The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-12-25

f American citizen, which ought t.
e protect all who hear it from insult
: and injury throughout TIE world
= has afforded 10 snch protection tC
, our citizens in Mexico. We had
, ample cause of war against Mexico
long before the breaking ont &C hos
: tilitics. But even then we forbort
to take redress in our own hands
, until Mexico herself became the az
gressor, by invading our soil in hos
tile array, and shedding the blood
, of our citizens.
Such are the grave causes Of COM
plant on the part of the United
States against Mexico-cauSes which
existed long before the annexation
; of Texas to tie American Union
; and yet, animated by the love Of
peace, and a magnanilnous modera-
} ton, we did not adopt those meas
ures Of redress which, under such
circumstances, are the justified re-
sort of injured nations.
The annexation Of TEXAS to the
United States constituted no lust
cause Of offence to Mexico. The
preteXt that it did so i, wholly in
consistent, and irreconcilable with
the well authenticated facts connec-
ted with the revolution by which
Texas became independent of Mex
leo. That this may be the more
manifest, ii may be proper to advert
to the causes and to the history of
the principal events of that revclu-
ton.
Texas constituted portion of the
ancient province of Louisiana, coded
to the United States by France in
the year 1903. In the year 1919, the
United States, by the Florida trea-
ty, coded to Spain all that part OF
Louisiana within the present limits
of Texas and Mexico, by tie rev.
olution which separated her from
Spain, and rendered her an indepen.
dent nation, succeeded TO the rights
| Of the mother country over this ter
ritory. In the year 1924, Mexico
established federal constitution.
under which the Mexican republic
was composed of q number of SOW
ereign States confederated together
in federal Union similar to our
own. Each of these States had lis
own Executive, Legislature, and Ju-
dietary; and for all, except federal
purposes, was as independent of the
General Government, and that Of tac
other States, as is Pennsylvania OF
Virginia under our own constitution.
Texas and Coahuila united and form
ed one ofthcSe Mexican States. The
State constitution which they adop-
ted, and which was approved by the
Mexican contcderacy, asserted that
they were "lree and independent Of
the other Mexican United States.
and of every other power and DO
minion Whatsoever" and proclaim
ed the great principle OF human lib
erty, that "the sovereignty of the
State resides originally and essen
TALLY in the general mass of individ-
uals who compose it," To the gov
eminent under this constitution, as
well as to that under the federal
constitution, the people of Texas
owed allegiance.
Emigrants from foreign countries,
including the United States, were
invited by the colonization laws OF
the State and the federal govern
ment to settle in Texas. Advanta-
geous terms were offered to induce
them to leave their own country and
become Mexican citizens. This in
vitation was accepted by many Of
our citizens, in the full faith that in
their new home they would be gov
erned by laws enacted by rcprescn-
tatives elected by themselves, and
that their lives, liberty, and proper.
ty would be protected by constitn.
tional guarantees similar to those
which existed in the republic the,
had left. Under a government thu,
organized, they continued until tn,
year 1879, when a military rcyolu
ton broke out in the city Of Mexico
which entirely subvertcd the fedora
and State constitutions, and placed
military dictator at the head of III,
government.
BY Il sweeping decree of a Con.
gress subServient to the will Of tht
: dictator, the several State constitu.
tons were abolished, and the State.
r themselves converted into mere de-
: partments Of the Central Govern
mcnt. The people of Texas wcr,
= uSwiiling to submit to this usurpa
: ton. Resistance to such tyrann,
r became a high duty. Texas wa
$ fully absolved from all allegiance &
a the Central Government of MeXtc
A from the moment that Govcrnmen
S had abolished her State constitution
c and in its place substituted M arbi
: trary and despoic Central Govern
o ment.
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