The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-23
Mr.. BENToN,s SPEECH.

developed in the following extracts should be
read by every one, as they serve to expose the
reckless spirit which has actuated the President
and his advisers. 1t has been pretended that
Texas of right belongs TO the United States, and
that the object of the Treaty is to reannex it to
the Union; but it appears by the map accompa-
nying the Treaty, and the notes upon il, that the
Treaty of Annexation claims a strip Of country
hundred miles in width and several hundred in
length, which was never considered part of
Louisiana, and to which, consequently, even the
poor pretext of remuneration is ihapplcable but
stands, according to their own showing, upon
the ground of a sheer usurpation. We, however,
have no respect for the term reannexation."-
If Texas was ever ours, we coded it away by
treaty, and whether we made good or bad bar
gain is immaterial We are bound by it in no.
nor and conscience, either way:
This memoir, Mr. President, is explicit in pre-
senting the Rio Grande del Norte in its whole
extent as boundary of the republic of Texas
and that in conformity with the law Of the Tex
ian Congress establishing its boundaries. The
boundaries on the map conform to those in the
memoir: each takes for the western limit the
the Texan Congress is copied into the margin of
the map to show the legal and the actual boun-
daries at the same time. From all this, it results
that the treaty before us, besides the incorpora-
ton of Texas proper also Incorporates into our
Union the left bank of the Rio Grande, in its
whole extent, from its head spring in the Sierra
Verde. Green Mountain,) near the South Pass in
the Rocky Mountains, to lis mouth in the Gulf
Of Mexico, four degrees south of New Orleans, in
latitude &C. 1t is 'grand and solitary river,"
almost without affuents or tributaries. Its
source is in the region Of eternal snow its out
let in the cline of eternal flowers Its direct
course is 200 miles; its actual run about 1000.
This immense river, second on our continent to
the Mississippi only, and but little inferior to it
in length, is proposed to be added in the whole
extent of its left bank to the American Union
and that by virtue of treaty for the re-annexa-
ton Of Texas! Now, the real Texas which we
acquired by the treaty of 1905, and flung away
by the treaty of 1919, never approached the Rio
Grande except near lis mouth while the whole
upper part was settled by the Spaniards, and
great part Of it in the year 1694-jus one hun
dred years before La Sale first saw Texas all
this upper part was then formed into provinces,
on both sides Of the river and has remained I'M
der Spanish or Mexican authority ever SINCE
These former provinces Of the M exican vice-roy-
atty now departments of the Mexican republic,
lying on both sides of the Rio Grande from its
head to lis mouth, we now propose to ncorpo-
rate, so far as they lie on the left bank OF the
river, into our Union, by virtue OF treaty OF re-
annexation with Texas. Let us pause and look
at our new and important proposed acquisitions
in this quarter.
First: there is the department, formerly the pro-
vince of New Mexico, lying on both sides of the
river from its head spring to near the Paso del
Norte-that is to say, half way down the river.
This department is studded with towns and vii
lages-ls populated-Well cultivated-and COW
cred with hocks and herds Onits left bank, (for
only speak Of the part which we propose to re-
annex,) is, first, the frontier village Taos, 5000
souls, and where the custom-house is kept at Which
the Missouri caravans enter their goods. Then
comes Santa Fe, the capital 1000 souls-then
Albuquerque, 5000 souls-then some scores of
other Towns and vages-all more or less popu-
lated and surrounded by focks and fields. Then
comes the departments of Chihuahua, Coahuila
and Tamaupas without settlements on the left
bank of the river, but occupying the right bank,
and commanding the left. All this-being parts
of four Mexican Experimentation under Mexi-
can governors and governments--s permanently
reannexed to this Union. if this treaty is ratified,
and is actually reannexed from the moment of the
signature of the treaty, according to the Presi-
dents last message, to remain so until the acqui-
sition is rejected by rejecting the treaty! The
one half department of New Mexico, with it's ca
pital, becomes territory of the United States
an angle of Chihuahua, at the Paso del Norte, ia.
nous for its wine, also becomes ours a part of
the department Of Coahuila, not populated on the
left bank, which we take, but commanded from
the right bank by Mexican authorities; the same
of Tamaulipas, the ancient Nuevo San lander,
(he New st. Andrew,) and which covers both
sides of the river from its mouth for some hun
dred miles up, and all the left bank of which is in
the power and possession Of Mexico. These in
addition to the old Texas; these parts Of four
States-these towns and villages-these people
and territory--these flocks and herds--this slice
of the Republic of Mexico, two thousand miles
long, and some hundred broad-a this our Presi-
dent has cut off from its mother empire, and pre-
sents to US. and declares it is ours till the Senate
rejects it He calls it Texas /! and the cutting
off he calls re. annexation Humboldt calls it
New Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo
San lander, (now Tamaulipas j and the civil
lzed world may qualify this remuneration by the
aDnlication of some odlous and tarr;hIo o,;,L..