The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-16
SPEECH
nr Mn RREEaE OF ILLINOIS (.

lcosrMunD.
From our State papers" fod the following dies,
cription of Louisiana which aiihds some aoui''o"a
evidence of the extent of the French claim weT'
"Extacts from the Dcionaeio Oeog.aphco h,s-
torco de las midas, OceiJenlaies, hmene', "
Colooel Don Antonio do Alcedo, captain OF the hoy
al Span sh Guards: printed at Madrid IN 1850 %
by he permss Of the government, and deuiea,ea
to the Prince of A.turas, Afterwards Charles 7tn'
:. Louisiana province and government oil NORM
America OF The Two which form Ne" rfah.o
bounded on the south by the Gulf Of Mexico on ihe
nor,h by The river Illinois and the Indian tribes OF
Pamaoucs. Poaduoas, &c, and others on the cas-
BY West Florida, Georgia, and Carolina ana on Tue
west by New Mexico and New Spain It's extern
fom north TO south is about fifteen degiees-thas Is
TO saw from the 25th The 40th degree of north lai
tude and from east TO west ten or eleven degrees De-
tween the S6th and 96th degrees OF west Longitude !
It's limits however, not being precisely fixed M dc
Isle gives il much greater exttn, particularly to-
wards the north, where It borders on Canada; Snu,
according 10 hun, IL is afterwards bounded by New
York, Pennsylvsna Virginia and TO the west by the
rivers Bravo and Salado.
A mass of concurring evidence this point is
furnished IN the same papers, and our government,
early 1905, asserted the principles as applicable
TO this part OF Louisiana that, when any European
nation takes possession Of any extent OF coast
that Possession understood extending into the
Interior country; TO tie sources Of the rivers empty
ing within that coast 20 all their branches aud the
county they cover, and to give right in exclusion
Of all other nations the same; and that, whenever
European ion makes a discovery, and takes pos
session of any portion Of this continent, and another
after ards does the same at some distance from il,
when the bou dairy between them is not determined
by the principle Aforementioned the middle distance
becomes such, Of course. BY force Of these princi-
pl then, the Bravo the desert 10 the east OF IT,
or the solitary Neuces being nearly equdisant from
the French discovery and settlement at Matagorda,
and he then most easteriy Spanish settlements that
of Panuco, west of Tampico, would be the line Of
boundary between their respective claims
Mr.. Clay must have ente, tainei the same views Of
the extent Of claim in 1920 when, after the
execution of the Florida treaty, by which Texas was
coded 10 Spain, he moved, ia the House of Repre-
sentati,es the f)uwing resolutions, and sustained
them, as Le always does sustain his propositions, by
an able speech
Resolped That the constitution of The United
States vests in Congress the power dispose OF the
territory belonging to them, and that treaty puI-
porting to alie0a,e any portion thereof is valid with
out the concurrence of Congress.
Resolved, That the equivalent proposed to be
given by Spain to the United States n treaty con-
cluded between them on the POD day of February,
1870, for the part of Lou siana lying west of the Sa
bine, was inadequate and that It would be inexpe
dien to make transfer thereof to any foreign pow
or, or TO renew the aforesaid treaty"
A majority of our distinguished statesmen have al
ways contended for the Del Norte as our western
limit, under the treaty of 1903 and many of them
have questioned the cons,utonaty of its surrender
in 1919.
II, then II be the fact that Texas was a part Of
LOUISIANA, II is very evident we have performed
our treaty obligations 10 France, stipulated in the
third article | have read. We ceded the territory
and It's lnhabItans to The Spanish CROW f; we have
not incorporated 1t into the Union Of the United
States We have not admitted lis inhabitants TO the
enjoyment OF all the rights advantages and immuni-
ties Of cltzsns of the United States; and in the mean
time, before comforting those blessings upon them
we have not protected them in the free enjoy ment
oil TIER liberty, property, and the religion which
they profess. We have performed none of our en-
gagements and shall we not now redeem our faith I
aud can we not without violati n of any agree
ment with Mexico, carry out in its spirit the pre-
vlous agreement with France Texas has been,
alone and unaided by US, struggling for years for
the benefit of these stipulatons. In that struggle
she has expended much of her blood and all her
revenues and II does TO me alike the dictate of
honor and OF justice, come to her r, lief in the
mode proposed; and IN doing so, wage o unjust
war far concerned, on Mexico
Should Mexico declare war against us for doing,
call the attention of the civilized world to the
position we shall occupy IN such a war challenging
It's admiration at the generosity of our conduct and
the honorable motives by which we have been ac-
tuated.
In view Of what have said Mr. President. in
slst that MeXico-the present government or su-
preme power Of Mexico, has no right to subiugate
Texas And here am opposed by the sdmis
subject, that she has such right IC she has the
right, whence did she derive nj Has England a
rSm 10 sub)ugale us she can, by a war undertaken
Tor mat express purposef No, sir; no nation has
right 10 commence an unjust war Of aggression
upon peaceful Deghbor Tor the purposs Of spb
Jectng such nation 10 It's power for the mere pur.
pose OF conquest. Ii is in violation of the law of
GOD and oil those great principles Of justice he has
established.
texas was never party to the present esiab
llshed COVE nmeDt of Mexico. She was a marty In
her iederative system, but not TO her central des
pousm, and owes To II no featy. Her history as
already recited, proves this and the conclusion is
hIesstibe, that beng in that position towards Mex
co, she mas right TO maintain il # she can and a
war waged 10 drive her from il, and subiug,te her
10 power she has al avs repudiated, would be a
war commenced in wrong waged uniusrly and il,
authors aiders, and abetters should receive as they
deserve, the eXecrstons of the world The desooi
santa Anna, himself, after his overthrow at San Ia
cmto, acknowledged that Texas owed no alleoiance
70 MEXICO lie signed, when at perfect liberty mr. ;
ces OF agreement and solemn compact with the then
PRESIDENT OF the Republic OF Texas acknowledging
sanctonlng and ratifyng her full entire and perfee,
lhoePehoepoei and m a letter of the LIST of July
thereafter, he lays he offered TO treat with this g
erHmenfi and The whole letter shows his en,,re co.
vlcion # the really independent condition of rexas
Nhelher prisoner Of war can bind himself by
treaty or not question that DOES not arise here
Inc dictator was Of liberty; and, as he was the inn
oodiment, or rather, the personifcation of Mcrico
nus so's are binding upon her now, and the more
especially as he received from Texas eve tbinr 70,
which he stipulated.
But IT IS said Mr.. President, we are now actually
at war with Mexico; and the evidence of il is thai
The President, a. commander-n-chicf OF the army
ana navy OF the United States, has ordered a small
squadron of vessels to the Gulf Of Mexico, and some
troops to the Ssbiue and Red river on The Texas
'ronteri and that they are, on their seve al ell
ements, corps Of observation
Now, SIR, when consider the orders given 10 the
commanders OF these iorces-thst they are to DO no
hosle act 10 enter no neighbor ng territory but 10
remain on our own, and to report TO the President
so That he may communicate with Congress, for its
action see nothing at all alarming in them or cal.
cuated In the remotest degree TO alarm the country