Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-12-25

f,ee ;ns,;,ut;ons their nhabltanls-Peopie Vi a"l
race or color. and alien wholly 10 our Jaws and
languages utterly prepostefous. may pIT
determine moi the question now even iof ihJsenLl
hereafter polite and just that aiter
neaceah HE nossession, or after dehnlVe treaty OF
ppeac. canfrmnp our dominion, some or all the
rononereS nroyinces OF Mexico should be moor
n,rarsd ana their citizens admitted into our UDloni
hn wbenever done, il can only be BY The highest
ar, OF The sovereignty Of the nation, Inc people,
in the mode prescribed ny the Constitution, ana
pnder all ,he sanctions of that sacred instrument
Nor MIR Sneaker, do | hazard anything in ex-
messing The firm conviction that the President
has meyer contemplated, much less attempted such
startling acls of annexation and incorporation oy
his sole authority as have been here charged on
him. Rely upon it, ne has confined himself 10
his clear right and duty OF establishing mere pro-
visional governments, and securing 10 me con-
ouered people The blessings OF civil Institutions
during our military occupancy Further ne mas
moi essayed TO so. =.
vague pbraseesgy OF loose assurances contained
in The alleged procamations Of General hear-
new and Commodore Stockton, gallant, patriot
ic officers. undoubtedly, but without reproach
To them, certainly moi learned civilians nor con-
srulional lawyers. As commanders. charged
with international relations, they have been per-
hans more Infatuated 10 consider, and in The pre-
semi instance have more consulted the powers
conferred on their conguerng country ~ The
laws Of nations, than The constitutional llmita-
lions and partition Of power applicable 10 The
different departments OF our Government; as
we have heretofore seen, in The utmost extreme
of their supposed action, they have kept strict
" within the pale of the law oil nations,
and given no just cause oil complaint elmer
|
spection 10 that extent they were perhaps content
They may have heedlessly transcribed the au
thorily with which alone The Executive could
| invest them, and some OF their acts may not meet
approval Iiso, their yenial errors, but The of
spring OF an excess Of spirit and patriotism, will
readily claim the indulsenl enly OF The country
and provoke only smile al their bodness. Bu
the case would be far Otherwise if The President
had authorized such procedure, and usurped the
| high prerug ,live OF annexation and admission &c
citizenship in the Union. he would be held as
a civilian, as The chief magistrate OF this nation
accountable for better knowledge and more JUS
estimate of his powers, and be Justly subjected &c
severer judgment and sterner reouke But
| sir, we have not The instructions actually gwen
and the assumption that he has SO COMPOUNDED
the powers OF the Government, and exceeded M:
peculiar functions. is alike unwarlanlable anc
| unjust. luStcdu VI HdNiiS ~ $500
conclusion, we are authorized, nay, bound 10 be-
lieye from The principles explicitly avowed in hi:
message the other day, that he has fully appreci
aled his powers and duties in relation TO those
conquered provinces, and strictly coniormed L
them. In passage of that message, he e1pound'
the principles 1.-The law ofnalions and the right:
and duties involved 10 the functions Of The com
manding Generals in relation 10 the conquered
provinces Of Mexico, with precision and accu
racy worthy of all praise; and it is impossible, il
view oil that passage, TO suppose, that IN one 10
or title has he misconceived or violated his au
lhorily and duties; and was gratiied, on yester
day, to hear from the able gentleman from Mas
sachusells, Mr.. Winthrop that 10 the principle
objection That passage is as follows:
by the laws OF nations conquered terrilor.
is subject 10 be governed by The conqueTor duriD;
his military possession, and until there is either
treaty of peace, or he shall voluntarily Withdraw
from il. The old civil government being neces
sariIy superseded, il is the right and duly OF IN
conqueror 10 secure his conquest, and 10 provid
for The maintenance of civil order and The right
ofthe inhabitants. This right has been exercised
and this duty performed, by our military and nava
commanders, by the establishment OF temp"rar
governments in some OF The conquered province
in Mexico, assimilating them as far as pracIca
be 10 The free institutions Of our own country.
