Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-06-11

the right bank ot Tho kto GrsRde. Now ]
would gladly ask that gentleman. whether he
has any confidence IN OH argument vi this
sort? Does not every one know that moth.
ing " moro common IN such cases. than To
gree that the armies on both s.des shalt be
wihdfawn from the scene of action? Bot
who ever tsongl. before, that such an agree.
mchi tor the lime being. would settle the
future boundary of'hc two countries? The
vcxicans nigh, With more ptoprieiy rely mp.
cn the fact that Gen. Taylor took h,s frs,
position upon The Nucc.s, to prove that That
fivcr, AID not the RIO GIinde was the true
boundary.
There -, IN my apprehension, one capital
defect IN oil the argumen, odducej, 10 car.
~ IN" Texan boundary we-t to the Rio
iGrande. There may b.. nnd probably are
u few pcrsous living lmmcdbtely upon the
ives, bank of The Nueces, who have acted
with The Texans. They have been cut off
from the valley oi the Rio Grapdc. by the
wilderness aud. deserts which lie between
these two rivers, and may have regarded
themselves a. belonging To Texas. But the
lIi u be admitted To The fullest extent, does
not prove that Texas has ever extended her
laws one hundred and 6hy miles farther To
the kio Grande. and over people ot another
race, speaking another language, aud owing
allegiance io another government. Texas
has no lille 10 herself cxccp, wha, she 10
tanned by revolniinn, that IA. by conquest and
possess'on. Did she carry her arms ives, 10
the RIO Grand? She has made several at.
jtcmp,s, and has always tecn GeiealeJ---in
encll case her forces have been driven back
or captured. Does .he hold the country
west of the Nu,ces, except perhaps n very
-
liver There Is not u particle of evidence
that she does. Mexico being the original
"wner, on every principle Of law, would sui
cnulnne 10 own all excep, what actually
oe"llCd or was conquered by Texas. And
AZ Texas never conquered the country ~, to
the kio Grande. and a. II ~ now, , or was on
The approach oi General Tsylors army, IN.
hab,,ed by the subIcc,s Of Mexico. who owed
allegiance to that government, and who were
80 faithful Ia their own country Us 10 burn
their dwellings on the approach Of the A.
merIcan Army, und cross the river TO their
own country men. ! contend that there is not
a particle Of proof that the whole country
east ot the RIO Grande belonged TO Texas,
or belongs 10 the United States.
Tn. President himself has furnished cv
dcncc that the Mexicans were in possession
in the valley of the RIO Grsnde and the
most TIM, can possibly he said is. that the
territory Is in dispute. In all snch cases,
possession - good tile rs against an I'M
perfect ono, We had, therefore, by no prin
clple Of law right 10 dlspossess her by
arms, pending the controversy, and especi-I
ally as she was willing to receive special
minister. 10 treat expressly upon tins sub.
ecl OF boundary. The advance Of our army
therefore, was on uct Of aggression. We
have encroached upon territory where she
had the possession, aud claimed 10 huve a
perfect tile. Let n case like this be SUBJ
mtted To any court of justice, and the yer.
diet would be rendered against us.
] will even go farther. II our title were
the best, or we were ~ possession up 10 The
banks OF the RIO Grande, even then we should
be the nggtcssofs, according To General Tay
Tors own account. In his despatch. OF The
18th Of April, he says that he blocked up the
Rio Grande, und stopped oil supplies for
This was the first act OF og |
gression. For, at that time. II is not |
pretended that the Mcxicans had made
my attack upon our troops. Colonel Cross
Iad been missing for a few days. but The
wors, apprehe enslon was ;hat he might have
been murdered by some 'bandtu known To be \
n the nelghborhood.' And what provocation
rad General Taylor for blockading Mata.
noras, aud cutting "ff the supplies FOR the
Mexican army? lie tells MS that h. had re-
,eWed n despatch from General AmpUdia,
him to withdraw his force within
weniy-four hours, aud TO fall back beyond
he Nueces. Was this summons an net oil
hostility? Ii was not SO regarded by Gen. n
Fay or-for, III his note in reply, he says
he responsibility will rest upon those who H
ashly co,ninences hosiilliies.' So according
o his own confession, before the Mrxlcaus
lad commenced hostilities, he bockaded 4
heir town, and cut off their supplies Does
lot this make us the aggressors? Have we
u time of peace, night Ia blockade the
Iexicun ports, and so cut off supplies from
heir army? This is not threat, but an act
# hostility. We were not only the oggressors
u invading a country ~ possession OF Mex
o., but we were guilty OF the first overt net.
md | should like To be told. even II the RIO
irandc were the true boundary, whether The
l"xicans were no, justified ~ crossing the
lvpr to cut off General Taylor's supplies. af II
er he had blockuded the port aud cut of
heirs The aggression was on our part
We commenced hostililes. III
Mr.. Jones, Of Georgla.-l wish to ask the HI
entleman from Massachusetts whether ho
as any authority for saying ,hat the
lexicans crossed the rlvcr simply 10 cut off
;eneral Taylor's supples?l N
! will not hlgglc with the gentleman hom
ieorgla about terms. | suppose that Gen.
IrIsta had sent hls troops scross The river To
ppose General Taylor. by throwing them
elves between hlm and his supplies. ! re
AID Arlsias movement as a hostile one.
rought on by the hostile movements of our n
roops. Cor forces had bockaded Ma,amo.
rs, and Gu, off the supplies from the Mcxl.
an army and The Mcxcans in return, at.
rmpted To intercept our supplies. Both
,erc nets Df hostility. know no difference
ctween attacking the army nself, aud cut
ug off their provisions and munitions Of war.
Is as much an act Of hostility Ia cut off an
rmy by Iamlnr, "a by The SWORD. Or, lf gen.
emen regard nothing as war bnt an actual
olh-ion of Iorces, we have no evidence that
ic Mexicans made the first attack. Gener
Taylor III his dispatches does not pretend
From the view ! have taken Of this whole
NJ ect, II appears to me tha, We have been
~ aggressors. We annexed Texas To Tins
mon. But The Texas we annexed was
,n,ted IN her territory to the Nucces. or
,at immediate vIcInIty. Though she had IA