The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-12-31

defeuce Ofthe clam of fIexas our troops
should march Immediately 10 that river.
What the Executive Of Texas had deter
mined nottp fight for. bat TO settle by ne
gotiation, to say the least oft, could as
well be left 10 the United States on the
same conditions"
The question was whether, under the
circumstances, we should take a po.
sition to make war for tkis claim, In the
face of an acknowledgment on The part gf
this Government that 1t could be settled
By negOtiafiOn. | at once decided that
we shuuld take no such position. but
should regard only as ,c,thiR the limits Of
0HrPvotectiOH thai portion ofour territory
ACTUALLY POSSESSED nv Texas, and which
she did not consider as subject 10 negOtia-
hon. Letter TO MI. Buchanan, July H.;
1913.
"Yuur purpose will be the defence of
Texas, il she is invaded by Mexico, and
you VW beia position at Corpus Christi,
San Aat0aia. AND OTHER POINTS ON THE
NUEoES. ready to act according to cir
cumstances."-T Gea. Taylor, J4ly7,
1915.
These extracts taken together estab
lish, upon the evidence of our Govern.
ment itself, through lis Diplomatic Rep
resentaiive in Texas, that Mexico was
in possessions ofthe territory mest Of the
Nueces (except the county of Patrico)and
Texas ofthe territory east ofthe Nueces,
with the addition Of Patrico; that Mexico
was admittedly our own Envoy to be in
possession Of tie east hank Of tie Rio
Grande, aud that Corpus Christi was Me
most '0estern pOintthea occupied By Teas.
These admissions from a source so we'll
Informed, so free from bias in favor of
any interest hut that of the United States,
(including Texas are fatal to every pre-.
tension Of territorial right on the part Of
Texas betweenthe Rio Grande and the
Nueces, the small county Of Patrico per-
haps excepted.
All that remain, therefore. to sustain
tho protensions of onr Administration
that the boundary of Texas extended to
the Rio Grande, and that by her annexa.
tion the Rio Grande became The bounda-
ry OF the United States. is The act ofthe
Legislature ofFexas declaring its boun.
dary to extend to the Rio Grande. IL
that uct could be considered Of any ef-
feet whatever, it would at most leave
ground for controversy aud negotiation,
as was assumed by Mr.. DoneIson.-
But that act itself was mere nullity.
Tothat effect we have the opinion of
Senator WOODBURY.. (now an Associate
Judge ofthe Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States 10 his speech in favor Of rali-
Tying tho Treaty ofAnnexation:
Texas, 6ya mere law, said he, 'cou1d
acquire no hAebut whot she conquered
from Mexico, aud actually governed
Hence, though her law includes more
than the ancient Texas, she could Aold
and c0aOey oniythat, or.at the uttermost,
"onIy what she exercised clear Jurisdiction
"Ogey."
Texas never had exercised jurisdic-
ton OF any sort over any territory on the
Rlo Grande, and could not. therefore by
possibility convey to the United States
any utle TO it.
Tolhe same effect We have the authori-
ty of Mr. GALLATlN, which saves us and
our readcis tho trouble of searching fur.
thcr on the subject:
The Repubic ofTexas did, by an act
"of December, 1886, declare the Rio del
"NorIe TO be its boundary. II will not
"be seriously contended that nation has
"a right by a law ofiis own, to determine
"what is or shall be the boundary be-
tween it and another country. The act
was nothing more than the expression of
the wisAes orprctensioas of the Govern.
"ment, As regards right, The act. of Ter
"dS as a perfect NULLITY."
II is thus conclusiyely demonstrated
that the territory between the Nueces and
the Rio Grande never had passed out of
lhe possession or right of Mexico, and
was IN no sense "American soil," or tor
rltory of the United States. The fact is,
too notorious to need 10 be hero
lwet upon, that the army of the United
States, when il neared the Rio Grande,
chased the Mexican custom. officers out
)flheir houses and when it encamped on
he bank of the river, found itself in the
midst Of a Mexican population, and oc.
;upylng the corn aud cotton,felds which
hey had fled from in dismay The flag
1t the United States was planted by our
rmy, as in defence, under the guns of a
Mexican fort, and at the same time the
'essels of our Navy bockadeI the mouth
1t the Rio Grande --a river running, from
is source to the ocean, altogether be.
ween Mexican banks, without Texan
settlement ofany sort within a hundred
niles il. Nay, Gen. TAYLOR himself,
liter literally obeying the Executive or.
lers by occupying u position opposite
Matamoras, thus reported to The War De.
Dar'mcnt (nnder date of April 6, lsl5)
MS proceedings; i
"On our side u battery for four eiph.
teen Founders will bo completed, and
the guns placed in battery to-day
. These guns bear directly upon The public,
square gf Matamoras, and VitAia goOd
'rangeJor demolishing Me towa. Tnern
"oBJEcT CANNOT BE MISTAKEN by THE
ENEMY"
The Enemyl What Enemyl Does
not this language prove that the brave
old General understood very well what