1887, against the remonstrance
and protest Of Mexico; and most of the acts of any
Importance of which Mr.. de Bocanegra complains
flow necessarily from that recognition, He speaks Of
Texas as still being an integral part OF the territory
Of the Mexican Republic - but he cannot but under
stand that the United States do not regard Tbe
heTtheT more nor less than complaint against the
recognition of Texan independence.
1t may be thought rather late to repeat that
plant, and not quite just to confne it to the United
States, to the exemption of England, France, and
Belgium unless the United States having been the first
to acknowledge the independence Of Mexico herself
to be blamed for setting an example for the re-
cogntion of that Of Texas. But it is still true that
Mr.. de Bocanegra's specification of his grounds of
complaint and remonstrance, IS mainly confined to
a.
consequence of the political relations existing between
Texas and the United States. Acknowledging Texas
to be an Independent nation the Government of the
United States of allows and encourages lawful
trade and commerce between the two countries If
articles contraband of war be found mingled with
this commerce, while Mexico and Texas are bellig-
rent States, Mexico has the right to intercept the
transit of such articles to her enemy. This is the
common right of all belligerents, and belongs to
Mexico in the same extent as to other nations But
Mr. de B0canegra is quite, well aware that 1t is not
the practice of nations to undertake to prohibit their
own subjects, by previous laws, from traffcking in
articles cootraband Of war. Such trade is carried
at the risk of those engaged in it, uuder the abil
tiles and penalties prescribed by the law of nations
by particular treaties. If it be true therefore,
that citizens of the United States have been engaged
in a commerce by which Texas an enemy of Mexi-
CO, has been supplied with arms and munitions of
war; the Government of the United States neverthe-
less, not bound to prevent it, could not have pre-
vented it, without manifest departure from the
principles Of neutrality, and is in no way answerabe
for the consequences The treaty of the 9Th of April
1881, between the United States and Mexico, itself
shows, most clearly, how little foundation there is
for the complaint of trading with Texas, if Texas is
to be regarded as public enemy of Mexico. The
sixteenth article declares at shall likewise be law
full for the aforesaid citizens respectively to sail
with their vessels and merchandise before mentioned,
and to trade with the same liberty and security from
the places ports, and Ravens of those are enc
mics of both or either party, without any opposition
or disturbance whatsoever, not only directly from
the places of the enemy before mentioned to neutral
places, but also from place belonging to enemy
to another place belonging TO enemy, whether they
be under the jurisdiction of the same Government or
under several
The 18th article enumerates those commodities
which shall be regarded as contraband of war; but
neither that article nor any other imposes on either