The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-17

| harsh structures upon our government. IL repre-
| senied annexation as act Of usurpanon"-oi
violence and fraud, - and the Mexican government
as being thereby despoiled, outraged ana condemn
| ed.n
Such, Mr.. Chairman, is brief summary Of the
history of the origin and rejection OF this mission 10
Mexico by two administrations. Faithfully did
the government endeavor TO give effect TO the spirit
| in which annexation had been consummated. II
almost begged negotiation at the hands Of that
| naughty and arrogant people. II respected the
wounded pride Of that nation so far TO keep our
army out Of the territory Of the Rio Grande until
i received intelligence Of the final and insulting
lection Of our minister, appointed by Mexican as
sent by the government which agreed 10 receive
him Ga the 18th Of January, 1876, the day after
the receipt OF the news by the cabinet, General
Taylor was ordered 10 advance 10 the Rio Grande
Our naval force had been Withdrawn from the high
seas which washed the Mexican shore, so that a
Mexican eye might not be offended by the sight of
the stars and the stripes which hoaed from It's flag
stalls. Everything generous-eyerythlng concilia-
Dry-eyerything mutually agreed upon-had been
done by the Executive TO bring this yexed matter
10 an amieable close. But il was in vain. Mexi-
can pride was pply to be appeased by our humiiid-
tom Mexican vengeance and hatred was only to
be stated by our quietly swal " the insult Of
seUtiUs did not tender. Withdrawing our minister,
he Pre- sident quietly prepared TO do his duty.
What was that duty' To defend the territory
Of the United States from invasion-to to
It that its laws be executed within its linn
It's, and that the States be protected within their
territory from invasion or foreign interference For
this purpose the navy and army placed at his
sole command. | now come 10 the point at issue
the point from which the gentleman from Georgia
has assalled the acknowledgements il prudent
and proper IN the President 10 order the army from
tho Muses. to the Rio Grande2 The conclusion TO
be derived from the events have related certainly
aufhDrZFd the President lhat h0aitlg
tors would exist in fact did exist between the two
governments on account Of the annexation Of Texas.
This was the original cause of difference. Mexico
had declared II TO be an act Of aggression-of war;
on the account OF IL, il had broken off all diplomatic
intercourse On account Of il had refused to renew
that Intercourse. On account Of II, an admins
tration Ia Mexico, which had temporZed in relation
u that alleged wrong 10 the Mexican nation, had
been oyerthrown, and another placed in its stead
pledged TO invade Texas, and which had in fact as
sembled wel'-a )pOinted army the Rio Grands
Tor that purpose. When demanding concessions Of
the United States, the Mexican minister of foreign
affairs did not consider the position Of our army on
the Nueces as aggressive; did not demand is with
drawa from the east side Of that river, but only
asked the withdrawal of our navy from before Vera
Cruz. The occupation, then, of the country be-
tween the Nueces and the Rio Grande was not the
cause of difference Of the war. That cause was
the annexation Of Texas-the occupation Of the
ohols, and not Of part, of the territory Of Texas
The MexIcans complained, not Of our crossing the
Nueces, but OF our advance west Of the Sabine; not
OF our taking possession Of the chapparsls on the
Rio Grande, but Of the plains between the Sabine
and that river Unable TO settle the line of bounda-
~ between Texas and Mexico by the negotiation
he had so earnestly and peacefully sought while our
adversary was armed and threatening, ask what
further duty rested on the Executive The answer
Is plain. IL was to guard the frontiers of Texas to
clear our soil Of hostile population; TO make the
way clear for free exercise OF our laws over the
country claimed by Texas The boundary thus
claimed was the Rio Grande That great river was
the boundary claimed by the republic Of Texas
when conquering power, with sword in hand,
them.
The treaty she then made, MAY H. 1886,
through her president, (Burnet,) with Santa Ana,
afterwards ratified and signed by Filsola, defines
the boundary thus: "The line shall commence at the
estuary or mouth Of the Rio Grande, on the western
bank thereof and shall pursue the same bank up
The said river to the point where it assumes the
name OF the Rio Bravo Del Norte, from which point
It shall proceed on the said western bank to the
he id waters /" &c.
The law of Texas Of December, 1896, defines
his same line to be her boundary
General VOL, Mexican officer virtually ac-
Snowledges 1t to be Texan territory in one Of his
orders, declaring all found within that disputed ter
rltory TO be traitors TO Mexico.
In December last this body extended our revenue
laws over that district, and made provision for GUS
tom-hsuse within 1t. Is not the Rio Grande, then
% al intents and purposes the Texan boundary,
until It is altered by negotiation Where is the
Jaw defining any other boundary Sir, there
Is none. The resolutions of annexation sd.
nit Texas with her boundaries subject alone
10 adjustment by negotiation. Until negotia-
non curtaiis the limits declared by Texas to
De hers, where Is the power which can rightfuy do
so? Who made the Nueces the Texan boundary
hne' Can the gentleman find any law SO defining
~ 1t exists only in the distempered and fevered
brain of those who can see no line for our country
honoraby to rest upon in that country The means
ponted out IN the resolutions Of alton of set
tlng and peaeeably defining the limits between the
TWO countries failing, the Texan law is tho law of
the iand-recognised by Congress in its act of an
nexation and of extension of the revenue laws
over that State. The President can know no other
boundary and in ordering the army, therefore, to
the Rio Grande he did what he had RIGHT to do n,
its Observation-Disclosures he was bound to do
as President of the republic. IT, then. the "Rio
Grande ought to be our boundary" the President
ought to he" no subject of censure. If Mexico
was IN arms, and in hostile attitude, it did not be-
come prudent Executive to wait until the country
was invaded before he used the means given him bv
The nation for its defence. He in duty bound to
anticipate 1t after such series of hostile demon
and to place the effective force of the
country IN such position would most easily pre-
serve our soil from an invading army
he Out dId so, SIR He ordered the army to take |
position upon our borders. The execution of this |
order is said to he the cause of the war; that with
out 1t the Rio Grande could have been peacefully
obtained as our boundary. Sir, the eyes that can
sec the germ OF peaceful disposition in any of the
proceedings OF Mexico relative to annexation. save
me slhsG agreement to receive our minister, are |
Sharper than mine. The eyes that cannot see IN |
all the rest OF the proceedings of that government
settled, hxed enmity and hatred towards us as a ma
nona hrm decision to resent by arms the act of an
to repe all reasonable advances to rec
onc'laton areblnd to whatever exculpa their own
as to the order of the removal of our armv should
DC, was II right If right, Mexico UNSUITABLE in
meeting that army in hostile array on our soP Was
Mexico lus'lfable IN enrapping and Staying the |
of Porter Thornton? in ATTEMPTS to cut
on our army from its depot Of supplies Was Next
lco right in refusing to prevent intercourse between
our ohoers and our consult IL we should ever have
right to traverse the territory claimed by Texas
we bad 1t when we had failed to obtain a peaceful |
hearing upon it from Mexico; and if we then had il
"