The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1846-12-23

"ut authority from The United States. oes
place within their territnrial limits. and
upon which no lawful settlement can be
made without their sanctinn." H Q was
instructed 10 coll upon them to s'av0w
under what national authority they profess
I" act," aud 10 give them due warning "ihat
the place is within the u. S,aics. who will
| suffer M permanent settlement to be made
there, under any authority other than their
own" As late as the eighth Of July, ls42.
the Secretary Of State of the u. s., III
note addressed to our minister in Mexico.
maintains thal, by the Florida treaty of
1919, the territory az far west as the Rio
Grandc was confirmed 10 Spain. In that
note he states that, "by the treaty Of the
twcn,y-serond of February, 1910, between
the U. s. and Spain, the Sabine was adop-
ted as the line Of boundary between the
two Powers. Up To that perind, no con-
siderable colonization had been effected in
Texas; butlhe territory between the Sabine
! ant! the Rio Grande being confirmed to
Spain by the treniy, applications were
made 10 that Power fur grants Of land, and
such grants, or prrmissions Of settlement.
were in factmadc b. the Spanish authorities
in favor ofcilizens Of the United States
proposing u emigrale 10 'Texns in aumcr.
GUS families, bcfore the declaration ofin-
dependence Of Mexico"
The Texas which was crde,l to Spain by
,, The Florida treaty Of 1919 embraced all the
country now claimed by the state Of Texas
between The Nemces and The Rio Grande.
The republic Of Texas always claimed this
river Us her western huundary, aud in her
treaty made with Santa Anna. in May,
1896. he recognised il as such. By the
constitution which Texas adopted in Murch,
1886, senatorial and representative dis
trlcts were organized extending west Of
the Neuces. The Congress of Texas, on
the nineteenth Of December. 1886, passed
IAN act to define the boundaries Of the
republic of Texas" in which they declared
the Rio Grandc from ills month ~ It's source
| they extended their ''civil aud political ju-
ristIic,ion" over the country up 10 that
boundary. During u period Uf more than
nine years. which intervened between the
adoption Of her constitution aud her an
nrxa,ion us one Of The States of our Union,
Texas asserted and exercised many acts Of
sovereignty and jurisdiction over the terri
tory aud inhabi.unls west Of the Nueces.
She organized and defined the limits Of
counties extending 10 the Rio Grandc. She
established courts oi justice and extended
her judicial system over the territory. She
established cuslom-h"use, and collected
duties, aud also post Off ces and post roads,
in it-She established a land Office, and
issued numerous grants for land, within its
limits. A Senator and Representative
residing in it were elected to The Congress
Of the republic, and served as such before
The act Of annexation took place. ln both
~, ~
which gave their assent To the terms Of
annexation to the United States, proposed
by our Congress, were representatives. re.
siding west of The Nucccs, who took part
in the act uf anne xation itself. This was
gress of The twcnty-ninih of December,
lS45. was admitted as one IF the States Of
our Union. That the C"ngrpss nf the
United States understood the State Of Tex
as which they admitted into the Union Ia
extend beyond The Nucces is apparent from
the fact. ,ha. on the 3ist OF December.
mission, they passed law ''lo establish
colleclinndisirici in the Slate Of Trxns,'.
by which they created port Of deli.
very at Corpus Christi, situated west OF
the Nucces. and being The same point a,
"nlCn lIlE eSuS Tue
laws of That republic. had been located. and
directed that surveyor TO collect the reve-
venue should be appointed for That port by
the President. by and with the advice and
consent Of the Senate. A surveyor was
accordingly nominated, and confirmed bv
the Senate, and hns been ever .ince in The
performance Of his duties. All these acts
Of The republic Of Texas, and Of our Con-
gross, preceded The orders for The advance
Of our army 10 The east bnnk Of the Rio
Grande. Subsequently, Congress passrd
an acl establishing cer,uin post routes"
extending west Of the Nueces. The coun-
try west Of iha, river now constitutes a par:
Of one Of tho Congressional districts OF
Texas, and is represented in the House of
Representatives. The Senators from lhai
State were chosen by legislature IN
which The country west Of that river was
represented. In view Of all these facts il
is difficult to conceive upon whut ground
! i, can be maintained thai, in occupying the
country west Of the Nueces with our army,
with n view solely To its security and de-
fence, we invaded the territory Of Mexico,
Bu, il would have been still more difficult
10 Justify The Executive, whose duty IL is
To see tha, the laws be faithfully executed.