Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-05-13
boundary Of Texas.

extended 10 the hio Grande, (kio del Norte.) But
It is one which cannot be wholly lost sight of:
since upon its determination will rest the judg.
ment that the American people will be hereafter
called on TO pass upon the conduct Of the President
in directing the occupation of the territory be.
tween the Neuces and the Rio Grande, i'm the then
existing condition of the relations between the
governments Of Mexico and the United States.
brief recurrence to it, is, in our opinion, rem.
dered necessary, too, by the fact, that insidious
efforts have been already made, and will be doubt.
less hereafter repeated, TO iorestall the public
Judgment on this subject, by the unqualified as
sumption, that, in crossing the left bank of the
Rio Grande, the Mexicans have invaded" our
SOIL and consequently that those who have fallen,
who may hereafter fall, have been slain in re-
polling an unjustfable and wanton aggression
upon our rights.
We do not profess to be sufficiently well &C.
quanted with the facts to pronounce a definitve
Judgment upon this question, although we have a
very strong opinion in reference TO it for we
well remember that one Of the most formidable
objections urged in the Senate, against the rati6-
cation Of the celebrated Tyler Treaty, in 1874
grew out ohe fact that this very territory which it
was alleged had never been deemed within the re.
cognized limits of Texas before the revolution bv
which its independence was established, and
which had not for moment been occupied nv IFS
troops, nor under the jurisdiction of its laws, du.
ring the progress or after the close of that strup
gle, had been nevertheless ceded to the United
States-embracing within its limits not an I'M
populated region only, but towns and cities and
custom houses, in no less than four of the Mexican
States, which from time immemorial and up to
that very moment had been governed by Mexican
officers, acting under Mexican laws This OBJ
lection, 1t will be remembered, was urged with
tremendous and irresistible power by Senator
BENTON, then as he is now one of the ablest and
most influential leaders of the Locofoco party
and whose opinion is entitled to more weight from
tie acknowledged fact, that, of all our public men,
his acquaintance with this question, which he had
made subject of long and laborious research
when the "Neophytes" had scarcely heard of
Texas by name, is by far the most extensive and
accurate. His views briefly embodied in the
suhIoined resolution, submitted by hun while the
Tyler Treaty was under discussiOn--though they
were amplifed and enforced in his elaborate ar.
S'Iment, TO which we may hereafter have occa.
Sou more particularly TO refer. His resolution is
these words:
Resolred That the incorporation of the left hank Of
"a 40 del NOre into the American Union by virtue of
aoay with Texas, comprebenGng the said incorporl
uo would do. part of the Mexican departments OF New
NJ ;NieO. Chihuahua, Coahula and Tamaulipas would be
act Of direct aggression Mexico for all the conse
Of which the United States would stand response
BILE"
The reader will remember that the "Rio del
N1rte" and the "Rio Grande" are names applied
iDdifieTenty TO the same stream.
And how was Col Benton's objection to the
Tyler treaty met BY denial oil his position
No; but by the express declarations of its friends
and supporters, that if, in defining the limits Of
fSsas, the negotiators Of the treaty had trenched
upon Mexican territory, the wrong might be rec.
titled by subsequent arrangement between the
two governments (which, by mutual agreement,
might run the boundary 10 as to maintain the
Just rights of each. Texas-has always, we
told, claimed to the Rio Grande:>~ To this. it is
answered, the MeHicans have always claimed to
the Neuces. And the fact that within thelimits
50 claimed by Texas, the MeGicans maintained
undisPuicd sway, ought certainly to be regarded as
prima fdeie evidence of the business Of her title,
at least TO that portion Of the disputed territory
which was and had always been in the qWiet
possession of her citizens, and under the undispu
led government Of her lars.
Even, however, if President Polk had deemed
our title to the LEFT bank of the Rio Grande to be
as "clear and unquestionabe" as that to Oregon,
he ought, it seems to US to have been governed by
tbs policy in reference to t-.-and that is, to
have considered it disputed territory, until the
conflicting claims Of the respective parties should
have undergone the usual diplomatic routine. Ii
would have been time enough to have planted our
flag the Rio Grande and to have cut the Cor
dian knot with the sword, when negotiation had
failed to unite it. We do not mean to say thatthe
territory between the Neuces and the Rio Grande
belongs to MeIco---.for that would be to PREJUDICE
the question IN dispute but do say that it ought
to have been left unoccupIed, unless some strong
reason existed for sending an armed force to that
rver, until every reasonable effort had been made
10 settle it peaceaby and satisfactorily to both 20
vernmenis.
Nor will IT be questioned that the President,
when he determined to take armed possession of
the country west Of the Neuces, should have sent
thther force adequate to its defence II will be
a wretched excuse to say that the general con.
{ npt for the Mexican character justified the be.
lief that with a small force he would be able 10
oyerawe and defy them. Mistakes like these. in
national affairs, TO DO regarded greet crimes.
since they lead no, only to irreparable injury TO
individuals, bui 10 public disaster and disgrace
TIC fault Of undertaking an enemy is always
rn4gniied by the importance Of the object to be
attained, which, rather than the conoctured pow.
rr ~ resistance, ought TO be chiefly considered
iy hiH who undertakes its accomplishment Fail
ing ia ibis The President has cvinced.-.as he has
done ia other matters Of grave importance.
that want Of foresight prudence and judgment,
which are the very elements Of wise statesman
chip, and destitute Of which the ship Of State is
as much At the mercy Of accident the gallant
bark is Of the waves aud winds when her cap.
tain and helmsman are ignorant Of their respon.
sihlr duties.