Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-06-06

inha hitanis are to be admitted into the
Union as States, as soon as il can be done
under the provisions of our constitution.
The Republic of Texas coded to us By
ZANE: lis boundaries are not specified, nor
was il necessary TO specify them. A siste
is corporate body--a unt--one single,
sole, embodied thing-with name to
Distinguish IL: snd by tina: name it acts
and passes, without further description or
definition. There was no necessity for
an exhibition of uetes end boundaries
The Republic Of Texas acts by IFS name,
and passes tselfto us in the whole extent
of all the limits and boundaries which il
asserts to be its own. This was all clear
enough; and we might have taken Texas,
as we did Louisiana and the two Flor das,
by name, and without further question,
but, in case of such moment, and which
might develop with an extreme delicacy
and Importance, aud to avoid the possibi-
ity OF mistake in step so momentous.
the Senate deemed il right to address IL
self directly to the President and to re-
quest from him map Of the ceded repub-
lie, and especially Of It's western and south.
western boundary. With this request the
President complied and on the Goth Of
April, transmitted TO the Senate special
message; with map of the ceded yepub-
lie, and memoir upon its boundaries and
features. This is the message:
To the Senate of the United States:
'In compliance with the resolution of
the Senate OF the 22d instant, requesting
the President to communicate TO tina, body
any communication, papers. or maps, in
possession CT ths government, specifying
the southern, southwestern and western
boundaries of Texas, transmit map OF
Texas and the countries adjacent, compi.
led in the bureau of Typographical Engi-
neers, under the direction Of Col. J. J.
Albert, by Lieut.. w. f. Emory, of that
corps, and also memoir upon the subject,
by the same officer.
JOHN TYLER.
"WAsHINGToN, April 26, 1914"
This is the message: and | will now
read from the memoir which accompanied
il, and afterwards show the map. The
memoir saws:
"The great northern outlines Of the
map is furnished by the explorations Of
Lieutenant Fremont, reaching from the
South Pass ofthe Rocky Mountains, along
the line Of the Platte, and thence down
the Missouri, TO st. Louis.
"The next well determined line going
South, is the route of Lieutenant Colonel
S. II. Long, from the base OF the Rocky
nearly South, TO the headwa
Ter Of the Can dian river, thence along
the banks of that river 10 its confluence
with the Arkansas.
1.-The aforementioned OF these lines was
projected in ls42, under the orders Of the
Secretary of War; the last was projected
in 1889, under the order Of the honor.
able John C. Calhoun, then Secretary OF
War. Both are checked by great va
rietv Of well selected and we,l-made as.
observations. They form the
base of all accurate geography Of the vast
region West Of the States, and South Of
the Missouri"
"Tbe astronomical position Of the
mouth Of the Rio del Norle is taken from
Humboldt. The Rio del Norte itself,
and the territory Of Mexico, are taken
chiefly from llumbo!d,'s great work, La
Nouvelle Espague. The country imme.
diately about Santa Fs is an exception.
This is land down from actual surveys in
the bureau of Typographical Engineers.
Humboldt wrote in 1903, and published in
1907; yet in the statistics and topography
of Mexico, i, is considered unsafe TO de-
part from him. have, therefore, except
in cases Of actual survey, adhered to him
for all the country West of the Rio del
Norte.
"Before going into particular account
Of Texas, It may be as well to state that
the boundary of New Mexico IS laid down
BY Humboldt; and although the boundary
Of Texas, as declared by an act of her
Congress, intersects it, | have not felt at
liberty to curtal its limits. But, starting
from the Gull, the Mexcans have no ac-
tual possession or fixed habitation, East
of the Rio del Norte, until we reach the
barriers at the Passo.
"The presen, boundaries Of Texas are
defined by an act of the Texan Congress,
approved December 10, 1886, TO be as
follows: Beginning at the mouth of the
Rio Grande, thence up the principal
stream Of said river to its source: thence
due North to the AID degree ofthe North
latitude; thence along the boundary line,
as defined in the treaty between the
Uoited States and Spain, TO the beginning.
son the side OF the United States, no
natural boundary is presented; but on the
West and North, the Rio del Norte, and
the mountains deserts which skirt il, make
bold and prominent territorial divisions.
"Ths grand aud solitary river, without
any important tributaries 10 divide It's
honors South OF tho Puerco, with lis Ste
rie mountain barriers to the South and
West. presents the only strong natural
boundary between the United States and
Mexico.
'IE connexion with the mountainous
desert. il forms the first class Of military
obstacles. II extends 1900 miles to the
North, in the region Of perpetual snow,
and to within about 100 miles ofthe South,
or Fremonl's Pass, and rolls down with
swiftuess vast volume ofturbid waters"
This memoir, Mr.. President, is explicit
in presenting the Rio Grande del Norte
in lis whole extent as boundary Of the
republic olTexas. and that in conformity