Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-05-24

opinion with Jefferson and Madison, 'hat ,,tle to
the Del NoTte WINS as clear as to the island of New
Orleans In this letter, Secretary of State to Don
Onis, os the 12h March, 1878, John Quincy Adams
says: "rhe claim OF France always did extend West
ward to the RIO Bravo she ai,cays claimed the terri.
tory which you call Texas as beng within the limits, and
forming part, Of Louisiana" After demonstrating
our title to Texas in this letter, MIR. Adams says
"Well might Messrs Pnckney and Monroe write to
NJ. Cevallos, 1905, that the claim of the U States
10 the boundary Of the RIO Bravo clear their
RICH, to the island of New Orleans Again IN his lie,
Ter of the 3ls October, 1873, MIR Adams says our II
tie Texas establshed the power CT further
controversy
Here, then By the discovery and occupation oil lex
rs as part OF Louisiana, by La Sale, for France IN
1885, by the delivery of possession to US IN ieuo oy
Span and France; by the action OF our Government,
from the date Of treaty of acquisition TO the date OF
the treaty of surrender (avowedly its face by
the opinion of sl Presidents and ministers connect
ed in any way with the acquisition title TO Texas
was undoubted Ii was surrendered TO Spain, by the
treaty of 1885, but Mr. Clay maintained, in his speech
of the Sd April 1890 that territory could not he deEatsd
merely by treaty; and consequently, that notwith-
standing the treaty, Texas still orn. In the
cessiou Of portion Of Maine, it was asserted IN legs
latve resolutions, by Massachusetts and Maine, and
conceded By this Government, that portion OF Name
could be ceded by tresty without the consent of Maine
Did Texas assent 10 this treaty or can We cede part OF
a territory, but not OF State? These are grave ques
TONS they the point whether Texas IS mol now
part of our territory, and whether her people may not
now rph,fuy claim the protection Of our Government
and laws Recollect, this was no. question oil settle
ment under the powers Of this Government, OF dis
pued boundary The treaty declares, as respects Tex
as, that we "cede 10 his Catholic Moje,ty Comment
ing this in his speech before referred To- Mr. Cay
says was not question of the power in case OF dis
pu,e ssof fixing boundary previously existing III
was on the contrary, the case OF an nvowed cesson o.
territory from the United States to Spain Ashou 9a'
them the Government may be competent TO NIX MS
arf,@
where u.s. although, also, State, with the copsent OF
this Government, IN the case OF Maine, moy cece
portion OF her ,errory,-ye, 1t by no means follows
that this Government, by treaty. could cede terrso-
ry of the Union. Could We by treaty cede fios,da 70
Spain especially without consulting the people of Flo
rda, and if not The treaty by which Texas was sur.
rendered was, as Mr.. Clay commended, inoperatirs.
BY the treaty Of 1903, by which, have SEEM Tex
as was acquired by from France, we pledged our
faith to France and TO the people Of Teras, never to
surrender that territory. The third article OF that
treaty declares "the inhabitants Of The ceded territory
shall be incorporated in the Union Of the United States
and admitted possible, according 10 Tue prh,
cpes of the Federal Constitution, to the endowment OF
ali the rights advantages, and mmunlties OF citizens o.
