Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-14
a


! In my last number, showed you wba, Mr.
Mortit, the agent Of our Government in Tex
as, reported to the department at Washington.
/ in regard TO the question of the boundary Of
the new Republic Texas was at that mo
ment, in the flush of extravaganza exultation
for the victory OF San Jaclnto. which was won
only short time before MIR. Morft arrived.
and she manites,ly thought she could assume
what boundary she pleased. In point OF right.
her dominion could only extend over the ter
rlory that had revolted and which had sus-
tanned itself against the force OF Mexico--that
is TO say, over the territory belonging TO the
old State Of Texas. Tamaulipas had not rt-
VOTED. neither had Coahuila, nor Chihuahur,
nor New Mexico--nor had any portion o.
these States been conquered by Texas in the
war. The extension Of her boundary, there
/ fore, over any part OF the territory belonging
TO these States, was mere nullity just as
much so, as if Maryland were TO pass an act
in her Legislature extending the limits Of this
State to the james River. And it Texas had
chosen to include California, as Mr.. Moriit
tells us she thought doing, her rIghtto that
region would have not been whit less sub
staniial than it was 10 the RIO Grande.
We may now come back to the treaty of
annexation, and we shall be able to under
stand why Mr.. Benton and Mr.. Wright voted
against it. The language OF the Isl article OF
that treaty, so far as relates TO the session, IL
as follows; The Reptile Of Texas, acting in
conformity with the wishes Of the people aud
every department of its government. cedes 10
the United States all is territories to be held ty
them in full property and sovereignty"
Now, when this treaty came into discussion
in the Senate, Mr.. Benton took leading part
and made speech, which was very carefully
studied, and which may be justly said TO be-
distinguished for its ability. in that speech he
uses the following language:
Sin poor letter which ] lately published
on the subject Of Texas, and in answer TO
letter from the members Of the Texan Con
gross, a copy Of which was published without
my knowledge, while the original has not yet
come to hand: in this poor letter, took occa
sion to discriminate between the old province
of Texas, and the new Republic Of Texas.
and to show that the latter insludes what was
nerer any part Of Texas, but part of the pres
ent and former province of New Mexico, and
| parts of other departments of the Mexican
| Republic. To discriminate between these
Texasas, and to show 10 my fellow citizens
/
question before decided il, and subjected my
mind to the process Of considering what was
about before | spoke. ! wrote as follows:
'Wh respect TO Isras. her destiny is fired.
Of course. l, ,cho consider tchat am about, al
,ca,Js speak Of Isros as constituted at the tinse
Of The treaty Of 1919, and not as constituted by
tte Republic Of Ieras comprehending the capi
tai and forty toicns and piilages Of .Nc,o .Mtri
co noo and al,pays as fully nude, the dominion
Of the Republic Of .nerico, as Quebec and all
the to,ens and riiiages Of Canada are under The
dominion Of Great Britain! II is Of this Ter
as-t.e old Spanish Iends--of ,rhieh alrass
speak and Of her, sag, her destiny is fired -
Whaterer may be the fate Of The present more
n'e'lt, her destination is 10 return TO her natural
positiua-that Of part Of The .1msrican Union.
81 adhere TO this discrimination betwe,
the two Texases, and now propose To s.
which Of the two we are asked by the Press
dent Of the United States TO incorporate into
the American Union"
He then read the first article of the treaty,
which | have quoted above and after some
further remarks, 10 show thai the Teras pro-
posed 10 be anered was that described IN the
act OF the Texan Congress, he proceeded to
say.
'From all this il results that the treaty be
fore us, besides the incorporation Of Tex rs pro
per, also incorporates into our Union the left
bank Of the Rio Grande, in lis whole extent
from lis head spring, near the South Pass IN
the Rocky Mountains, to us mouth IN thr
Gulf OF Mexico. four degrees south of New
Orleans. in latitude 20. Ii is grand aud sol
itary ripcr,' almost without affluents or trbu-
taries. Its source is in the region Of eternal
snow its outlet in the cline OF eternal flow
ers. It's direct course is 200 miles, It's &C
tua run about 1000. This immense river,
second on our continent 10 the Mississippi on
| w, and but little inferior 10 il in length, is pro-
posed TO be added in the whole extent OF its
left bank to the American Union! and that BY
virtue of treaty for the remuneration OF
Texas! Now, the real Texas which we ac.
quired by the treaty Of 1903. and flung away
by the treaty Of 1919, never approached the
Rio Grande except near its mouth while the
whole upper part was settled by the Spaniards,
and great part of il in the year 1854 Just one
hundred years before La Sale first saw Tex
as all his upper part was then formed INTO
provinces, on both sides Of the river, aud has
remained under Spanish, or Mexican author
ity ever since. These former provinces Of the
Mexican viceroyalty, no,c departments of the
yMericn r,pubic, lyiag on both sides Of the Rio
Gra,ade from its head 10 It's mouth, we now
propose TO incorporate, so far as they lie on
the left bank of the river, into our uniou. bv
virtue OF treaty otre- annexation with Texas"
MIR. Benton then wento on to show what pro
vinces this line includes, their population
their towns. cities, &c.