Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-12-18

no considerable colonizauon had been effected in
Texas, but the territory between the Sabine and
the Rio Grande being confirmed TO Spain BY the
treaty, applications were made 70 thar Power Cor
grants Of land, and such grants, or permissions Of
settlement, were in fact madeby the United States
proposing to emigrateto Texasinnumeroas fami.
lies, before the declaration Of independence in
Mexico.
}, The Texas which was eoded to Spain BY the
} Florida treaty of 1919 embraced all the country
now claimed BY the STATE of Texas between the
/. Nueces and the Bio Grande. The republic Of
5 Texas always claimed this river as her western
boundary, and in her treaty made with Santa An.
na, in May, 1886, he recognized il as such. By
the constitution which Texas adopted in March,
1885, senatorial and representative districts were
organised extending west Of the Nueces. The
Congress Of Texas, on the leth Of December,
1886, passed "an act TO define the boundaries Of
! the Republic Of Texas" in which they declared
the Rio Grande from its mouth to It's source to be
their boundary and by the said act they extended
their "cv and political jurisdiction" over the
country up to that boundary. During period Of
more than nine years which intervened between
the adoption Of her constitution as one of the
, States of our Union Texas asserted and exercised
: many acts of sovereignty and jurisdiction over
fIthe territory and inhabitants west of the Nueces
, She organized and defined the limits of counties
D extending TO the Rio Grande. She established
courts Of justice and extended her judicial system
S over the territory. She established a custom
house, and collected duties, and also, post offices
, and post roads, in it. She established a land Of
. fee, and issued numerous grants for land, within
{ its limits. Senator and Representative resi-
ding in it were elected TO the Congress Of the re-
public, and served as such before the act of an
nexation took place. In both Congress and Con.
yention Of Texas, which gave their assent to the
/. terms Of annexation TO the United States, propo.
e sed by our Congress, were representatives resi-
, ding west Of the Nueces, who took part in the act
f of annexation itself. This was the Texas which,
}, by the act Of our Congress Of the 29rh Of Decem-
=. ber, I945, was admitted as one of the States oi
:, our Union. That the Congress Of the United
= States, understood the State Of Texas which they
= admitted into the Union 10 extend beyond the
If Nueces is apparent from the fact that on the 3ls
IS of December, I845, only two days after the act
l. of admission, they passed law "to establish Il
d collection dstrctin the State of Texas" by which
If they created port Of delivery at Corpus Christi
IS situated west of the Nueces, and the same poin
= at which the Texas custom-house, under the laws
d Of that republic, had been located, and directed
5, that a surveyor to collect the revenue should be
J. appointed for that port by the President, by anc
If with the advice and consent Of the Senate. A
d surveyor was accordingly nominated, and coniir
: med by tho Senate, and has been ever since in
n the performance of his duties. All these acts o
n the republic Of Texas, and of our Congress, pre-
i ceded the orders for the advance of our army tC
j, the east bank of the Rio Grande. Subsequently
, Congress passed an act establishing certain pos
a routes, extending west Of the Nueces. The
country west Of the river now constitutes part
# Of one Of the Congressional districts Of Texas
n and is represented in the House of Representa-
d lives. The Senators from that State were choscI
il lby Legislature in which that country west o
10 the river was represented 1t is difficult 10 con
is ceive upon what ground it can be maintained tha
CT in occupying tho country west OF the Nuece
e. with our army, with view solely 10 its secur
re and defence, we invaded theerrItory of Mexico
I'd But il would have been still more difficult 10 JUS
ID tfy the Executive, whose duty tits to see that tn
r. avs bo faithfully executed, if in the face Of al
1f these proceedings; both of the Congress of Tex
d as and of tho United Staes he had assumed tn
1t responsibility Of yielding up the territory Yves
Is Of the Nueces TO Mexico, or Of refusing 10 pre-
N tect and defend this territory and its inhabitants
10 including Corpus Christi, as we'll as the remain
Id der of Texas, against the threatened Mexican ir
IS vasiOn.
i. But Mexico herself has never placed the wa
a. which she has waged upon the ground that OH
s, army occupied the intermediate territory bstwee
DR. Ithe Nueces and the Rio Graude. Her relute
s. pretenslon that Texas was not in fact an indeper
dent Slate, but a rebellious province, was obst
to natey persevered in; and her avowed purpose
m commencing war with tho United States was
,e reconquer Texas, and 10 restore Mexican author
nr ty over the whole ierritory-not 10 the Nuece
s. only, but to the Sabine. In view Of the procIa
Of med menaces of Mexico to this effect, deeme
10 il my duty, as a measure Of precauton and d.
n. lence, TO order our army 10 occupy position
in our frontier as a military post, from which OF
,st troops could beat, resist and repe any aItemplC
is invasion which Mexico might make.
mt Our army had occupied position at Corpus Chr
as IT, west of the Neuces, as early as August, 1874
n. without complaint from any quarter. Had the Ne
"a ces been regarded as the true western boundary
Texas, that boundary had been passed by our arm
many months before it advanced to the eastern bal
ci OF the Rio Grande. In my annual message Of u
en- cemDer last informed Congress that upon the
IN vtaton of both the Congress and Convention
he Texas, had deemed it proper to order stro
les squadron to the coasts Of Mexico, and to concenrO
bv an efficient military force on the western frontier
he Texas to protect and defend the inhabitants agaiI
ho menaced invasion OF Mexico In that message
ou formed Congress that the moment the terms OF a
"" nexaton offered by the United States were accept
'h- by Texas, the latter became SO far part OF c
ter own country, as to make it our duty to afford su
protection and deence and that for that purpose
lis squadron had been ordered to the Gulf and our ar
to stake position between the Neuces and the
go, Norte, or Rio Grande, nnd"to repeal any invasion
Wy, SS the Texan territory which might be attempted by
'"S Mexican forces"
snt. "S" 80 ,ho b.olHJon, osToa" ~ or;I 10
'o had issued his proclamation convening the Congr
yea othat republic for the purpose of submitting to
ded hodv the terms of annexation proposcd by the