Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-10-29


scorn Hll attempts 10 Fspfesenl Ihem as aaniing
IN love Of country, OF in aLy just appreciation uf
its true glory. AS l.a ..
These are the views and sentiments Of the
wings, every where announced and acted bpon
nov proceed 10 show upon what louhda,ioh
their opinions have been formed 10 regard 70 Mr.
Polk's condUeI 10 the origin Of the war. la'
This will require IhBi ] should recall few
itets connected with the annexation Of Texas.
The treaty ioFthe annexation wus made al WISH.
ington on the l2'h Of Apnl, 1914. This treaty
was rejected by the Senate on the 9Th Of June
following, by q vote OF 35 TO 16-Messrs. Ben.
ton and Wright both voting agslnstit.
have given these two names because they
may be considered undisputed leaders Of The
democratic parry.
WhsI were Iheii objections 70 this ,reaiyl
shall presently quote their own words 70 show
what their objections we're; buI before do 50 il
Is necessary TO say word as 10 the geographical
divisions OF Mexico.
! II has never been denied hy uny one that the
river Nueces was always the boundary which d.
yided the province Of Texas from the province
] of Tamaulipas, through which latter province
the Rio Grande runs into he Gulf-Mutamorus
being It's capra. This as the old boundary
And when Mexico, in 1894, formed her coniede-
ration OF nineteen States, Tamauipss became
one Siate and Texas another, with the same
boundary, to wit, the NUeces, separating one
iron. the other, as the Potomac separates Virgin
ia from Maryland. In 1885 the confederation
was broken up by Santa Anna. Tamaulipas and
The other States joined the new Government, but
Texas refused; revolled against ,hul Govern.
ment, aud declared her independence as a sepa-
rate State. That independence she secured BY
the battle Of ST. Jacinto, in 1896.
few months after the battle Of ST. Jacinto
The Congress Of Texas determined to enlarge
their boundaries, and accordingly passed law
by which they declared their boundary, on the
west, 10 be the Rio Grand from its mouth 10 lis
source; thence due north TO the 49nd deg Of lali.
tude; and from that point along the boundary oi
the Unred States TO the Gulf Of Mexico. This
boundary, as you will see by looking at the map
which | hope you will do,--extends far be-
yond the limils OF the State of Texas as il was
known 10 the Mexican Consideration, and lakes
in large part Of four Mexican provinces which
have never revolied against that Government.
nor ever been conquered by Texas. These four
provinces are Tamaupas, Coahuila, chihuahua
and New Mexico.
What right Texas had to extend her boundary
over her neighbors has never been explained.-I
mud that she even had il in contemplation To
take the Uhots of California into her empire
She only did not do this because IL trdS not COME
njent. My authority for this fact is a matter Of
public record. In August, 1886, General Jack.
son sent Mr.. Henry NJ. Morfl 10 Texas, as an a.
gent on the part OF this Government, to inquire
what was doing, and particularly 10 look after the
subject Of annexation. Tins gentleman wrote
several dispatches to the Government, which
have been published by Congress. In one of
these he writes-"The political limils Of Ieras
proper, previous to the last revolution, were the
Nueces river on the Wesl; along the Red river
on the North; the Sabine on the East, and the
Gulf of Mexico on the South"
Then on the 9Th Of August, in the same wear
he writes furlher-''lt was the intention of this
Government, Immediately after the baule of San !
Jacinto, to hare claimed from The Rio GrandeI
along The riper tothe 30h degree of latitude, and
thence due West to the Pacific. 1t was found.
however, that this would mol strike conrenient
point in California; thai il would be difficult to
control a wandering population distant and
that the territory now determined upon would be
sufficient for young Republic.
These letters may be found in the documents
of the House of Representatives No. 35. 2nd
session Of the 24ih Congress.
So, ii appears, from this gontleman's research
es, that The only reason why Texas was not made I
10 embrace California was a mere matter of con.
venience, and that she had determined what she |
was about 10 Iake from the four provinces have
mentioned above, was quite sufficient for Young
Republic!
have shown you what Mr.. Morft, the agent
of our government in Texas, reported 10 the de-
partmenl at Washington, in regard 10 the ques.
uon Of the boundary OF the new Republic. Tex
us was, at that moment, in the flush of extraya.
giant exullation for The victory of San Jacinlo,
which was won only shorI time before Mr.. .
Morfit arrived, and she maniesly thought she
could assume what boundary she pleased. In .
point of right, her dominion could only extend
over The territory that had revoed and which
had sustained itself against the force of Mexico;
That is 10 say over the territory belonging TO the
old State of Texas. Tamaulipas had moi revol.
ted, neither had Coahuila, nor Chihuahua. nor
New Mexico,-nor had any portion of these
States been conquered by Texas in the war;
The extension of her boundary, therefore, over
any part of the territory belonging TO these States,
was mere nullity,-just as much so, as if Mary
land were to pass an act in her Legislature ex.
tending the limits Of this State 10 the James
River. And if Texas had chosen 10 include
California, as Mr.. Morft tells US she thought Of
doing, her right 10 that region would have not
been whit less substantial than twas to The Rio
Grande. ..... ... .... ...
We may now come back to the treaty of an.
ncxation, and we shall be able 10 understand why
Mr. Benton and Mr.. Wright voted against it,
The language of the Is, article of thai treaty, so
Ear as relates to the cessiOn, is as follows: "The
Republic of Texas, acting in conformity with The
wishes of The people and every department of
is government, cedes TO the United States all its
erritorieS to be held by them in full properly