the United States; and the mean time they shall oe
protected in the free enjoyment OF their liberty, proper
", and the religion which they profess. Such was
our pledge 10 France and to the people Of 1eras, by the
treaty of purchase and if subsequent treaty oil ces-
sion 10 Spain not unconstitutional and invalid II
was gross nfracon of previous treaty, anc OF ore
of the fundamental conditions under which Texas was
acquired
Here then, are mary grave questions oil constitu-
tonal power Could the solemn guaranty 10 France,
and to the people Of Texas be rescnded by treaty
with Spain, Can this Government, by ts own mere
power surrender any portion OF It's territory: IAN II
cut off territory without the consent ct It's people, ano
ender them and the territory To foreign power
Can exparate and expel from the Union It's own citi-
zen. who occupy that territory, and change an Anne
rcan ct.2an into citizen of Spain or Mexco' These
are momenous questions which 1t IS not necessary now
10 determine and IN regard 10 which advance nj this
time no opinion Certain, however, Il rs. that WITH
the cons nj of the people OF Texas, Congress can car
~ out the solemn pledges of the treaty Of l-93, and
admit one or more States from Texas into the Union
The question as 10 Texas is, in any respect cues
ton of the reesiabshmen OF ancient boundaries,
and the reposscsson OF territory most reluctantly sur
rendered The surrender O! territory, even ii consi'u-
tonal is almos; universally .nexpedient and nnw'se,
and, IN any event. when circumstances may SEEM 10
demand such surrender, the territory thus abandoned
should always be reacquired whenever il may be done
with Justice ard prnpriety Independent OF these
yiews we have the recorded opinion o! John q Adams
as President, and Henry Clay as Secretary OF State,
and also of Gen. Andrew Jackson as President, ard
Martin Van Buren, Secretary OF State, that Texas
ought 10 he reannexed to the Union. On the 10Th OF
49,, ,ea-. NJ oiuy, )" .r~..~;t3 With SO c"r
views, and the express directions Of Mr. adams rs PIE
sden directed letter 10 Mr. Ponsett, Minister al
Mexco instruc!ing him 10 endsavor 10 procure rcn'
Mexico transfer to us of lex,s TO the Del Ncrtc In
this letter Mr. Clay SAYS, 'the President wishes you Ia
effect tina, object" Mr. Clay adds: 't,e line Of the
Sabine approaches great w, mart han
could Re wished Perhaps The Mexican Government,
be unwilling to establish that Of the Rio Bras
SOS de Dns, or the Rio Colorado or The Snow Noun
tains, or the Rio del Norte, in leu os IT." Mr. Clay
urges also, The importance Of having entirely within
our lIins "the Red river ard Arkansas, and their
specive tributary streams ="
On the 18Th OF March, 1927 Mr. Clay ugain renewed
the eiiJi, procure The of Texas. In his lei
Ter Of instruction. Of thn date, 10 minister a, slrxl
CO, he says "hc President has though, the present
mi ghl ba suspicious period for urging negotiation
Mexico to settle the boundary cf the two republics
off could obtain such q boundary desire, the
Government of the United States might be disposed to
pay reasonable pecuniary compensation. l ne bonn
Diary prefer is that which, beginning at the mouth oil
Rio del No.e the sea- shall ascend that river TO
the month of the Rio Puereo, thence ascending this RI
TO It's source, and from its source by line due
North 10 strike the Arkansas; thence following the
Southern Bank Of the Arkansas To It's source, IN ati-
tude AZ degrees North and thence by that parallel OF
latitude to the South sea And he ADDS, The treaty
may provide "for the incorporation OF Inc hhaoah's
into the Union"
Mr.. Van Buren,, in his letter. as Secretary Of State,
u our Minister at Mexico, dated August % 1895
alt the wish Of the President that you ehculd, with
out delay, open negotiation with The Mexican Co
vernmen for tue purchase Of much Of the province
of Texas as is hereinafter desc-ibed" ale is induced
by deep conviction Of tie real necessity of the pre-
posed acquisition, not only guard for our Western
frontier and the protection of Near Orleans, but also to
secure forever the inhabitants OF the valley of the
Mississippi the undisputed and unds'urbed possession
OF the navigation Of that river" THE territory. OF
which q cesson is desired by The United States, is all
that part OF the province of Texas which lies East of
line beginning ct the Gulf Of Mexico, in the centre of
the sert grand p'a'ic which lies West of the Rio
Neuces" And Mr. Van Buren, adds, tie treaty may
provide "for the incorporation OF the inhnhtants into
the Union And he then enters into long and pow
erful argument of his own, in favor c the sacqustion
Of Texas.
On the 2Oh Of March, 1888, Gen Jackson, through
Mr. Livingston, Secretary of State, renews 10 our
minister at Mexico the former constructions on the sub
ject of the proposed cesson." On Tho Cd of July,
1885, Gen Jackson, through Mr. Forsyth as Secretary
of State The instructions TO obtain the cess'on
of Texas and expresses "an anxious desire TO secure
the very desirable alteration in boundary with
Mexico" On the 9th Of August, 1898, Gen. Jackson,
through Mr.. Forsyth Secretary Of State, directs our
minister al Mexico 10 endeavor TO procure for us from
that Government. the following boundary, "beginnng
al the Gulf of Mexico. proceeding along the eastern
bank of the river Rio Bravo del Nore to the S7lh pa
rae Of latitude, ard thence along that parallel TO the
Pacific" This noble and glorious proposition of Gen
Jackson would have secured 10 u.s. not only the whcla