The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-01

DlfuHeHt OF tHe SWORN. All INDEPENDENT nalioHe
| are soverelgns, and no one has right TO adj
judioate for another Texas has the right to
| that boundary and If not "peaceably" acknowl
| edged it must be "forcbly" indicated. The
advantages acquired by Texas at San Jacinto
| over the Mexican army, land would have ac-
quired but for the treaty,) over Filisola and
his men, would have enabled her to extort her in-
| dependence from Mexico, within the whole extent
| Of her ancient limits. Although Mexico has re-
celyed her panlc-strIeken army aud the public
property at the hands Of Texan forbearanee, yet
she uniformly refused to pay the price of their
liberation. and the preservation OF their endangered
honor. II she had Indignantly sent her army back
| TO Texas as unworthy Of preservation, and had
| forever repudiated her captured chief as having
| basey, and without consideration, surrendered up
portion Of her Just claims, and not again elevated
him power, then there might have been some ex-
| cuse for refusing TO acknowledge the treaty. but
as they have not done so, there Is no excuse what
| ever TN. ..'.
Ii is said, however, Mr.. Chairman, that Texas
violated the treaty in regard TO Santa Ahas liberia
| ton. This is incorrect Every article of 1t was
faithfully carried into execution. Article ten pro-
vides as follows: General Antonio Lopez De Santa
l Ana shall be sent 10 Vera Cruz as carry as the Tsran
gOrnnWni may think proper Santa Ana was IN due
| time sent by the Texan government TO Vera Cruz,
| and by such route, and in such manner, as he
| himself publicly admitted was most consistent with
his personal safety
| will now produce the highest Mexican testimo-
| ny that the people Of Texas in 1914 were in the
| possession Of the country between the Nueces and
Rio Grande, although their possession is styled a
usl1paiion. General VOL, acting under express
orders from the Mexican government at Mer, June
10Th, 1874, issued the following order:
- Every individual who may be found at the distance
OF one League from the LETT bank Of the Rio Bravo, will be
y" " q" national territory and as traitor 10 his ''0"
Although the order did not embrace one league
along the Rio Grande, yet the declaration Of
patton, unlawful possession by the Texans, APP
| pes TO the whole territory on the east bank Of the
i Rio Bravo. And we'll could General VOL say
| Although Vasquez and himself in the year 1912
| had each crossed the Rio Grande and made attacks
| on the unprotected town Of San Antonio de Bexar,
yet their retreat before the Texans vas more rapid
/ than their advance. They "reerOsSed the Rio
Grande" in such a manner as to give eminent force
| ard prupriety to Mr.. Websers declaration in reply
| to Bocanegra. Speaking in his character Of Secre-
| tsry Of State in regard TO Texas, July 8, 1912
more than three months after Vasquez's invasion
and retreat, he says
"Crexas1 practically free and Independent acknowledg
cd political sovereignty by the principal powers Of the
world no h0 foot finding rest rithH her territory for sI
or ssrsn yeasand Mexico herself reanng al that pc
Rod from any fh,r attempt rsssabRsh h authority
that Iritory cannot but be surprising TO find Mr.
Bocanegr planning that for that whole period citizens
Of the United States or its government have been yorng
the rebels OF Texas and supplying them with vessels am
province of Texas had constantly by
leo and her success prevented BY these influences from
| abroad"
| When General Someryille, in 1912, marched into
Loredo, on the left bank of the Rio Grande, he met
| with no opposition from any Mexican army;
| and il was not until portion OF his brave and
gallant men, under the chiyalric General Fisher,
vert to Mier, on the right bank, that they
could get fight. Indeed, the Texas Rangers
under the gallant Hays and Mccullough, have
| for years held undIsputed sway over that
territory, and we have had such occupation of
| il as its condition and the wants of population
| permitted required. No Mexican forces have
heen Statinneh on the In hanlj oil their
manifestoes are dated on the right. And, although
| il must be admitted that have taken actual
possession of Santa Fe and the friendship of the peo
| pie there for American institutions has been pre-
vented from exhibiting itself by few military ty-
rants vet, If on account of its distance from the
| principal settlements in Texas or the exhausted
condition of our finances, we have not found II
cessary or convenient To take possession of our
estate, must be shown the statute of limitations
which bars before right to it is questioned.
There is, MIR. Chairman, another ground Of title
| TO which might REFER and which must carry con-
yicton TO at least honorable member of this
committee. 1t will be recolected that during the
Oregon discussion while onegenteman based our
| right to all that country on purchase, another on
discovery and occupation, and third on contiguy,
that the aged and venerable gentleman from Mas
sachusetts, Mr.. ADAMS repudiated all these
grounds, and sent to the clerk, to be read his
ground of our title, thu. 26th, 9th, and 18th
of the ls chapter of Genesis. Now, if that honor
able gentleman in his seat would ask him,
with all good feeling, and with that respect due to
his age and his distinguished public services wheth
the doctrines of Genesis don't apply to the Rio
Grande as well as to Oregon; and whether he at
least would not concede that title is good to the
Rio Grande he formerly commended, from docu-
menary testimony, that the title Of the United
States to the Rio Grande clear as to the is
land of Orleans.
But, Mr.. Chairman, | must hasten to my second
position, and that is, to prove that the President,
under the circumstances, was bound to pursue the
course he did in sending the army to the Rio
Grande. By#an act Of the Texas Congress in
1886, her western boundary was declared to be the
Rio Grande. BY provision of the present con-
stitution of the State of Texas, all laws of the
public of Texas declared in force, not incon-
sisten with the joint resolutions of annexation, r
the constitution of the United States. 1t will not
be denied each State has right to form her
limits unless restricted by the U. States Now, how
far is Texas restricted in regard to this question of
boundary The adjustment of her boundary is to
be settled by the United States with all other gov
ernmens. Until that adjustment is effected, one
portion of the soil claimed by her Is as much entitled
to protection 10y the Executive Of the United States
as another; and he would be recreant to his duty,
and to the faith pledged to Texas he not to do
So. Can the President usurp the dangerous power
of saying, himself, how far the boundaries of State
. |
tection and there nonel Or ought he to have sub
mtted to the humiliation and disgrace Of having our
western boundary dictated to him by Mexico, and
pointed with the supercilious air of tyrannical
master? Were the rights, interest, and honor Of a
, sister of this glorious confederacy nothing, who had
, submitted her boundaries to your negotiation,
| and those of Mexico all sacred, although she
| scorncd your peace mission as unworthy Of
her, and appealed to the law Of forcei
: And if the President were to think ofsuch assump.
uon ofpower, such degradation, amidst the con-
hctinszrlams of MeXlcans, he would not know
: where to draw the line. The Mexican minister
Mr. Pe6a Peha, would drive him entirely out of
Texas; while Ampuda, the chief in command at
Matamoras only ordered General Taylor east of
the Nueces. The former in his letter to Mr. Black,
dated October 18th, lo45, says: The Mexican
{ nation is deeply injured by the United States
through the acts committed by them in the depart
nteni Of TsraS, ,chich belongs 10 this nation"
have just stated that General Ampudia ordered
General Taylor to retire to the cast Of the Nueces.
This order is dated April IL, 1886 twenty-five days
affair MI Sldel had received his uassDorts IN retIrn