Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1846-08-11

A 4 / cou
the poor privilege of presenting claim she might
have supposed herself for the decision OF
board the of which in the persons to be APP
pointed by own Government This, s,r believe IS
fair history of the gotations between the two Gov
e,nents in relation the claims of citizens for IN
done them by Mexico and such is the present posi-
ZION of those claims. Surely this presents nothing which
would Justify which can be urged
pretext or excuse for the in which we engaged
The point urged by the President IN his array
Of the the is the fact that the Government
refused TO Mr.. Sldel who sent there IN No
venber last, minister Penipotentiary and envoy eH-
traordnarv However discourteous ana against the usage
of civilized might have been the conduct OF Mex
refusing minister, II Is very clear
that it furnished of Mexico was sove-
rpign and ndepe nden: nation. She had right to keep
up diolomatic relation. with Government not as
she chose This isa right belonging to every nation
Had the wish expressed BIZ the Mexican Government,
that ssoner. specially authorized TO settle the diff
cultes growing of the Saticn of Texas should
be sent there instead of minister with full diplomatic
powers, been graled It IS very probable that ms war
might have avoided and the difficulties between the
two Governme nts have been anllcaay adjusted
But come now, Mr.. Chairman. to consider the last
and most important ground presented by the President as
the reason of war. tie caps the climax in his recital OF
Mexican wrongs and outrage by the assertion that Nr
ico has PASSED boanary Of the ited States, has ara-
ded terrtofy and shed american Otood on imrcdn
soh' This statement is made upon the assumption that
the Rio Grand- is the boundary between the tnLted
States and Mexico. 1t upon the left bank of that
river that hood she'd in the collision be
tween American and Mexican troops and the President
asserts that be '-lHericDn soL'
This collision of the armies of the two countries upon
the Rio tranie fact, the commencement OF the
war The President by sending our army there brought
on the collision THIS will deny. Had our troops
been remain at Corpus CHRISTI on the western
frontier of Te VAS peace the countries would
have RENAL ned undsturbed. II becomes then important
to inquire the propriety well the necessity OF
this step part of the President which has been at
tended with such Important consequences During the
summer of 4, after Texas had her assent to the
proposition of annexation ma by the ted States the
President her request, ordered portion OF the army
of the United States, under the command of Cen lay
lor to be stationed Corpus Christi on the western
bank of the Nueces, which was the extreme western
of Texas. The object IN sending our troops To
that point alleged by the President, to resist
invasion of Texasbv Mexico which then threatened
Tho troops remane that point during the summer and
fall and until the winter follow when, by the order
of the President made the 18Th January last they
removed from Corpus Christi TO the east bank OF the
Rio Grande is important here TO notice the fact that
the settlement at Corpus Chfis.i Is tle only s''e'
which Texas has west of the Nueces river The coun-
try between point and the Rio t'randc IS vast unn-
habited DESERT until approach the banks OF the river
which $ thickly settled with Mexican population The
distance between the two rivers upon straight line is but
little short of hundred miles. Near the mouth OF the
Rio Graude the of Point Isabel Mexican town,
and which, when army went there, had a custom
house. with its appointed by the Mexican Govern
meu The army, under the command of the President,
passed this desert and after taking OF It
Isabel pitched their camp on the east bank OF the Rio
Cirande, opposite Matamoras Mexican town, contain
ing population of several thousands The Mexican
army held he iquarters Matamoras As must have
been foreseen. collision took place between the hostile
forces, and actual war was commenced
And sir, the question presented by what auho-
ritv and for purpose did the President send
my from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande! This
question to which the American people will demand al,
answer from this Administration 1t this which pro-
duced the war What excuse be rendered for act
which has resulted in such consequences
urged. justification of the Administration that
by the annexation of Texas acquired title to the
country far west the Rio Grande. The ground
which this assumption made that the Congress OF
Texas passed act in 1886, which they defined the
boundary of that republic to be the Rio Grande
This only that claim set by Texas to the
territory but it title As well might we con-
tend that could acquire title to the Canadas by
ing legislative act declaring them to be ours Whlie
Texas province of Mexico her western boundary
the Nueces river. This is universally known tt
be true that will deny Between the Nueces
and the Rio Grande tract of country hundred
miles in extent. With the exception of the settlement
Corpus Christi upon the western bank of the Nueces
and those upon the banks of the Rio Grande, the
whole country unsettled-a vast desert waste unaP
proprated 10 the purposes of civilization When Texas
parated from Ne republic and declared her indie
pendence. she could by possibility acquire title to any
territory than her actual She hac
no settlements beyond the Nueces which was her western
boundary She exercised no authority or control over he
people living upon the side of the Rio Grande
The settlements and the towns there MexIcar
settlements and Mexican Some them contain
a population of several thousands. The popula
ton made up of Mexican citizens acknowledging
the authority of the Mexican Government and living un
der Mexican laws Texas might easily have acquire
right the city of Mexico by act of her Legislature
thus acquire right to the country washed by tn
Rio Grande So clear and palpabe all this. and
we'll understood in this country, that IN all the ef
which have been made for the annexation of Texas
bee expressly stipulated that the bounda
r ~ should open ana underlined be settled b
negotiation with Mexico When Mr. TYLER. in 1874, ne
gotiaed a for the Of Texas the boun
Diary was left without specification This done 70
the very purpose of avoiding collision with Mexico.
beg leave here quote extract from the letter of Nj
Calhoun, who then Secretary OF State and negota
ted the treaty of annexation. written to Mr. Green
charge of the United States at Mexico. dated 18th April
e44 This letter written for the purpose OF dsPei
ling fears which hight have been entertained that
the Mt to claim the coun
the Rio Grdnde- 1t IL as follows
'.You enjoned. also, by the President t
assure tho Mexican Government that i. Is his de
sire to settle all questions between tho two coun
i tries which may grow out Of this treaty. or an,
-, other cause the most liberal and satIsfaciorl
> terms including tha, Of boundary.
at has taken every precau.ion to make the term
\ of the treatv LITTLE oblecIlonable as possible