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


Senate, and has been ever since inthe per-
formance Of his duties. All these acts OF
the republic Of Texas, and Of our Congress
preceded the orders for the advance Of
our army to the east bank of The Rio
Grdnde. Subsequently, Congress- passed
an act establishing certain post routes,
extending west ofthe Nueces.
The country west of that river now
constitutes part of one of the Congress.
iona districts Of Texas, and is represented
in the House Of Representatives. The
Senators from tina: State were chosen byaI
legislature in which the country west Of
that river was represented. In view of oil
these facts, it is difficult to conceive upon
what ground it can be maintained, that, in
occupying the country west of the Nueces
with our army, with view solely 10 its
security and defence, we invaded the ter
ritory Of Mexico. But it wonld have been
still more difficult 10 justify the Executive,
whose duty it is 10 see that the laws be
faithfully executed, il in the face of'alld
these proceedings, both Of the Congress Of
Texas and Of the United States, he had as
sumed the responsibility Of yielding up the
territory west of the Nueces to Mexico,
or of refusing to protect and defend this
territory and its inhabitants, including Cor
pus Christi, as we'll as the remainder Of
Texas against the threatened Mexican in
vasion.
But Mexico herself has never placed
the war which she has waged upon the
| ground that our army occupied the inter-
mediate territory between the Nueces and
the Rio Grande. Her refuted pretension
that Texas was not in fact an independent
State, but a rebellious province, was obsi-
nately persevered in; and her avowed pur-
pose in commencing war with the United
States was to reconquer Texas, and to re-
store Mexican authority over the whole
territory-not TO the Nueces only, but to
the Sabine. In view of the proclaimed
menaces Of Mexico to this effect, deem
ed it my duty, as measure Of precauiion
and defence, to order our army to occupy
position on our frontier as military
post, from which our troops could best re-
sist and repel any attempted invasion which
Mexico might make.
Our army had occupied position at
Corpus Christi, west of the Nueces, as ear
ly as August, 1916, without complaint
from any quarter Had the Nueces been
regarded as the true western boundary of
Texas, that boundary had been passed by
our army many months before it advanced
to the eastern bank of the Rio Grande.-
In my annual message of December last
informed Congrss, that upon invitation
of both the Congress and Convention of
Texas, | had deemed it proper to order
strong squadron TO the coast of Mexico,
and 10 concentrate an efficient military
force on the western frontier of Texas, to
protect and defend the inhabitants against
the menaced invasion of Mexico. In that
message Informed Congress that the mo-
ment the terms Of annexation offered by
the United States were accepted by Texas
the latter became so far part of our own
country as TO make it our duty TO afford
such protection and defence; and that for
that purpose our squadron had been ORDER
ed to the Gulf, and our army TO "rake
position between the Nueces and the Del
Norte," or Rio Grande, and "to repel any
invasion of the Texan territory which
might be attempted by the Mexican
forces"
1t was deemed proper to issue this order
because, soon after, the President of Tex
as, in Az pril lS45, had issued his proclama-
ton convening the Congress of that re,
public for the purpose of submitting 10
that body the terms of annexation propos-
ed by the United States, the government
OF Mexico made serious threats of inva-
ding theTexan territory. These threats be-
came more imposing as it became more
apparent, in the progress of the question,
that the people Of Texas would decide in
favor Of accepting the terms Of annexa,
tion; and, finally they had assumed such
formidable character, as induced both the
Congress and Convention Of Texas to re-
quest that a military force. should be senl
by the United States into her territory for
the purpose Of protecting and defending
her against the threated invasion. Il
would have been violation of good faith
towards the people of Texas to have refu-
sed to afford the aid which they desired a.
gainst threatened invasion, to which
they had been exposed by their free deter
mination to annex themselves to our I'M
ion, in compliance with the overture made
to item by the joint resolution of our Con-
gress.
Accordingly, portion ofthe army was
ordered to advance into Texas. Corpus
Christi was the position selected by Gen.
Taylor. He encamped at that place in
Angus, le45, and the army remained in
that position until the 11th Of March, 1s46
when it moved westward, and on the 2stb
of that month reached The east bank OF
the Rio Grande opposite to Ma,amoras.
This movement was made in pursuance Of
orders from the War department., issued
on the 18th of January, ls46. Before
these orders were issued, the despatch of
our minister in Mexico, transmitting the
decision Of the Council of Government Of