Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-06-10

Il
ate; and, am informed, has been engaged
for months in the performance of his duties
under the law, for which all these especial
guardians of Mexican rights voted. Now,
sirs, ask, in all fairness and candor, what
right these gentlemen have to abuse the
President for sending the army into that
country to protect the lives Of our citizens,
after they had voted to take legal possession
of it by the extension Of our laws2 They
had asserted our right to the country by a
solemn act of Congress; they had erected it
into collection district; the constitution re-
quired the President to appoint the officers,
and see the laws faithfully executed. He
has done so; and for this simple discharge
of duty, under law for which they voted,
he is now denounced in the coarsest terms
: known to our language, as having done an
act unholy, unrighteous, and damnable.
And this denunciation is endorsed by the
gentleman from Massachusetts,, who, in
1919, declared that dur title to the Del
Norte was as perfect as the island of New
Orleans. ....... ....
Mr.. ADAMS. l never said that our title
was good to the Rio Del Norte from its
mouth to its source '%
Mr. DOUGLASS. fully understand the
points Of the gentleman's denial. He denies
that he claimed the Del Norte all the ,uay
to It's source. know nothing of his mental
reservations. He claimed the Del Norte
as the boundary, without specifying how far
J it extended up the river. He will not deny
this fact, for have the official evidence over
his own signature. Itistrue cannot prove
f the hand writing, for it is printed in the
State Papers, and is his same celebrated
] despatch to Don Onis, the Spanish Minister.
: Mr.. ADAMS. wrote that despatch as
: Secretary Of State, and endeavored to make
: out the best easel could for my own country,
: as it was my duty. But l utterly deny thai
3 claimed the Rio Del Norte in its whole
t extent. only claimed it as the line 9
i. short distance up, and then took a line north
: ward, some distance from the river.
0 Mr.. DOUGLASS. Will the gentleman
+ specify the point from which his line left the
G river?
n Mr.. ADAMS. / never stated the point.
r Mr.. DOUGLASS. Was it above Matamor.
q as!
J, Mr.. ADAMS. l never specified any par:
j ticular point.
}, Mr.. DOUGLASS. Ihave heard Of this line
g to which the gentleman refers 1t followed
g a river near to the gorge of the mountains
g certainly more than 100 miles above Mata
n moras. Consequently, taking the gentle
r man on his own claim, the position occupied
a by General Taylor, opposite Matamoras
J. and every inch Of the ground upon which
IS On American soldier has planted his foot
'r were clearly within our own territory, a
er claimed by him in 1919, | am not now t.
le be diverted from the real point at issue, b,
r tracing the line beyond which our army ha
l. marched. My present Objects to repel th'
calumnies which have been uttered agains
l. our government for the purpose of putting
o our country in the wrong in the existing war
,, | have exposed these calumnies by reference
J. to the acts and admissions of our accusers
IS by which they have asserted our title q
te least as high up as we have taken possession
& The President had ordered the army NJ
h further than Congress had extended our laws
ID have shown that the country in dispute ha
= constituted one congressional election dis
d, trict in Texas since 1886 that its citizen
Of engaged in the war Of the revolution tha
K they participated in the convention whic
n formed the constitution Of the republic, an
81 also the State constitution; that the sam
r. country is within senatorial district for tn
g. State of Texas, and has a senator resdin
te within it.; that it forms part of one of tn
3. districts for electing members to the Cor
re gress Of United States and that it is ii
le cluded in our revenue districts for the co
rs lection oftarif duties, and has officers of tn
is customs residing within it. ..... ...
le In view Of all these facts, submit it t
ed the candor of every honest man, whethe
ed the President did not do his duty, and nothin
20 but his duty, when he ordered the army I
10 the Rio Del Norte. Should he have folde
his arms and allowed our citizens to
g. murdered and our territory to be invade
id with impunity Have we not forborne I
I'd act Extensively until our forbearance.
3? construed into cowardice, and is excitin
IN contempt from those towards whom we hav
e. exercised our magnanimity? We have
10 long list Of grievances--a long catalogue
- wrongs to be avenged. The war has CON
as menced, and he who is not on the side
n. our country must necessarily be traitor
at it. | had trusted and hoped that ther
or would be no anti-war party after war we
IN once declared. But am particular
n, mortified to see one Of those who wei
D. ready to 60 to war for Oregon arraignin
Ill himself on the side of the enemy when OF
lis country is invaded on another side Of til
he Union. To me, our country and all i
n parts are one and indivisible. wou
on rally under her standard for the defence
,c- one portion as soon as the other-the Sou
he as, soon as the North-for Texas as soon
,el Oregon. And | will here now do m
he southern friends the justice to say, that
oil firmly believed, and never doubted, that if
lr- war had arisen out Of the Oregon questio
su- when once declared, they would have sto'
ed |shoulder to shoulder by me as firmly as
hall hxyk .v~k . M r