Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-06-05
THE TEXAS BOUNDARY.

know, there is apparently consentaneous dispo-
stion on the part Of The Administration presses at
this moment TO misrepresent the whole history of
the boundary of Texas, and to repeat the ground
less averment that at the time the President march
ed army TO the Rio Grande, that river, instead of
the Nueces, was the true boundary OF Texas.
We do not know that we should have taken any
notice of this now, especially since by the Proca-
nation of General ScoTT, the Executive has entire
ly surrendered that original pretext Of the war,
substituting for it one even less jusihabe-of which
we shall have occasion in day or two to speak
more at large to our readers-had not the govern
ment paper undertaken at this very moment, to re-
affirm that the boundary of Texas has always been
the Rio Grande. Let us, however, quote the exact
language of the government paper:
"The Rio del Norle had been held by every
President, from Jefferson down to Polk, and by
every Secretary Of State, from Madison down 10
Buchanan, and by Clay himself in his celebrated
speech on the Florida treaty, as the indispufdble
boundary of Ieyas. We had so obtained ii by
oar treaty OiM france for Louisiana, and ceded
it away by the treaty of Florida to Spain and
Nth that boundary IL had been held By indepen-
dent Isras herseE'
The Union' follows up this misstaement of
fact with repetition Of the exploded official false
hood that Merico made war upon the United States
by shedding American blood upon american SOIL
TO save US from the trouble of reducing to paper
the facts and true inferences on this subject there
fortunately fell into hands, just after reading the
above statement of the g Unon," the Louisville
Journal OF May 30, containing ali article, from an
evidently able man, who was, as the g Journal y
informs us, an active and very influential supporter
of Mr.. Polk for the Presidency From this arli-
Gle, the body of which is commentary on Mr..
BENToN's late ST. Louis speech, we copy the fol-
lowing entirely conclusive passages:
The treaty of 1919 the by which we acquired
Florida and settled long and angry dispute with Spain BY
the acquisition of Florida put end, for many years. to
the ncursons Of several powerful and wake tribes Indians
in that Territory, adjacent to Alabama and Georgia. and we
gave security to in the Gulf of Mexico which
before infested by pirates We acquired contiguous
and commanding territory, and also obtained the Spanish
title TO Oregon We yielded pretensions to Texas-a
doubtful title to remote territory about the size of Florida
Remember that the Texas yielded Texas the
Rio Grande Mr.. Benton declared that if included the
left bank of the Rio Grande in the treaty of annexation we
should be guilty of act of aggression upon Mexico for all
the consequences of which the United would stand re-
sponsble.'
Sour title any part of Texas rested solely on the ces-
sion by France Of Louisiana and it had always been
disputed that Texas part of Louisiana We know that
part of Texas least settled by Spain, and remained
under its jurisdiction hundred years before the discovery
Louisiana by the Frsnch and the title to Louisiana got
from France founded exclusively French discovery and
1t that Texas claimed by jefferson Madison
but jurisdiction exercised by either except
far forbid body Of French adventurers using for
the purpose Of hostties against Spain. Such title
to Texas far the Nueces."
The pretence with which it first attempted vnd
cate this war-hat it exists by of Mexco-is too
and ridiculous fasehood deceive any body and
other humbug must be provided The attempt be
made to from the responsibility Of the war; and nothing
better can be produced by the ingenuity Of the party than
the silly preence that this caused by the the
mode Of But if annexation caused the war; why
did not hostiles until year afterwards II is
true that Messrs Amonte and Reon said that annexation
-~""a ha Of But in Mexico the power be
longs to Congress- and silly Mexico is of our states
men might learn valuable lesson from her on this subject
WELL the Mexican Congress- the power neitherde
cared war prepared for when took place. Nor
did the Mexican Executive send any orders repe INVASION
until he received intelligence that marching from the
Nueces the Rio Grande-from Texan settlement and urs
diction to Mexican-om Texas TO Mexico. THAT MARCH
MADE THE WAR. ,oas not the annerution of Teras
but THE INVASION OF MEXICO that made The ,car
For the valley of the Rio Gande PART or MEXICO and
'oas at the time an the erclsipe possession and Jurisdiction
Of Meric0. The Texan constitution indeed claimed the Rio
lrande the boundary from its mouth source which
would have given nearly all New Mexico including Santa
Fe to Texas But the Texan Convention the same power
that made the constitutions accepted the basis of
ton the resolutions that
ment by negotiation of the question Of boundary true
the President attempted to show laborious effort
defend the order for the march the Rio Gande that the
Congressional and Legislative districts of Texas extended
that river but be omitted that this was only on
there being no Texan Uos in the valley Of that river No
clustering, therefore, nor no efronty, evasion petit
Joggtng, can nrahdate The morui and mortifying truth
that this IS oar Of aggression commenced by the march
The Rio Grande-THE INVASION OF MEXICO. 1t is
already conceded by the candor which within the
limits OF the United States and by all the mpaay that
sides without And history will write in words that will
live as perpetual memorial against us whilst nothing will
remain OF the memory Of its authors and its advocates but the
backnes Of their wrong and the uperadded upude of their
apology The consciousness OF guilt is manifested as much
IN the management of the the of
Its origin The object Of il is felt be criminal that not
even success vndcate the most perverted- must
be disavowed Accordingly, whilst every step taken its pro-
secuton designed for conquest every profession made is
peace The scheme the impression that the war
to necessity and regret but at the same time the oc