Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-12-17

The people of Texas at once determined upon resist
ance, and flew TO arms In the midst of these impOr
tant and exciting events, however, they did not omit
to place their liberties upon a secure and permanent
foundation. They elected members to a Convention,
who IN the month of March, 1886, issued formal
declaration that their political connection with the
Mexican nation has forever ended and that the people
OF Texas do now constitute a FREE, SOVEREIGN, and
INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC, and fully invested with
all the rights and attributes which properly belong TO
independent nations" They also adopted for their
government liberal republican Constitution. About
The same time Santa Anna, then the dictator OF Mex
leo, invaded Texas with numerous army. for the
purpose of subduing her people, and enforcing obcd
ence to his arbitrary and desDotlc government On
the twenty-frst of April, 1886, he was met by the
Texan cltazen-sodiers, and that day achieved
by them the memorable victory OF San Jaclnto, by
which they conquered their independence. Consider
ing the numbers engaged the respective Sides his
tory does not record a more brilliant achievement.
Santa Anna himself was among the captives.
| in the month of May, 1886, Santa Anna acknowl-
edged by treaty with the Texan authorities, In the
most solemn form, " the full entire, and perfect indie
pendence of the republic of Texas" 1t true he
then prisoner of war; but it is equally true that
he had failed TO reconquer Texas, and had met with
signal defeat; that his authority had not been revok
ed, and that by virtue of this treaty he obtained his
personal release BY it hostilitIes were suspended,
| and the army which had invaded Texas under his
command returned in pursuance OF this arrangement
unmolested, to Mexico.
| From the day that the battle Of San Jacinto was
fought until the present hour. Mexico has never pos
sessed power TO re-conquer Texas. In the language
of the Secretary of State of the United States in
despatch to our Minister to Mexico, under date Of the
eighth Of July, 1872 . Mexico may have chosen to
consider, and may still choose to consider Texas
having been at all times since 1885, and still con-
tnuing, rebeious province; but the world has been
Obliged to take very different view of the matter.
From the time of the battle of San Jacnto in April,
n me- fTQva has Phi ed
the same external signs of national independence as
Mexico herself, and with quite as much stability OF
government. Practically free and independent,
knowledged as political sovereignty by the principal
Powers of the world, no hostile foot finding rest
within her territory for six or seven years, and Mex
co herself retaining for all that period from any fur
ther attempt to re-establish her authority
that territory, cannot but be surprising to find MIR.
de Bocanegra" (the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of
Mexlco) % complaining that for that whole period
citizens OF the United States, It's government, have
been favoring the rebels of Texas and supplying
them with vessels ammunition, and money, If the
for the reduction of the province of Texas had
been constantly prosecuted BY Mexico and her
prevented by these influences from abroad" In the
same despatch the Secretary of State athrms that
since 1887 the United States have regarded Texas
as an independent sovereignty, much Mexico
and that trade and commerce viii citizens of gov
eminent at war with Mexico cannot, that account
be regarded intercourse by which assistance and
4
The whole of Mr.. Bocanegra's remarks run in the
same direction as if the independence of Texas had
not been acknowledged. 1t has been acknowledged
it was acknowledged in 1887, against the remon-
STRANGE and protest Of Meaco and most of the acts
of any importance, of which MIR. de Bocanegra COM
plains, flow necessarily from that recognition. He
speaks of Texas still being integral part of
the territory of the Mexican republic, but he cannot
but understand that the United States do not regard
it. The real complaint Of Mexico, therefore, is in
| substance neither more nor less than complaint
against the recognition of Texan independence 1t may
be thought rather late to repeat that complaint and
not quite Just to conne 1t to the United States, TO
the exemption of England, France, and Belgium,
| unless the United States, having been the first to
acknowledge the independence of Mexico herself,
to be blamed for setting example for the re-
cognition of that of Texas" And he added, that
the constitution, public treaties, and the laws oblge
the President to regard Texas independent
State, and its territory part of the territory OF
Mexico" Texas had been an independent State, with
an organized government, deylng the power OF Mex
leo to overthrow reconquer her for than ten
years before Mexico commenced the present war
against the United States. Texas had given such
evidence the world of her ability maintain her
separate existence as an independent nation, that she
had been formally recognized such not only by the
United States but by several of the principal powers
of Europe. These powers had entered into treaties of
amty commerce. and navigation with her. They
had received and accredited her ministers and other
diplomatic agents at their respective courts, and they
| had commissioned ministers and diplomatic agents
on their part the government of Texas If Mexico,
Notwithstanding all this and her utter inability to
subdue reconquer Texas, still subbornly refused
| to recognize her Independent nation, she was
none the less so on that account Mexico herself
had been recognized independent nation by the
United States and by other powers, many years be-
fore Spain, of which, before her revolution, she had
beer colony, would agree to recognize her as such;
and vet Mexico that time, the estimation OF
the civilized world, and in fact the less indie
pendent power, because Spain still claimed her as
colony.
! If Spain had continued until the present period to
assert that Mexico of her colonies in rebel
lion against her, this would not have made her so, or
changed the fact Of her independent existence. Tex
as the period of her annexation TO the United
States bore the relation to Mexico that Mexico
had borne to Spain for many years before Spain &C
! kn0wcdeged her independence, with This important
dfarence-that, before the annexation of Texas to
j the United States contaminated Mexico HERSELF
by formal act of her government had acknowledged
the independence of Texas nation. Ii Is true
that in the act of recognition she prescribed cond
ton which she had power authority to impose,
that Texas should not annex herself to any other
power but this could not detract in any degree from
n the recognition which Mexico then made of her actual
independence Upon this plain statement of facts it
is absurd for Mexico to allege, as preext for COM
mencing hostilies against the United States, that
Texas is sill part of her territory.
But there are those who conceding all this to be
true, assume the ground that the true western boun-
dary of Texas is the Neuces, instead of the Rio
Grande; and that therefore, in marching our army TO
the east bank of the latter river passed the Texan
, line and invaded the territory of Mexico. simple
statement of facts known TO exist, will conclusivey
E refute such assumption. Texas, ceded to the
United States by France in 1903, has been always
claimed as extending west to the Rio Grande, Rio
"a I'd bv fha ~