Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-16

t0hNCt AA AOOot hu1 DVCA utWoJS CIuitH6u
as extending west to the Rio Grande, or
Rio Bravo. This fact is established by the
authority of our most eminent statesmen
at period when the question was as we'll |
if not better understood than it is at pres
ent. During Mr.. Jefferson's administra-
tionMessrs Munroe and Pinckney, who had
been sent on special mission to Madrid,
charged among other things with the ad-
iustment of boundary between the two
countries, in note addressed to the Spain
ish Minister of Foreign Affairs, under date
Of the 26th of January 1905, assert that
the boundaries OF Louisiana, as ceded to
the United States by France, "are the riv-
er Perdido on the east, and the river Bra
vo on the west;" and they add that the
" facts and principles which justify this
conclusion are so satisfactory to our gov
ernment as to convince US that The United
States have not better right ia the island
of New Orleans under the cession referred
TO, than they have to the whole district Of
territory which is above described"
Down TO the conclusion Of the Florida
treaty, in February, 1919, by which this
territory was ceded to SPAN, the United
States asserted and maintained their terri
torial rights to this extent. In the month
Of June, 1918, during Mr.. Monroe's admin
istration, Information having been receiv-
ed that number,.of foreign adventures had
landed at Galveston, with the avowed pur-
pose Of forming settlement in that vicin-
ity, special messenger was despatched by
the government Of the United States, with
instructions from the Secretary Of State to
warn them 10 desist, should they be found
there "or any other place north Of the Rio
Bravo, and within the territory claimed by
the United States" He was instructed,
should they be found IN the country north
Of that river to make known TO them "lhe
surprise with which the President has seer
possession thus taken, without authority
from the United States, of place withir
their territorial limits, and upon which nc
lawful settlement can be made without theil
sanction"
He was instructed 10 call upon them te
"arow under what national authority they
professed TO act" and TO give them due
warning ''lhat the place is within the u
States, who will suffer no permanent set
llement to be made there. under any au-
thority other than their own. As late as
the sih Of July, 1912, the Secretary of
State Of The United States, in Il note ad-
dressed to our minister in Mexico, main
talns that, by the Florida treaty Of 1919,
The territory as far west as the Rio Grande
was confirmed to Spain. la that note he
s'stes that "by the Treaty of the 22d Of
February, 1919, between the U. States
and Spain, the Sabine was adopted as the
line Of boundary between the two Powers.
Up TO that period, no considerable COLO
nizaion 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 TO
that Power for grants of land, ond such
grants or permissons Of settlement were
in fact made by the Spanish authorities in
favor of the citizens Of the United States
proposing 10 emigrate 10 Texas in numer-
Gus lamilies, before the declaration of in
dependence by MEXICO"
The Texas which was ceded 10 Spain
by the Florida treaty in 1919, embraced
all the country now claimed by the State
of Texas between the Nueces and the Rio
Grande. The republic Of Texas always
claimed this river as her western boundary
and in her treaty made with Santa Anna
in May, 1886, he recognised it os SUCH
BY the constitution which Texas adopted
in March, 1886, senatorial and represent
ative districts were organized extending
west Of the Nueces. The congress Of
OF Texas, on the nineteenth of December,
1886, passed San act 10 define The bound
aries of the republic of Texas" in which
they declared the Rio Grande from its
mouth to its source 10 be their boundary,
and by the said act they extended their
''ciyl and political jurisdiction" over the
country up TO that boundary. During a
period Of more than nine years, which in
tervened between the adoption of her con-
stitution and her annexation as one Of the
States of our Union, Texas asserted and
exercised many acts Of sovereignty and
jurisdiction over the territory and inhabit-
ants west ofthe Nueces. She organized
and defined The limits of csunles extend
ing on the Rio Grande. She established
courts Of justice and extended her judicial
system over the territory. She established
a custom-house and collected duties, and
also post Offices and post roads, in ii. She
established land office, and issued numer-
Gus grants for land, within its limits. A
Senator and a Representative residing in
it were elected 10 the Congress of the re-
public, and served as such before the act
OF annexation took place. In both the
Congress and Convention of Texas, which
gave their assent to the terms of annexa-
ton to the United States, proposed by our
Congress, were representatives residing
west of the Nueces, who took part in the
act of annexation itself. This was the
Texas which, by the act OF our Congress
Of the twenty-ninlh of December, ls45,
mas admitted MS one the States of our Un-
ion. That the Congress of the United
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