Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-06-10
LETTER FROM HON. L. SEVERANCE.
Giving his reasons for refusing to cote Men and
Money for the War.

LETTER FROM HON. L. SEVERANCE.
Giving his reasons for refusing to cote Men and
Money for the War.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, May IL, 1886
To the Editor Of the National bstelligsxcen
Gentlemen~Being one of the fourteen members
ofthe House who yesterday voted against the biz
approprating ten millions of dollars to be placed at
the disposal IF the President to enable him to carry
on the war against Mexico which he has commenced,
and having been unable to obtain the floor to give
any reasons for my vote ask favor of part of col
umn of your paper to explain those reasons. had
no objection to vote any supplies necessary for the
relief of our army, but regard the very first line
the bill as palpable misstatement ofthe fact. Ibe-
lieve the Mexicans upon the Rio Grande, have been
acting in sefdefence, and, if they have made manly
resistance to General Taylor they are to be honored
and applauded for doing so. Without now calling in
question the mode by which the Mexican department
of Texas converted into our Union, do deny
that General Taylor, since he advanced beyond the
Nueces, has been either on the soil of the United
States or on that of Texas. He has been, and was
at the last accounts, in the Mexican department of
Tamaulpas, and it is there Mexican soil that blood
has been shed. The war has not been commenced
by Mexico, but by the President of theUnted States
without the authority of Congress, and without any
necessity. 1t was not required by any sound policy,
and it was totally forbidden by the Constitution of
the United States, by regard for justice, and by in
ter national comfy and good faith.
1t very true that the Texan Congress resolved its
limits up to the Rio Grande, and SO conveyed it on
oIo 81 tbot+ bod
no more right to convey any country beyond the Nu-
eces than they had to convey New-Leon, Zacatecas
or Durango. They do not pretend | believe, that
the State or Department of Texas originally extend
ed beyond the Nucces but they say they have extern
ded the Texan Republic to that river by their victor
GUS that they hold it by the title that they
hold Texas proper-the right of conquest, the right
of revolution. This do not believe is true. AS far
as my information extends, every expedition which
they sent to the valley of the Rio Grande upon its
upper or lower waters, was complete failure. The
people on that river, who nearly all Mexicans,
never submitted to Texan authority, civil military
know it is all included ON paperin the western Con-
gressiona District of Texas, but it is actually rep
resented in the !Merican Congress. Our revenue
collection laws, too the President says in his Mes
sage of yesterday, are extended it. Ifso there
is strange confusion in laws, for we have also
in force law allowing drawback of duty on goods
imported from Europe elsewhere and carried over
land via st. Louis to Santa Fe (which is on small
river emptying into this side of the Rio. Grande.)-
This act is positive acknowledging MT that Santa
Fe is rot in the United States--a law, if L mistake
not, signed by President Polk himself. Moreover,
the Santa Fe traders have continued up to this time
to pay impost duties to the Mexican Treasury for
both foreign and American goods thus carried over
and and sold in Santa Fe.
Mr.. Senator Benton was strictly correct in say
ng, two years ago that the Texan Congress had
included paper parts of the Provinces
Or departments of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, chihuahua
New-Mexico. very little attention to Geography !
md the history of the operations of the emgrants
rom the United States to Texas will show that they
lave no right whatever to any country west of the
Nueces or North of Red River, having never brought
under their authority. They attempted to do it
several times, but always failed.
Their first movement was in 1886, after the
Texan declaration of independence. An expedition
vas sent to seize the custom-house and pubic prop
rty at Metamoros, but before it reached the Rio
1rande 1t was met and driven back by Santa Annals
rmy, then advancing. After the battle of San ia
into, in Eastern Texas, in the year, recollect
10 movement upon the Rio Grande unth 1889, when
see some mention of a small marrauding expedition
which penetrated as far as Saltillo in Coahuila and
whose greatest boosted exploit consisted in its mas
erly retreat and escape into Texas avoiding the pur
NJ u IL. |
and Greeks did the armies of Persia.
The next movement was the Santa Fe expedition
n lS43, when President Lamar sent three commits
toner's, with armed civil posse of three hundred
nen more, to organize the Mexican settlements
N the upper waters of the Rio Grande, and bring
hem under Texan authority. These were
reated as invaders, all captured and sent to the
mines of Mexico. Thus matters stood until the
ummer of 1912, when Gen. Cos, or Gen. VOL,
S far as the river San Antonio. The Texans has.
,g rallied considerable force, he retreated, and {
Texan army of seven or eight hundred, under
len. Somerville, went in pursuit. They crossed /
be Rio Grande at Laredo, and sacked the town. ,
ZEN Somervllie, unable to restrain their rapacity ;
rdered retreat, being entirely without funds with
hich to pay for supplies but between i've and 6
x hundred men refused to obey, elected new
ader declared they could help themselves to what
icy wanted in an enemys country, seized all the b
pats they could find on the river, burnt those they
ley did not want, and set off down the river to
[ier of which they got possession in the night,
1T were next day all captured by Gen. Ampuda,
I'd marched off into the interior of Mexico as cap
YES. Some were confined in the castle of Perote