Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-05-20
RICHMOND DAILY WING
The True Boundary Line.

State of Texas; for whatever might have been
the final decision upon that point had It been left
to peac able negotiation, there can be no doubt
that, under existing circumstances, the geopraph-
ical limits Of that State will he dictated by the U.
States n sine qua of the termination OF hos
tilltes IL is with no reference, therefore, TO the
ultimate rights of the two countries, that have
heretofore adverted to il, or that we may hcreaf-
ter do so but for The purpose of showing that
each Of them should have forbornc the armed oc-
cupa,ion of the disputed territory until the ques-
tion of boundary had been defnitively settled. We
should have been willing to leave to a future pc.
Rod. therefore, more proptous to dspassionatc
hearing and just Judgment than the present. the
examination of a question, the decision Of which
must affect in great degree the opinion Of the
world as to the degree of responsibility which
attaches to our own Government for the inierrup.
ton of pacific relations. But the friends OF the
Administration, apparently as solicitous for its
vndcaiion as for the defence of the country, will
not have it so and it is therefore proper, in our
opinion, to show that their unqualified assertion
OF the absolute right of Texas TO the territory y-
ing between the Neuces and the Rio Grande, If
not entirely uniounded, is at least repelled by
plausible and as strong conflicting pree nsions on
the part Of Mexico. If this be the fact-and il
is merely as a question Of fact that we propose
br ciiy TO examine it-who can doubt that its arm
ed occupation by Mexico would have been re.
garded act of war by the United States
And if so, how can it be assumed that the United
States, in thus occupying it, is guitless of ag-
gression 1t is not he who strikes the first blow
that begins a war-but he who, by aggressive acts
upon the rights or honor OF his neighbour, rem
ders that blow necessary. Consequently while
we concedc that if the Rio Grands had been as
certained and acknowledged to be the true Yves
tern boundary Of Texas, the United States could
not have been properly censured for planting their
national standard upon its banks. we hold on the
otter hand, that so long thatsfact had neither
been ascertained nor acknowledged, it was, to say
the least Of 1t, act well calculated TO arouse
the national pride even of the most imbecle and
degraded race-to within their bosoms
feelings of resentment, and to impel them to acts
Of hostility. From the Neuces TO the Rio Grande
the troops Of both countries should have been
carefully excluded, Ieartlg IFS occupants as an
nerafion found them, until the boundary question
had been detinitively settled by negotiation. or,
If that means should within a reasonable time be
found unaya!lIng, by an open declaration of war.
The question then arises is the title to the soil
involved in much doubt as to render It's armed
occupation by either party just ground OF com.
plant by the other
We admit, at the outset, that the claim of Tex.
as, and, through her, Of the United States, is
tanned by plausible arguments-sutfciently to
have justified us in regarding the appearance Of
a Mexican army east Of the Rio Grande
aggressive act. Let us now see, whether the claim
OF Mexico is not likewise so plausibly sustained
rs TO justify her in regarding the appearance of an
American army at Point Isabel and opposite the
town Of Matamoros. equally aggressive in its
character. We noticed, in our last paper, an ex.
tract Of lette. from an officer in the army, in
which, speaking doubtless the popular impression,
Tin such cases generally correctly he stated that
the American army sncamped-where
Within the limits of the State Of Texas
No: but on the soil of the "IHerieaH State
OF Tdmdulipds." If this were an isolatd
expression Of opinion, it might not be entitled 10
very great weight. But it is the general language
of those who write from the camp. The intelli.
gent correspondent Of the New York Spirit of the
Times, for example, says: "Our situation here
san extraordinary one. Right in The enemy'S
country, OCCUPYING THEIR CORN AND COTTON.
"FfELDs, THE PEOPLE OF THE SOIL LEAVING THEIR
"HoM2s, and we, with small handful OF men,
care marching with colors flying and drums beat
"ing right under the guns Of one Of their princi-
opal cities, displaying the stur-spangled banner
"as if in defiance under their very nose" Can
there be more vivid picture than this Of the IN.
Ud'ion Of a foreign ter5itory-.he "peOple of the
a,aIf Hsst,, = 4 ~
they regarded not as the protectors of the State
to which they owe allegiance, but as enemies,
coming in hostile array to expel them from their
no nesl Would this state Of things have existed,
If Texas, in addition to the act Of claiming the
territory in dispute, had over been able to make
that claim good!
But we have still another letter from the camp
before US, addressed to the Editor Of the Albany
Atlas, in which we find TIC following decisive
statement:
W'si Of h- Naesss a., people are all Spaaiards
- 30 county is unnhabeoe excepting the valley Of the
no Ifande, and that contains pfey dense population,
ahd 20 no part OF the county The people loyal to
tho Mc1ehn Government.
The sol on the nver j. Of great fertility and though
IN perfectly cultivated, produces considerable corn cotton
ara sugar va toe uyer are several towns. side
roftc The Other. Maiamoris 900 Inhabitants R,tu,.t
1910 Comongo 5000, Mi-f $3.50, Guerrero $500 Loredo
'yu get higher up towards S1na Fe there s snoer p5pu
'ted country. Thc-o people oil Sy1uards and actua
'Wd BY universal feeling of hostility towards the United
. ees, and since avsl neay oil Of them have lef
's zoe ~ The and gone over. leaving their houses
and much alab property. Notwithstanding every assu-
rue from General T1YLoE thai OIL Their rghts and pro-
'Pary would be respected by our Government They
g1nue am NJ thenevca. but again'tu oio gu foe they
'fig united"
if, a. has been said, this disputed territory has
iecn represented ~ the Texas Congress and
now constitutes portion Of one Of the Congress
ionll districts represented at Washington, VIC
shuuld like to know how many voters there were,
and where the polls were held in what light
tlo resident plpu.stion Of the country regarded
cur army Is shown by the unIversal fight it,
approach Gen. Taylor himself in one Of his
drspaicheS indeed, graphically depicts the con-
sieinaiion a. well as the resentment excited by
his appearance. Writing from Matamoros on