Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-26

| 'oiV VI ctate 10 warn lHcin 10 ueSlet, SnOulu
they be found there "or any other placesNorth
OF the Rio Bravo, and within the territory
claimed by the United States" lie was in.
siructed should they be found IN the country
North Of that river, 10 make known to them
''the surprise with which the President has
| seen possession thus taken, without authority
from the United States, Of place within their
territorial limits, and upon which no lawful
settlement can be made without their sanction"
tic was instructed to call upon them 10 'avow
under what national authority they profess to
act" and to give them due warning Chat the
place is within the United States, who will sui
Ter no permanent settlement to be made there,
under any authority other than their own."-
As late as the 9th Of July, l84s, the Secretary
OF State ofthe United States, in a note address,
ed 10 our Minister in Mexico, maintains that,
by the Florida treaty oil 1919, the territory as
far West as the Rio Grande was confirmed to
Spain. In that note he states that, shy the
treaty of the 22d February, 1919, between the
United States and Spain, the Sabine was adop-
ted as the line Of boundary between the two
powers. Up 10 that PERIOD, no considerable
colonization had been effected in Texas but
the territory between the Sabine and Rio
Grande being confirmed to Spain by the trea>
~, applications we're made 10 that power for
grants OF land; and such grants, or permissions
OF settlement, were in fact made by the Span.
lsh authorities in favor Of citizens of the Uni>
ted States proposing 10 emigra:e to Texas in
numerous families, before the declaration Of
| independence by Mexico" .nste..i ...
The Texas which was coded 10 Spain by
| the Florida treaty Of 1919, embraced all the
country now claimed by the State, Of Texas
between the Neuces and the Rio Grande.
The republic Of Texas always claimed this
| river as her western boundary, and IN her
treaty made with Santa Anna in May 1886,
he recognised 1t as such. By the consttu-
ton which Texas adopted in March, 1886,
Senatorial and Representative Districts
were organized extending west Of the Nue.
ces. The Congress Of Texas, on the 19,h
OF December, 1886, passed San act to de.
me The boundaries OF the republic of Tex.
as,' in which they declared tho Rio Grande
from its mouth to its source, to be their
boundary, and by the said act they extend.
ed their 'civil and political jurisdiction"
over the country up TO that boundary. Du.
ring period OF more than 9 years, which
interviewed between the adoption OF her con-
stitution and her annexation as one OF the
states of our Union, Texas asserted and ex
ercised many acts OF sovereignty and juris.
dIction over the territory and inhabitants
west Of the Neuces. She organized and de-
fined the limits Of counties extending to the
Rio Grande. She established courts Of jus
,lce, and extended her judicial system over
the territory. She established custom
house, and collected duties, and also post.
offices and post roads, in it, She establish.
ed land office, and issued numerous grants
for land, within its limits. A Senator and
a Representative residing in it, were elected
10 The Congress OF the republic, and served
as such, before the act OF annexation took
place. In both the Congress and Conven
ton Of Texas, which gave their assent 10
the terms Of annexation to the United States
proposed by our Congress, were representa-.
tives residing west Of the Neuces, who took
part in the act OF annexation itself. This
was the Texas which, by the act Of our
Congress OF 29th Of December, l845, was
admitted as one OF the states Of our Union
That the Congress OF the United States un.
derstood the State OF Texas which they ad.
mitled into the Union TO extend yond the
Nueces, is apparent from the fact, that on
the 3lst OF December, l845, only TWO days
after the act Of admission, they passed 9
law "lo establish a collection district in the
State Of Texas" by which they created a
port Of delivery a, Corpus Christi, situated
west of the Ncuces, and being the same
point at which the Texan cus,om-house, I'm
der the laws Of that republic, had been loca-
ted, and directed that survey or to collec,
the revenue, should be appointed for tina,
port by the President, by and with the ad,
advice and consent of the Senate. A sur.
veyor was accordingly nominated and con
6rmed by the Senate, and has been ever since
in the performance OF his duties. All these
acts OF the republic Of Texas, and Of our
Congress, preceded the orders for the ad
vance of our army to the East bank of the
Rio Grande. Subsequently, Congress pass
ed an act Establishing certain post routes"
extending west OF the Nueces.
The country west of that river now con,
s,itutes part Of the Congressional districts
of Texas, and is represented in the House
of Representatives. The Senators from
that state were chosen by Legislature in
which the country west Of that river, was
represented. In view of all these facts, it |
is difficult to conceive upon what ground
it can be maintained, that, in occupying the
country west Of the Nueces with our army,
with u view solely 10 its security and de-
fence, we invaded the territory Of Mexico.
But it would have been still more difficult
to justify the Executive, whose duty it is to
see that the laws be faithfully executed, if, in
the face of oil these proceedings, both Of the
Congress ofTexas, and Of the United States,
.