You see here The clear Limitations which tn
President has placed on his powers, and how thei
exercise has been confined 10 the establishment
by his commanders OF provisional and lemporar
civil governments alone. Now, docs moi common
sense, as we'll as simple justice, require us 10 be
ieve, in the absence OF The actual instruction
given to our commanders, they will be found con
tormabe strictly 10 principles 50 clearly under
stood andavowed Can il besupposed he Prcsl
dent would commit such besolted folly as 10 Civ
Instructions OF one kind, and then defneprincipe
and select position ia his message which, SO ia
from sustaining, would actually condemn ami re
buke Them? The idea is incredible.
The views which have expressed will full
apply The authority and action OF The Presi
dent, IN establishing provisional government
over all The territories Of Mexico, which hav
been conquered and occupied b. our troops
Bul il has been minated here, that as The Pre.i
dent has maintained in his message that all tn
territory on this side Of the Rio Ora nde, lron
its source 10 lis mouth, constitutes rightIul!y
part of Texas, the same principles could not ap
Div 10 that when seized BY our victorious com
manders as TO conquered territories OF Mexico
proper; and that such portion OF Texas whel
wresed from Mexican possessions should al ono
have been surrendered TO Texas, and lis inhabi
lanis subjected to her laws, and secured in NJ III
guaranteed rights Of citizens Of the States OF III
Union. Now, Mr.. Speaker, will not pretend
here 10 enter on The vexed question, how tar III
limits Of Texas righlfully extend. Nor is it ne
cessary. One thing, al least, must be admitted
by ALL even the beresl opponents OF The Admin
isrration, ard that is ha, from The time OF tn
treaty with Santa Anna which ensued from tn
battle OF San Iacinto, Texas has invariably claim
ed thai herrighllu bounda ries extended 10 the Ri
Grande, from its mouth 10 its source, and that he
constitution expressly so defines and declares ne
limits. Well, when in hi. stale OF things, Te3a
was admitted into the Union, she was received
Just as she was, with all her actual possession
and righilul claims; but with the right exprcssl,
reserved, in contemplation Of peaceful ncgolia
tions, 10 this Government 10 settle her bonndarie
with Mexico In exercise OF this right, and dis
charge of our corresponding obligation 10 Texas
but in spirit OF the utmost literally 10 Mexico, VI
have honestly and in good faith sought pacific sci
Element Of these disputed boundaries Masnani
mousIy, again and again, with far more forbear
ance than we would have manifested towards tn
most powerful nation OF The earth, have we mad
overtuIes 10 Mexico Tor pacific negotiation ant
liberal settlement Of territorial disputes. Our over
lures were refused, our offers scorned, and on
plenipoleniarv, sent by invitation, denied recep
lion. Hence, in The war, declared after long for
iearance, one of lis leading ends was the settle
ment by force Of these very boundaries. We wer,
certainly, Then, entitled TO seize and hold The terri
tories in dispute. But shond they have been i'm
medialey surrendered 10 Texas, and their inhab:
lanls subjected 10 her jurisdiction and protection
II may lie we'll doubted, as nll power over the set
element of boundaries has been expressly reserved
10 our FEDERAL Government, whether these disput
ed territories can be properly regarded as an as
cerlained part of Texas, since it is possible tina
all, or considerable portions, may yet, by defn;
tive treaty Of peace, be restored and confirmed IL
Mexico. But granting all such disputed territory
to be undoubtedly part OF Texas, how did it Ii,
with reference 10 her population and jurisdiction
But small portion Of 1.-THE country south of ,h'
Nueces and near The mouth of the Rio Grande-
had been under the actual dominion OF Texas, lay
contiguous to her settlements or had been inhabit
sd by citizens acknowledging her laws. That por
,ion might be readily brought under her jursdic
ton, and lis inhabitants recognised as citizens
and accordingly we find il left by our command
ers 10 the control OF Texan authorities and 10 III,
sovernance of her laws. No provisional gov
eminent was established there by military an
lhorily. Blu, the residue Of The extensive dis