Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-19
M E S SAGE
PREsIDENT POLK.

PR e SID E Mt POLK.
Ia the Senate and House Of Represeniasives
ofihe Uniied Stsies.
(Conciuded)
ffSpain had continued Until the present peri.
ID 10 assert that Mexico wac one Of her colonies
IN rebellion against her, this would not have
made her so or changed the fact Of her indo.
oeudent existence. Texas. At yhe period Of her
to the United States, bore the same
elation to Mexico that Mexico had borne 10
5pain for many years bcfore Spain acknowled.
red her Independence, with this important dit.
ercnce-that before the annexation OF Texas
O the United States was consummated, Mexico
,erself by a formal act of government, had &C.
;nowledgcd the independence OF Texas as ma.
ion. telE-..ie. A.t s.r d. .ta .,1
1t is true, that in the act OF recognition she
rescrbed condition which she had no power
r suthority 10 impose, ihnt Texas should not
mex herself to rny other Power but this
ould not detract in any degree esam the recog.
,ition which Mexico then made Of her actual
Independence. Upon this plain statement Of
acts, it 10 absurd for Mexico TO alege as pre-.
Ext for commencing hostilities against the Uni
Cd States that Texas is still part Of her terri.
Dry. r.ae..
But there ure those who, conceding all this
o be true, assume the ground that tho true
Western boundary line Of Texas 10 the Neuces,
instead Of the Rio Grande; and that. therefore,
n marching our arn,y to tho east bank of the
s.ter river, We passed the Texan line, and inva.
ed the territory of Mexico. A simple stale.
nent of facts, known TO exist, will conclusiveiy
efute such an assumption. Texas a. ccded
the United Statcsby France in 1909. has been
1ways claimed ~ extending west TO the Rio
1rande, or Rio Bravo. This TACT is esta ablished
" the authority If o,rr most eminent statesmen
"a period when the question was a. well If not
liter understood than il is at present
During Mr.. Jefferson's administration, Messrs.
ionroe and Pinckney, who had been sent on Q
,ecisl mission to Madrid. charged, smong 9th.
r things, with the adjustment OF b,undsry be-.
ween the two Countries, i6 ndtc addressed to
he Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, under
ate of the 2Sth of January. 1905, assert thst
he boundaries Of Louisiana, as ceded To the U.
li,ed States by France. "are the river Perdido
n the east, and the river Bravo on tie west,
nd they add, that "ths facts and prime pies
hich Justify this conclusion are SO satisfactory
our government rs to convince X that the U.
ted States have not batter right to the island
New Orleans, under the cession referred 10,
an they have to the whole district Of territory
hjch is above described"
Down To the conclusion Of the Florida trenty
in February. 1910, by which this territory was
ce6ed 10 Spain, the United S,ates asecrted end
maintained their territorial rights to this extent
tn the month of June. 1918, during Mr.. Mon
.oe's administration, information having beer
.eceiyed ttst , number Of foreign sdveuturer
,ad landed at Galveston, with the avowed pur
,oee-o of forming q settlement in that vicinity, I
pscial messenger was despa tched by the go
ernment Of the United States, with instruc
ions from the Secretary of State to wara then
odcsist, should they be found there "or an.
,her place north of the Rio Bravo. and within
he territory cl,imed by the United Slater"
He was instructed. should they be found i
he country north Of that river. 10 mnke know
them "the eurprise with which the Presldeu
,ss seen poseession tlfus taken, without aathor
from the UniteI States, Of Q pluce with
heir terri,ol ial limits, and upon which no 10 y
III settlement can be made without their cant
ion" lie was instructed 10 cali upon rhem
.svow under what national authority :hey pr
ito act," and 10 give them due warning "th'
he place is within the United States. who wi
ntfer no permanent settlement 70 be mac
here. under any authority other than the
owD." 1905.
As late as the 9Th Of July, 1872 the Secret
yof State Of the United States, in note q
rsssed 70 our minister in Mexico. maintai
hat, BY the Florida iressy of 1919. the terrific
9 far west as the Rio Grsnde was confirmed
Spain. In tina, note he states that. "by the ire
y Of the 22d of February, 1919, between the
s,ted States and Spa IN. the Sabine was adept
s,he line Of boundary between the two 20
rs. s. .--.
up TO that perisd. no considerable coloni'
ion had been effe:ted IN Texas; bot tle ter
oyy Between the Ssbiue and the Rio Grsnde
"A in l,sst the eron ~
ions were made to that Power for grants
ssd, and yuch grants, or petmissions Of sest
aent, were in fact made BY the Spanish snth'
lee IN favor of citizens Of the United Sta
proposing to emersts to Texas IN numerous
niles. before the declaration Of ndepender
y Mexico" ..,, -
The Texas which ives eeded TO Spain by
florida treaty Of 1879, embraced all the co
~ now claimed by the State of Texas betw,
he Neuces and tire Rio Grsnde. The reput
fTexas s!wsys claimed this river a. her "
ern boundary, and in her treaty made withS
aAuna Ia Msy, 1896, he recognized ~ su
b the constitution which Texas adopted
dasch, 1885, senatorisl and representative
ricls were oFganized extending west Of
Vsuees.
The Congress Of Texas, on the 10th oi
,euber, 1854, passed IN IAN set 10 dehne
boundaries OF the republic Of Texas" in vi
hey declared the Rio Erauds frum iss mont
V source 10 be thur boundary, and By the
let they extended their 'civl and political
isdiction" over the country up to that bound
,orinr . period Of moro than nine yssrs. VI
ntervened between the adoption OF her ca
u,on and her annexation ~ one Of the 81
dour Union, Texas sassrtfd and exsrcised
" seis Of sovereignty and jurisdiction oveI
sr3itory and inhsb,isnts ven Of the Nsuee
She orgsnised and defined the limits oec
jes extending U ths Rio Gsasde. She I
lishsa eouvls efjsu.isss and sstsndsa her.