The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-17

CITY OF WASHINGTON.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SEPT IL, ls45
THE DEFENCE OF TEXAS.

TO back gradually, and not gracefully, out from its
first manly approval of the preparations of our gov
eminent for the defence Of Texas and carefully sur
veyng its ground anew, in preliminary article of
two columns, il has proceeded to invite us, in due
form, TO full discussion of the question: not for
getting, at the same time, to read us little lecture
to the spirit in which it should be conducted, nor
emitting to vaunt beforehand Certainly with all
proper modesty) its willingness to meet single-hand-
ed, in the controversy, what it is pleased facetous-
ly at once to imagine and to name as "our whole
corps ofeminent official writer's" Giving due heed
TO all this soundng-note Of preparation, we have
read carefully through the ''manifeso" Of three
columns published in the "Intelligencer" Of yes
terday morning, and noted 1--WE confess with re-
gret, if not with surprise) the sentiments, alike
unwise, unpa,rotic, ant-American, and therefore,
in our judgment, humiating, which leading jour
nal of what was once great party, has now fallen
low enough TO proclaim.
Il is, then, it would SEEM the deliberate and final
opinion of the National nteligencer that the pres
ent administration is to be held up to censure and
abuse for having taken any sufficient measures, or
issued any sufficient orders, to prevent the hostile
eupation by armed .Heriean force, efe ,ohoe res
portion Of The Tsrian territory hing bei,ceen the Del
.Norte and the .Nueees. This is the substance and
the result of the lnteligencers elaborate article To
this extent, after long hesitation and wavering, that
journal has at length venured to go. To meet this
proposition-to meet il VIGOROUSLY, and utterly de-
molish tive need as we conceive neither "official
aid" nor long argument, nor laborous citations of
authority The facts on which we found our an
swer are admitted, notorious, recognised alike by
our Texan policy, and by the policy towards Tex
as of the most enlightened nations Of Europe. The
7sras bounded by the Del .Norte is The only Ter
,ohich has had political existence since the 18Th
Of December, 1886. 1t is this Texas, with the
Del Norte for its boundary-this Texas, and no
other-which, since that day, has made itself
known and recognised as an independent pow
er in negotiation and treaty with the United
States, with France, with Belgium, and with
Great Britain For, on the 18th of December, 1886,
the Texan government having previously declared
its independence, and won the decisive battle of San
Jacinto, did, by an organic law, in solemn legsla-
tive action, establish the Del Norte as its territorial
,cih .Merco to maintain that limits That treaty limit
Texas maintained and defended against all agrees
sion for nine years. and up the very day when it
accepted the profler of annexation to the United
States. Texas, 1iM that limit, was in success
sion recognised Independent by other nations,
and made with some of them treaties of amity
and commerce, and with others treaties of com
merce and boundary. The nation, which, in 1886,
was sovereign enough, in the view of the United
States, to run, by treaty with us, boundary-lne
on its northern and eastern frontiers was surely
sovereign enough also to be heard with some con-
when, in the same year, it made known
to us and to the world its boundary, as defined by |
solemn statute, and maintained By ,car, on the south
and west What is it to us, or to France, or to
England, that the boundary of the old department
of Texas was the Nueces, if its boundary were
then settled, and that river were its boundary Be
it SO, for the sake of the argument-though we be-
lieve it to be otherwise in fact though is clear
we will prove, that Texas, originally part of
Louisiana, had been claimed by us to have
the Del Norte for her boundary when coded
by the treaty Of 1919 to Spain; and though
Mexico may have attempted to remodel her,
under her own system; yet when the federative sys
tenn was abrogated by the attempt Of Santa Ana to
establish central government by military despot-
ism, Texas resumed her original position, and with
her independence established the Rio del Norte as
her boundary-line. What though Mexico had ut
tempted once to remodel herr The diplomacy of
all the nations since 1886 has treated not with The
old department Of Texas-lor since that time there
has been no such political existence--but with the
independent republic of Texas, which has main
al ;,r ,n;,a
and defined the jurisdiction of that
government, and kept its frontier unassailed and
involate from all hostility purporting to be any
thing else than the marauding inroads of cowardy
and cruel banditti. This nation of Texas, with its
limit marked out for itself, as it had been prev
ously claimed by us, and marked out by the treaty
Of Louisiana, and as it has been defended by Texas
is the only Texas now known to the public law
of the world. This is the Texas which has now
become part Of our This is the Texas,
with the Del Norte for its boundary, which the
of the United States--actng under its
inchoate right Of sovereignty, acquired by the act of
or its right of "protectorate" pending
the final ratification of that Thy government III
this phrase suit the Integencer better)this is the
Texas which the government ofthe United State so
empowered in the premises, forbids Mexico TO dis
member by armed and hostile occupation. IfMex-
leo had seen fit to occupy with an armed force the
territory between the Nueces and the Del Norte,
she had abundant opportunity to do So Texas
claimed up to the Del Norte from her national birth
day. For nine yearsthe United States stood by, and
saw her maintain her claim unaided Then Texas
became, with our consent, or on our
a part of the United States; and now
it is the United States as well as Texas that Mexico
takes the responsibility of assang, when she
crosses in armed force and with hostile purpose, the
river Del Norte.
In determining the question, What is the Texas
which we are to defend' il behooves our govern
ment to inquire, What is the Texas whose indie
pendence we have acknowledged Is il the previous
department or is it the Texan republic, with its ex.
nj al al he