Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-12-19

influences from abroad, In the same ID
patch from the Secretary of State. he affir,ns
that "since 1887 the United States hav. re-
garded Texas as an independent SOVEREIGN
", as much as Mexico; and that trade and
commerce with citizens of government at
war Win Mexico cannot, on that account.
oe regarded as an intercourse by which as
ISSUANCE and succor are given to Mexican
Feoels. The whole current of Mr.. de Boca-
negra1s remarks runs in the same direction
as II the independence of Texas had not
oeen acknowledged. 1t has been acknow-
ieoged, 1t was acknowledged in 1887 against
the remonstrance and protest of Mexico;
ana most OF the acts Of any Importance of
"hich Mr.. de Bocanegra complains, flow
necessarily from that recognition. He
speaks OF Texas as still being San integral
part OF the territory of the Mexican Repub-
nc, but he cannot but understand that the
omted states do not SO regard it. The real
complaint OF Mexico therefore, is, in sub
stance neither more nor less, than a COM
plant against the recognition of Texan in
dependence. 1t may be thought rather late
to repeat that complaint. and not quite inst
to contine it to the United States. but to the
exemption of England, France and BELGIUM.
unless the United States, having been the
first to acknowledge the Independence of
Mexico herself, are to be blamed for setting
an example for the recognition of that of
IeXas.' And he added, that ssthe consti-
tuition, public treaties, and the laws obliee
the President to regard Texas as an indie
pendent State, and its territory as no part of
Nexico." Texas had been an independent
State, with an organized government, defy
ing the power of Mexico to overthrow Or
reconquer her, for more than ten wears he
fore Mexico commenced the present war
against the United States. Texas had civ
en- such evidence to the world of her ability
to maintain her separate existence as an in
dependent nation, that she had been formal.
~ recognized as such, not only by the Uni.
ted States, but by several of the principal
powers of Europe.
These powers had entered into treaties OF
amity, commerce and navigation with her.
They had received and accredited her min
listers and other Diplomatic agents at their
respective courts, and they had commission
ed ministers and diplomatic agents on their
part to the government of Texas. If Mex
leo, Notwithstanding all this, and her utter
inability to subdue or reconquer Texas. still
stubbornly refused to recognize her as an
independent nation, she was none the less
so on that account. Mexico herself had
been recognized by the United States as an
independent nation, and by other powers.
long before Spain, of which, before her rev.
olution, she had been colony, would agree
to recognize her as such; and yet Mexico
was at that time, in the estimation of the
civilized world, and in fact, none the less an
independent power because Spain still claim
ed her as a colony. IfSpain had continued
to assert until the present period that Next
co was one of her colonies in rebellion
against her, this would not have made her
so, or changed the fact of her independent
existence. Texas, at the period of her an
ncXation to the United States, bore the same
relation TO Mexico that Mexico had borne
to Spain for many years before Spain ac-
knowledged her independence, with this
important dilference-that, before the an
neXation of Texas to the United States was
consummated, Mexico herself, by formal
act OF her government, had acknowledged
the independence Of Texas as nation. 1t
is true that in the act of recognition she pre-
sclibed condition which she had no power
or authority TO impose, that Texas should
not annex herself to any other Power; but
this could not detract in any degree from
the recognition which Mexico then made of
her actual independence. Upon this plain
statement of facts, it is absurd for Mexico to
allege, as a pretext for commencing hostili-
ties against the United States, that Texas is
still part other territory.
But there are those who, conceding all
this to be true, assume the ground that the
true western boundary of Texas is the Neu-
ces, instead of the Rio Grande; and that,
therefore in marching our army to the east
bank of the latterriver, we passed the Texas
line, & invaded the territory of Mexico. A
simple statement of the facts known 70 exist
will eonelnsieely fefute such an ASSUMPTION.
Texas, as coded to the United States by
France, in 1908, has been always claimed as
extending west to the Rio Grande, or Rio
Bravo. This fact is established by the au-
thorty OF our most eminent statesmen, at a
period when the question was as well, if not
better understood, than it is at present.
During Mr.. JefferSon's administration,
Messrs. Monroe and PiclSney, who had been
Sent on Especial mission to Madrid, charged
among other things, with the adjustment of
boundary between the two countries, in a
note addressed to the Spanish Minister of
Foreign Affairs, under date of the twenty
eighth of January, 1905, assert that the
boundaries of Louisiana, as coded to the
United States by France" are the river
Perdido on the east, and the river Bravo on
the west;" andthey add, that s'the facts and
principles which justify this conclusion are
so satisfactory to our government, as to con-
vince it that the United States have not a
better right to the island of New Orleans I'M
derthe cession referred to, than they have
to the whole district of territory which is
above described" Down TO the conclusion
of the Florida treaty, in February. 1909, by
which this territory was ceded to Spain, the
U. States asserted and maintained their ter
ritorial rights to this extent. In June, 1918,
during Mr.. Monroe's administration, infor-
nation having been received that a number
of foreign adventures had landed at Gal
weston, with the avowed purpose offorming
a settlement in that vicinity, special mes
senger was despatched by the government
of the United States, with instructions from
the Secretary of State to warn them to de-
sist, should they be found there, sor any
other place north of the Rio Bravo, and
within the territory claimed by the United
States" He was instructed, should they be
found in the country north of that river, to
make known to them G the surprise with
which the President has seen possession
thus taken, without authority from the Uni
ted States, of place within their territorial
limits, aud upon which no lawful settlement
can be made without their sanctions" He
was instructed to call upon them to s!avow
under what national authority they profess