The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-06-02

also 10 inquire what is the territory "pTOpeT- |
ly included lrithin and rightfuily belonging
10 Ierds," when the resolution TO receive |
her into the Union was brought before Con-
gress.
In June, 1S45 Mr.. Polk orders the Ameri
can army 10 take post at Corpus Christi, on
the west bank Of the Nueces; and in August
following Gen, Taylor encamped al The
point. He remained there with his army Of
occupation, as it was termed, until the Presi
dent, on the 18th day of January last, order
Grande. On the 1lth of March he moved
from the bay OF Corpus Christi, and arrived
with part of the army at Point Isabel, or
Santiago, March 18th. He then moved his
army TO the left bank of the Rio Grande, and
on the 18th occupied piece Of high ground
which commanded the Mexican city OF Mat
moros, on the opprsite shore. He strongly
fortified the camp, erected a battery within
three hundred yards Of the public square Of
Matamoros, and mounted upon it heavy
ordnance, which bore upon the city, and
from which in few hours he could batter il
down. The Mexicans have town or near
Point Isabel, a port ofentry, n cusiom-house,
and collector. Her Jurisdiction and laws
only prevail there, and until this INVASION
were practically and without interruption ex-
ecuted. Gen. Taylor, in conformity to Mr..
Folks orders moves with his army upon the
town TO overthrow the authority of Mexico.
and 10 substitute in its stead that Of the
United States. The custom-house and some
other house are fired by the Mexicans, and
their authorities fly upon his approach. On
forming his entrenched encampment so as 10
command Matamoros, being ordered by the
Mexican commander TO abandon it, he d.
reefs our naval commander TO blockade the
mouth of the Rio Grande. and cut of all sup
plies and communication with. Matamoros
from the Gulf of Mexico by the river. Amer
lean and English ships are not permitted 10
land, but are ordered off; a Mexican schon-
er loaded with supplies for Matamoros is
captured, After these events, the Mexican
commander sends flag 10 Gen. Taylor TO
inform him that war exists, and had been
commenced by the authorities of the United
States, and that Mexicans on on their part
would conduct it according 10 the usage oil
civilized nations. This is d short but just
view of what Mr.. Polka acting for himself
and by himself, has done, ard ordered to be
done, by officers subject 10 his control.
Upon the point oiwhat territory was right
fully part Of Texas, have examined as
many authorities as were accessible TO me.
i
debate; and, without exception, they estab-
fish the position that Texas did not extend
to the Rio Grande. and not one Of them rep
resents the western boundary OF Texas TO be
further west than the river Nueces. Hum
boldt travelled into New Spain in 1874 and
1901, and collected FROM his own observa-
lions and examination ofthe records and au-
thorities the materials for his map of the coun-
try. In his, French atlas, constituted oil in
formation thus obtained, the edition thus
published in 1907, the Neucessis described
10 be the western boundary OF Texas. The
map in the.edition ofPinkerton's geography,
published inI 1882, gives the same boundary
as do Blacks Universal Atlas, published III
1911; Harrison's published in 1915; lie
Sage's and the map attached 10 General
Pixies journal of his expedition. My COL
league, (Mr. Tibbatts, who is a man ofre-
search as well of talent, says that France
when she owned Louisiana, claimed that this
province was bounded by the Rio Grande !;
and that, alte: the United States purchased
from her that country, our Government as
serted right up to that boundary. This pre-
tension was certainly set up by our diplo-
matists in their negotiation with Spain; but
they are merely advocates, making the best
and most Plausible argument they can for
their Government; and this position was al
wpys unequivoCa'ly denied by Spain.
But this controverted point does net touch
the present question. Both France and the
United States asserted that Louisiana ex-
tended TO the Rio Grande, and claimed the
country between Neuces and that river as a
part, not of Texas, but OF Louisiana. The
question is not what was louisiana, but what
was Texas proper. Texas was a Spanish
| fo;J oH nj bOnpdo1 fret H., M
litical regulation of Spain, and afterwards Of
Mexico, and bearing Spanish name. Its
boundaries were not the same but in their
total circumference widely different from
those of Louisiana. The question between
j France first and afterwards the United
States and Spain, was whether Louisana
extended south and west of Texas 10 The
Rio Grande. Humboldt, Pinkerton, lie
Sage, Black and all the biographies and
l maps of that day which have seen, repre-
sent the iniendency of Santander as extend
ing from the west of The Rio Grande across
10 the Neuces, aud up that river from lis
mouth in the Gulf, and then leaving the Neu
ces and running east Of il in northwest
direction. These authorities all lay down
Texas TO be east of the Nueces, and of the
boundary line of Santander, which DIVORCES
from its eastern bank, and represent that in
tendency and Texas 10 have this as the d.
vision line between them.
In the year 1924 the Mexican States were
organized under her Federal Constitution.
and Tamaulipas, Coahulia. and Durango
were established from the Gulf, in the sue
cession here named, and extending on both
sides of the Rio Grande, and east OF it up 10
Texas, according TO her ancient boundary
of the Nueces, and the line extending north
west from it. She, too, was constituted one
OF the Mexican States, and this was estab-
ished rs her southwestern line. John M.
Niles, at present and then democratic
member of our Senate, in his book on Texas,
page 24l, says, in treating of The river Nue.
ces:
This river has hitherto been considered
the western boundary of Texas, The district
between this and the Bravo del Norte hav-
ing been included in the State of Tamauli-
pas while the farce of a Federal Republic
was played in Mexico"
We are informed by the same author, page
257, that
| IT, he Mavi.a1 in