Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1846-12-10

ef rsxas als.ys cl.insd hi, river - hsr
a11lefo btu1taF1. end u 1pf treaty, made win
4lnta Ap4n u Nay; It3I - recosniEed u a.
locA. ~ t1o consliloiion which Iexls adopt
Cd ia MeleA, 1886 senatorial s11 seprssen,t-
i've dissrite uete elsaniset .extsntip8 sssl u
ne Nsn<t& The congtes. q Texas, % Ne
! 6ne he e6untaIies 81 ths ftb1blic otfexas,n
h which hey declared he kio 6fsnde frch h
mooth ioiis source % BE their boundary, and
b. The said Get they e1ieo5sd their -scitil ard
political jurisdieiiosn over The esuuiry up V
thai Boundary: D1fiae period Of more Than
nine years Hhieh nlefTe1ed between the adop-
tioa 81 ber constitution and her snnexation d
onS Of The States Of our Unicn, Texas asserted
and exercised many sets Of soseseigniy and IN
rsdiciioa over the territory and inha
Of the Nusees. She Organized and defined ihe
limits Of eonnlies extending 10 the Rio Grande.
She establiShed courts Of justice and extended
her judicial system over The territory. She es-
itabtisbrds custom house, and collected cuties,
and alss post rfices and posi- roads, ID Il. She
Iestahlished land efice. aud issued numerous
kfeats fof land. within lis limits. A Senator
and RsRreseniaiise residing 10 1t we're elected
10 the Congress Of the republic, and served IS
such before the act Of annexation took place
10 both the Congress andaconveniion of Texas
/ which gave their assent 10 the terms ef annsxa-
tion TO the United States, proposed BY our Gem
gress ere. representatives. residing wssi Of the
Nueees ~hich took part in The act Of annexation
itself
This was the Texas shieh, BY the pet az eur
Congress of the tveniy-ninih December, l645,
PAS admitted as one Of the States Of our Union,
That the Congress cf the United States UNDER
stood the state Of Teras which they admitted
into the uniea 10 exleod beyond he Noeces ID
apparent from the fact, that on the thirty FIRST
Of December, lsi5, emily i've days sfisr the eel
Of admission, they passed Law $40 establish Z
collection district in the State Of Texas,n BY
which they crested . port OF delivery Al Corpus
Christi, situated west ofthe Nneces, and being
the same point 1t which the Texas custom
house, under the laws Of that Republic, had
been located snd direeted that surveyor 10
eola c, The revenue should be appointed for thai
port By The President, by and with The advice
and consent Or the Senate. A surveyor wal
accordingly nominated and confirmed by the Se-
nate, and has been ever since in the perform.
ance of his duties. All these acts ofihe Repub-
lie Of TelAs, and ofoat Congssss, preceded The
orders forth advance Of onr army 10 the ess
hank OF The Rio Grande, Subsequently, Con.
gress passed an act Establishing certain pos
routes, 2 extending west Of the Nueces. Ths
country vest Of that river now cunstituisss !
J part Of one sf the Congressional Districts "a
Texas, and isIeptesenied in the House Of Re
; presentatifes. The Senators from that stat,
we're chosen BY \ legislature in which The com
, Try west Of that river was represented. 4
view Of on these facts III is difficult 10 eonceiv,
upon what ground il can be maintained that, il
occupying The country wesi Of the Nueces will
our army with vie solely 10 its security ami
: defence, We invaded the territory Of Mexico.-
, But il wopld have been still more difficult 70 Jus
, tfy the Executive, whose duty il is 10 see iha
the laws be faithfully executed, IL 10 The face
. all these proceedings, both Of the Congress o
Z TEXAS and nf the United States, be had assume,
. the responsibility Of yielding up The territor.
{ ives: Of the Nucees TO Mexico, o. of refusing /.
protect aud defend this territory and lis inhab
6 ants, including Corpus Christi, a. well As IN,
!. remaindef pf Texas, against the threalene,
: Mexican invasion.
Blu, Mexico herself has never placed the wa
. which she HIS waged upon The ground that gu
| army occupied the intermediate territory be
) tween heNueces and the Rio Grsnde. He
4 refuted prsten:ion that Texas was not in fac
! IN independent State, but afebsllious province
was ohs,igaiely psrssvered in /; and her svore,
purpose id com aenciog war with the Unite,
States was 10 feconqoor Texas, aud 10 rtstor,
! Mexico snihorisy over The whole territory
moi 10 The Nueces only, but to the Sabine. Il
view Of Unprecedented msnaces of Mexico 4
This effect, deemed il my duty. as . measure o
preehnlion and defence, TO order eur army 4
occupy Q position on eut frontier - q militsf
\ post, FROM which our troops could best resi-,
! and repel any attempted Invasion which Mexic
. NIGH make ,ss..s-...s... Z
e o. ~ 6srly as Augus
ls45. without complaint from any qAarier.
al hn nae haa r1aI
ern boundary Of Texas. that boundary had bee
passed By our army many months before il ad
: vanced TO the eastern bank Of the Rio Grande
IN my Annual message Of December Las, ii
formed CongresssthN upon The Invitation o
both the Congress and Convention Of Texas.
had deemed Il proper 10 order strong sousd
ron 70 :he coasts 81 Mexico, and TO concentrate
an e6icisnt military force on the western from
tier OF Fexss. 10 protect sDd defend The inba b
ilanis against the menaced invasion Of Mexico
10 that messsgeI Informed Congress that III.
moment the terms Of annexation offered by the
United States we're accepted By Texas, the let
ter became 20 far part OF our own country q.
10 make il our duty 10 afford such protection
and defence and that for that purpose our
squadron had been ordered 10 the Gull. and our
army 10 s'tske position between the Niece,
and the Del Norie, !" or Rio Grande, aud .sto re-
pei any invasion Of the Texan territory. which
might be ate H1pted BY the Mexican forces,
IL was ID proper to issue this order, be
cause, soon after the President Of Texas in A.
Pril 1876 bad issued his procismation conyeu-
ing the Congyess Of that republic, for the Dor.
pose Of submitting 10 that body the terms Of
Annexation proposed BY Tho United States, The
| government cf Mexico maize serious threats OF
invading thss Texan territory Thsss threats
became more imposing Is il became mere ap-
parent, in The progress Of The question, that the
people Of TeIas would decide In favar Of &c.
ceptiDg the terms of annexation; aud, finally,
they had assumed such formidable character
as induced both the Congress and Convention Of
Texas 10 request that military force should
be sent By the u. States into hsr TERRITORY for
the purpose Of prosecuting and defending her 4
gaipst the thrsaiened invasion. 1t would have
been violation Of good faith towards the peo
pie Of Texas 10 have refused 10 afford The cid
Fhieh they desired against Threatened inya.
E0D, 10 whichsihe bad heen exposed by their
UofeiermiDsiion 10 annex themselves to our
10 in compliance with the overture made
< 10y ihejoint resolution Of our Congress
dered 10 msIy, a portion Of the srmy wa. order.
ne posit;on Unto Texas. Corpus Christi va,
encamned :, a ssted b. General Taylor. He
army remaine5 ID mike 10 august, $50, and the
March, tai6 when Il os,on usa. NE IiiA :.
.le tWenth-eikhth OF thaf ..a.,h re.rhed Inc
80 oans Of TIE Rio Grande oppo.;,e 10 p--a-
~ ms Roseinentw vas ma de suance
-. y,asis iIou.ihe War Dsrs -.5ent, issued on
ders were s.sStd, The despatch Of our min;.tsr
IN Mss'co, transmitting the decision Of The