Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-19

ed u land Office. and Issued numerous grants for
land. within its limits.l A Senator and Rep.
resentasve residing in il were elected 10 the
Congress Of the Republic, and served az such
before the act OF annexation took place, In !
both tho Congress and Convention Of Texas,
which gave their assent 10 the terms Of anncxa.
tion TO the United States, proposed BY our Con.
grees. were representatives, reading west of /,
the Neuces, who took part in tho act Of annex..
tion ITSELF ..''.,.'.sa.i, 80, +, -s "a,
This was the Texas which, BY the act Of our
Ccngress efthe 26th Of December, l645. was sd'
mitted ~ one ofthe States Of our Union. That
the Congress Of the United States understood the
State of Texas which they admitted into the U. !
nion to extend beyond the Neuees 10 apparent
from the fact, that on the 3lst Of December, ls43
only two days after the act Of admission, they
passed law ''to establish collection district in
the State o! Texas" by which they crcateda port
Of delivery at Corpus Christi. situated west Of
the Nueees, and being the same point at which
the Texas custom house, under the laws Of That
republic, had been located, and directed that q
| surveyor to collect the revenue should be ap.
pointed for that port by that President. by and
with the advice and consent ofthe Senate.
A surveyor was sceordingiy nominated and
confirmed by the Senate, and has been ever since
in the performance Of his duty. All these acts
preceded the orders for the advance Of our army
to the east bank Of the Rio Grande. Subsequent.
| ly, Congress passed an act establishing certain
post routes" extending west Of the Nences. The
country west of that river now constitutes part
ofone ofthe Congressional districts Of Texas,
and 10 represented in the House Of Representatives.
1 The Senators from the State were chosen by
legislature in which the country west of;bat riv.
| er was represented. tst @ ny rtsE II
/ In view Of all these fact it 10 difficult TO con.
| eeive upon what ground it can be maintained
that, in occupying the country west OF the Nex-
ees with our army, with view solely 10 its Sc.
eurity and defence, we invaded the territory Of
Mexico. But il would have been still more dii.
| fcult 10 Justify the Executive, whose duty II 10
to see that the laws be faithfully executed, if in
the face ofal these proceedings, both ofihe Con.
gress Of Texas and ofthe United States, he had
assumed the responsibility Of yielding up the ter
ri,ory west OF the Neuces 10 Mexico. or Of refus.
ing to protect defend this territory and its in
habi,ants. including Corpus Christi. - well ss
the remainder Of Texas, against the threatened
Mexican invasion. --ia s~s fls.l Pr t ih-s-
But Mexico herself has never placed the war
which she has waeed npon the ground that our
army occupied the intermediate territory be-
tween the Neuces and the Rio Gfanae. Her re-
fted pretension that Texas was not in fact an in
dependent State, but . rebellion: province, was
obstinately rerssvered in /; and her avowed pur.
pose in commencing war with the United States
was 10 reconQuer Texas, and 10 restore Mexi.
| can authority over the whole territory-not 70
the Neuces only, but to the Sabine. fa.E
In veiw of the proclaimed menaces Of Mexico 10
this effect, / deemed il my duty a. measure oi
preeaution and defence, to order our army to oe.
: cupy a position on our frontier q military
post, from which troops could best resist and
? repei any attempted invasion which Mexico
might make.
Our army had occupied position al Corpnl
Christi, west of the Neuees, as early IS August
Is43. without complaint from any quarter. Hat
\ the Nsuees been regarded as the true westerr
. boundary Of Texas, that boundary had been pas
, sed by our army many months before Il advanced
to the eastern bank ofthe Rio CTands.
!, In my annual message OF December last, in
n formed Congress that upon the invitation Of bot
!, the Congress and Convention Of Texas. ha
!. deemed il proper TO order q strong squadron 4
:. the coasts Of Mexico. and 10 neeutrste an si
. fcient military force on the western frontier q
y Texas to protect and defend the inhabitants a
= sainst the meneced invasion Of Mexico. In ths
10 message informed Congress that the nouner
o. the terms Of annexation offered by the Unite
States were accepted by Texas, the latter becsm
III 80 far rart OF our own country ~ to make
ie our duty TO afford snch protection and defence
r and forihat purpose squadron had been oTdere
to the Gulf, and our army 10 "take positive
q. between the Neuees and the Del Norte," or H
d. Grande, end "to rspei any invasion Of the Texs
r. Territory which might be attempted BY the Me-
rv lean forces"
!, Il was deemed proper to issue this order. b
:. cause, soon after the President Of Texas in Apr
~ ls45 had issusd his proc NATION eonvening u
~ Congress Of that republic, fo' the purpose Of su
" milling to that body the terms Of snnexsti'
w. proposed by the United States, the governme
Of Mexico made serious threats Of invading q
"a Texan territory. These threats became mo
IT. imposing - il became more apparent, in the n
be- eress Of the question. that the people Of Tex
CO. would decide IN favor Of accerting the terms
OF annexation; and. finally. they had assumed su
le. formidable character. - indsced both the Co
,ri gress and Convention of Texas 10 request thai
tee military force should be sen, by the United Stat
f. into her territory TOT 'ne purpose OF pro.ee'f
,cs and defending her against the threatened inv
sion. ....-.s. .l
Il would have been violation OF good "a
'"e towards the people Of Texas TO have refused
'n' sIord the aid which they desired against thr
zen tened invasion. TO which they had been expos
DIG by their free determination to annex themssl'
&C. TO owr Union in compliance with the ovsrt'
an made to them by the joint resolution Of (
cn. Congress. rttl
in Accordingly, portion Of the army was ord
dis ed 10 advance into Texas. Corpus Christi '
the the positioA selected by General Taylor.
eneamped at that place in August. le45, and
Do. army remained ia that position until the li:l
The March, fs&e, when II moved westwAfd, and
hch the 7sth Of that month reached the east bani
h 10 the Rie Grande opposite to MAtsmorss, ,
Wid 1his movement w.s made in pursuance Of
iu. ders from ths War Department, issued on
sry. i3th 81 January, ielo. Before these orders "
nsl;. transmitting the decision Of the Council Of
stes veinmst q "sAso, .evnng tmt ne snouso
n. residing in the city Of Hexiee--tAs former b