The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-12-17


that since eighteen hundred and thirty-se'
en- the United States have regarded Texas
an independent Sovereignty, as much
Mexico; and that trade and commerce wat
citizens Of Government at war with MexlC
cannot, on that account, be regarded as an II
tercourse by which assistance and succor Al
given to Mexican rebels. The whole currer
Of Mr.. de Bocanegras remarks run in tn
same direction, as fthe independence OF Tea
as had not been acknowledged. 1t has bee
acknowledged-it was acknowledged in 1888
against the remonstrance and protest OF Men
leo {; and most of the acts, OF any Importance
of which Mr.. dc Bocanegra complains, flo
necessarily from that recognition. HeSpeak
of Texas as still being IAN integral part
the territory of the Mexican republic" bu
he cannot but understand that the Unite'
States do not so regard it. The real com
plant of Mexico, therefore, is, in substance
neither more nor less than a complain
a~ainst the recognition of Texan indepen
dence. 1t may be thought rather late to re
peat that complaint, and not quite just to con
fine it to the United States, to the exemp
ton of England, France and Belgium, unless
the United States, having been the first tc
acknowledge the independence Of Mexico
herself, are to be blamed for setting an exam
pie for the recognition of that OF Texas
And he added, that " the Constitution, Public
Treaties and the laws oblige the President
to regard Texas as an independent State, and
its territory as no part of the territory OF
Mexico" Texas had been an independent
State, with an organized Goveinment,defying
the power OF Mexico to overthrow or recon-
quer her,fO more than ten years before Mex
leo commenced the present war against the
United States. Texas had given such evil
dence to the world OF her ability to maintain
her separate existence as an independent
nation, that she had been formally recognized
us such, not only by the United 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 minis
tiers and other diplomatic agents at their re-
spective courts, and they had commissioned
ministers and diplomatic agents on their part
to the Government of Texas. If Mexico. not
outstanding all this, and her utter inability
to subdue or reconquer Texas, still stubborn
ly refused to recognize her as an independent
nation, she was none the less so on that ac-
count Mexico herself had been recognized
States, and by other Powers, many years be-
fore Spain, of which, before her revolution,
she had been colony would agree to recog.
nize her as such, and yet Mexico was at
that time, in the estimation of the civilized
world, and in fact, none the less an indepen-
dent Power because Spain still claimed her
as q colony. If Spain had continued until
the present period to assert that Mexico was
g l.. I'LL hnNr
this would not have made her so, or changed
the fact of her independent existence. Tex
as, at the period OF her annexation to the
United States, bore the same relation to Mex
leo that Mexico had borne to Spain for many
years before Spain acknowledged her indie
pendence, with this important difference
that, before the annexation Ut Texas to the
United States was contaminated, Mexico her.
self, by formal act Of her Government, had
the independence OF Texas as
a nation. Ii it is true, that in the act OF recog
milton she prescribed 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 de-
gree from the recognition which Mexico then
made of her neutrality-suspicious.. Upon this
plain statement of facts, it is absurd for Mex
GO to alledge as a pretext for commencing
hostilities against tina United States, that
Texas is still a part of her territory.
Down to the conclusion of the Florida trea-
~, in February, 1o19,by which this territory
was ceeded to Spain, the United States assert
cd and maintained their territorial tights to
this extent. In the month of June, 1918, du-
ing Mr.. Monroes administration, information
having been received that Il number of foreign
ldventurers had landed at Galveston, with
he avowed purpose of forming settlement
n that vicinity, a special messenger was dis
PATCHED ty the Government Of the United
States, with instructions from the Secretary
# State to warn them to desist, should they
ne found there, " or any other place north of
he Rio Bravo, and within the territory claim
ed by the United States" lie was instructed
hould they be found in the country north Of
hat river, to make known to them 1.-the sur
rise with which the President has seen pos
ession thus taken, without authority from the
United States, of place within their terrific
ial limits, and upon which no lawful settle
nent can be made without their SANCTION
lie was instructed to call upon them to avow
lndcr what national authority they profess
o act" and to give them due warning " that
he place is within the United States, who
will suffer no permanent settlement to be
made there, under any authority other than
heir own" AS late as the 8th of July, 1912,
he Secretary of State Of the United States,
n note addressed to our Ministerin Mexico
maintains that, by the Florida treaty of 1919,
he territory as far west as the Rio Grande
vas confirmed to Spain. In that note he
tates that, - by the treaty of the 22d of Feb
uary, 1919, between the United States and
spain, the Sabine was adopted as the line of +
boundary between the two Powers. Up TO
hat period, no colonization had been effected
n Texas but the territory between the Sa-
line and the Rio Grande being confirmed to
o that Power for grants of land, and such
rants, or permissions of settlements, were in
act made by the Spanish authorities in favor
# citizens of the United States proposing |
o emigrate to Texas in numerous families !