Washington telegraph., 1846-12-30

Inc Texas which was eeded TO Spain By the
Florida treaty Of 1919, embraced all the country
now claimed by the State Of Texas, between The
Nueces and the Rio Grunde. The republic Of
Texas always claimed this river Us her western
boundary, and N her treaty made with Santa An.
ain May, 1886, he recognized Il az such. By the
Constitution which Texas adopted in March, 1886
senatorial aud representative districts were organ.
ned. extending west Of the Nneoes. The Cen.
gress Of Texas, on the 18th Of December. ls1t.
passed "An act to define the republic Of TesasH
IN which they declared the Rio Gpnde from IL
mouth to lis source, to he their boundary, aud by
the said act they extended their "elyil aud poliil.
cal lursdloiion" over the country up to that baun.
Diary, During period Of more than nine years,
which interviewed between the adoption Of her con.
stituiion aud her annexation as one Of the Stairs
Of our Union, Texas asserted and exercised many
acts of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the terri.
tory and Inhabitants west Of tho Nueeea She
organized and defined the limits Of counties ea.
tending 10 the Rio Grande. She established courts
Of Justice, aud extended her Judicial system ora4
the territory. She established custom house, aud
collected duties. and also post offices aud posi- fuadz
IN IT, She established land office, and issued
numerous grants Of land, within lis limits. A
senator aud representative residing in 1t, were
elected to the Congress Of the Republic, and served
as such before the ael Of annexation took place
In both the Congress aud Convention Of 1esas.
which gave their aslen, 10 the terms Of aIaes
10 the uulied States, proposed by our Congress.
were representatives. residing west Of the Nueee..
whoiook part In the net Of annexation itself This
+ was the Texas which, By act Of our ConRre. Of
the 18th Of December, ls45, was admltiedas as one
OF the STATES OF our Union, That The Congress of
The United States understood the State Of Texas
I hey al NUi pA aufa IA. l..
the Nueees is apparent from the fact, that on tho
the 3lst Of December, 1876, only two days afief
the act Of admission, they passed law "to esisl,.
ish collection disirici IN the State Of Texas By
which they created por, Of delivery at Corpus
Chfisli, 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.
aud directed that surveyor to collect the fevenu.
should be appointed for that port by the President.
by ani with the advice aud consent Of the Senate.
surveyor was accordingly nominated, and con.
hnncd BY the Scna,c, and has been ever since IN
the performance Of his duties. All then acts oi
the republic Of Texas and Of our Congress, pie.
erded tue orders for the advance Of our army TO
the east bank Of the Rio Grande Subsequently,
Congress passed an act establishing certain posi-
routes extending west Of the Nueees. The eoun.
lfy west oi that rvct now constitutes part Of one
OF the congressional districts Of Texas. and !. re.
presented in the House of Representatives Ths
Scnaion irom that State were chosen by Legs.
laiufe IN which the country west Of that rirrf Was
represented In view Of al these facts, II Is dliienh
10 conceive upon what ground !, eau be maintained
that, in occupying the country west Of the Naeess
with our amy, with view solely 10 IL security
aud defence, We invaded the territory Of Nstica.
But i would have been still more difficult 10 Justify
the Executive, whose duty Il is to see that the
laws are faithfully executed, II IN the face Of NIL
these proceedings, both Of the Congress Of Texas
aud Of the United States, he had assumed the re-
sponsibility Of yielding up the ,errloy west Of the
Nueees TO Mexico, or Of refusing TO protect and
defend ihs territory and IT, inhabitants, including
Corpus CHRISTI a. well as the remainder Of Texas,
against the threatened Mexican INVASION.
but Mexico herself has never placed the war
which she has wagrd upon the ground that our
lhmy occupied the intermediate territory between
the Nnrees aud the Rio Grande. Her fefa,ed pre-.
isniion that Texas was not in fact an independent
State, but rtbclo1s province, was obslnaiely
prneyfTcd M; and her ayowod purpose In COM
mrneinr war with the United States was to recon.
quef Texas, aud TO restore Mexican authority over
The whole iernion-nol 10 the Nucces only, bat
to the Sabine. In view Of ihrse proclaimed men.
aces Of Mexico 10 this effect dcemedil my duty.
Us ameasurr OF preauiion aud defence, TO order
our amy 10 occupy position on our frontier as a
military post, from which troops could best re-
sis and rcprl any attempted invasion which Mex
ico might make.
Our army had occupied a position at Corpus
Chrsii, west Of the Nucccs. as early as August,
lslS, wi,hog, complaint from any quarter. Had
the Nueccs been regarded is the true western
boundiry Of Texas, that boundary had been passed
BY our army many months before II advanced ~
the eastern bank Of the RIO Gfande. In my annual
message In December last | informed Congress
that, upon the invitation Of both the Congress aud
Convention Of Texas, had deemed il proper to
order a strung squadron TO the coasts Of Mesco,
and TO concentrate an efficient military force on the
western frontier Of Texas, % protect aud defend
ilc inhabitants against the menaced invasion Of
Mexico. In that message ] informed Congress
that the moment the terms Of annexation Offered
by the uuiied Siairs were accepted by Teras the
latter became No far part Of our own county as
to make !; our duty to afford such protection and
defence; aud iha, for that purpose our squadron
had been ordered to the Gulf, aud our army to
stake position between the Nueccs aud the Del
NoHc,' or RIO Grandr, and "to repel any invasion
Of the Texan territory which might be attempted
by the Mexican forces"
II Wasdcsmcd proper 10 issue this order because.
soon ailer the President Of Texas, In April. 1916.
hid issIod his proclamation conyening the Con-
gre,. Of that republic, for the purpose Of submit.
ting 10 that body the terms OF annexation proposed
by The United States, the Government, Of Me,co
made serious threats Of invading the Texan tern.
tory
Thcsr ,hrrnis became more imposing as II be-
cane morc apparent, in the progress Of the ques.
ton that The people Of Texas would decide in
fiyorol accepting the terms Of annexation; and.
finally, they had assumed such formidable char
aeier az induced both the Congress aud Conyen-
tIolof Terls to request that military force should
be sent By The United States Into her territory for,
the purpose ofpro'cciing aud defending her against
the thrcatcurd Invasion. II would have been
violation Of good faith towards the people ofTssas
10 have reiugcdto afford the AID which they desir-
ed agsius, threatened invasion, TO which they
had been exposed by their free determination to
amer themselves to our Union, in compliance
win the oyeriures made TO them by the joint reso.
luton Of our Congress,
Accordingly, u portion Of The army was ordered
TO advance iaio TrrA Corpus Christi was the
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