American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-09

| llal territory, II cannot but be surgri-lnu f.
Ind Mr. de Bocanegra" (the S cretary Of Fo
reign Affairs of Mexico,) ''compIaininp tina
for that whole period citizens of the Unite
states, or lis government, have been favor
ING the rebels Of Texas, and supplying then
with vessels, ammunition, and money, as if tn
war Tor the reduction of the province Of Texa
had been constantly prosecuted by Mexico, an,
her success prevented by these influences from
abroad" In the same despatch the Secretar,
OF State atfirHs that "snce 1887 the United
States have regarded Texas as an Independent
sovereignty, rs much as Mexico; and that trad,
ana commerce with citizens of a government
al war with Mexico, cannot, on that account
be regarded as an intercourse by which assist
ahce and succor are given to Mexican rebels
The whole current of MIR. de Bocanepra's re-
marks runs III the same direction as if the in.
dependence of Texas had not been acknow.
LEGGED. 1t has been acknowledged was
acknowledged in 1887 against the remonstrance
and protest OF Mexico; and most ofthe acts of
any Importance, of which Mr.. de Bocanegra
complains, flow necessarily from that recoGni-
tlon. lie speaks OF Texas as still being IAN
internal part OF the territory Of the Next
can republic but he cannot but understand
that the United States do not SO regard
it. The real complaint of Mexico, therefore.
is, IN substance, neither more nor less than n
complaint against the recognition of Texan in
dependence. 1t may be thought rather late to
repeat that complaint, and not quite lust 10
contne 1t to the United States, to the exemp-
ton OF England, France, and Belgium, unless
the United States, having been the first to ac-
knowledge the independence of Mexico her
sell, arc to be blamed for setting an example
fer the recognition of that of Texas" And he
added, that, "tho constitution, public treaties,
and the laws oblge the President to regard
Texas as an Independent State, and its terrific
ry as no part of the territory of Mexco.n
Texas had been an independent State, with
an organized government, defying the power
OF Mexico to overthrow or reconquer her for
more than ten years before Mexico commenced
the present war against the United States -
Texas had given such evidence to the world of
her ability to maintain her separate existence
as an independent nation, that she had been
formally recognized as 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 naviga-
ton with her. They had received aud accred-
tied her ministers and other diplomatic agents
at their respective courts, and they had COM
ministers and diplomatic agents on
their part to the government of Texas. If
Mexico, notwithstanding all this, and her utter
inability to sLbdue or reconquer Texas, still
stubbornly refused to recognize her as an indie
pendent nation, she was none the less so on
that account. Mexico herself had been recog-
missed as an independent nation by the United
States, and by other powers, many years be-
tore Spain; of which, before her revolution, she
had been a colony, would agree to recognise
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 be-
cause Spain still claimed her as colony. Ii
Spain had continued until the present period
to assert that Mexico was one of her colonies
in rebellion against her, this would not have
made her SO, or changed the fact of her indie
pendent existence. Texas, at the period of
her annexation to tho United States, bore the
same relation to Mexico that Mexico had
borne to Spain for many years before Spain
acknowledged her independence, with this
important dltfurence--that, before the annexa-
ton of Texas to the United States was consum-
mated, Mexico herself, by n formal act of her
government, had acknowledged the ndepen-
dence Of Texas as a nation. 1t is true, that in
the act Of recognition she prescribed condi-
ton which she had no power or authority to
impose, that Texas should not annex herself to
any other Power; but this could not dctract 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 preteXt for commencing
hostilties against the United States, that Tex
as is still part of her territory.
But there are those who, concedng all this to
be true, assume the ground that the true west
ern boundary ofTexas is the Neuces, instead of
the Rio Grande and that, therefore, in march
ing our army to the east bank of the latter riv-
er, we passed the Texan line, and invaded the
territory of Mexico. A simple statement Of
facts, known 10 exist, will conclusively refue
such an assumption. Texas, as coded to the
United States by France in 1903, has been al
ways claimed as extending west to the RIO
Grande, or River Bravo. This fact is estab-
lished by the authority of our most eminent
statesmen at period when the question was
as we'll if not better understood than it is at
present During Mr. Jefferson's adninistra-
ton, Messrs. Monroe and Pinckney, who had
been sent on a special mission to Madrid,
charged, among other things, with the adj just
ment oil boundary between the two countries,
in note addressed to the Spanish Minister of
Foreign Affairs, under date of the twerty-
eigth of january, 1905, assert that the boun-
diaries OF Louisiana, as Ceded to the U. States
by France, ARE the river Perdido on the east,
and the river Bravo on the west )" and they
add, that g the facts and principles which JUS
tify this conclusion are so satisfactory to our
government as to convince il that the United
States have not better right TO the island OF
New Orleans, under the cession referred to
than they have to the whole district Of territory
which is above described"
Down TO the conclusion of the Florida treaty. IL
February, 1919, by which this territory was ceded
Spain, the United States asserted and maintane.
taer territorial rights TO this extent. In the noHIi
of June, 1918, during MI. Monroe's administration
information having been received that a number Q
fsreigR adventures had landed at Galveston, witt
the avowed purpose OF forming settlement in tina
vicinity, special IN psseager was despatched by III
government of the United States, with instruction
frsm the Secretary of State to warm them ~ desis