The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-12-25

limits Of the territory actually occupied by
Texas, even ut that timei ... r..
"Corpus Christi is said to be as healthy as
Pensacola, convenient place for supplics,nnd
THE MOST WESTERN POINT OCCUPIED NY TEX
As."-Letert to Secretary Of State June 30, 1875.
"The occupation ofthe country between tho
Nueccs and the Rio Grande, you are awnrc, ~
diSputed question: Texas holds Corpua
Christi. MEXICo HOLDS THE BRAZos DE SAN.
TIAGo."-Letter to Gen. TAYLOR June %, 1916,
HThe Joint resolution of our Congress left
the question an 0pen one, and the preliminary
propositions made by this Government, under
the auspices of the British and French Gov
ernments, as the basis of definite treaty with
Mexico, left the question in the same state. And
although this Government Tthe Government of
Texasl has since Indicated point on the Rio
Grandc for the occupation Of our troops, did
not consider this circumstance as varying the
question, since the President [of TcSosJ by, o
few weeks before issued a proclamation sus|
pending hostilitics between Texns and Mexico,
the practical effect Of which was To leave the
question precisely AS IT STOOD WHEN oURJo
RESOLUTION rAssED-MExIco IN POSSESSION
OF ONE PORTION OF THE TERRITORY, AND Tex
AS OF A MOTHER "The proclamation of
truce between the two nations, founded on
propositions mutually acceptable te them LEAv.
ING THE QUESTION OF BOUNDARY NOT ONLY AN
OPEN ONE, BUT MEXICO IN POSSESSION OF THE
EAST BANK OF THE RIO GRANDE; seemed to
me inconsistent with the expectation that in
defence of the claim of Texas our troops should
march Immediately to that river What the
Executivcof Texas had determined not to light
for but to settle by negotiation, TO say the least
of it, could as well be left to Tie United States
on the same conditions
"The question was, whether, under the eir1
cumstances, we should take n position To
make war for this cIaim in the face Of an Gc-
knoricdmcnt on the part CfhiS Government ttat
Il cOUid be settled 6y aegotiatioa. at once dc.
ril cd Z hat t,I,o Int
shomd rcgard only as aoihin the limits Of our
protection hat portion Of territory ACTUALLY
POSSESSED ny TEXAS, and aohich she did net
consider as subject TO negotiation. '-Lctttr to
Mr. buchanan, J~iy II, 1913.
your purpose will be the defence ofTeyas,
if she is invaded by Mexico, and you 1ci3 be
in position at Corpus Christi, San Antomio, amt
other points on tho .NWcccs, ready to act accord.
ing TO circumstances. TO Gen. Taylor, JuiY
q, 1915.
These extracts taken together establish,
upon the evidence of our Government itself,
though its Diplomatic Representatives in
Texas, that Mexico was IN possession Of The
territory ,ccst ofHe .Nueces Except the Country
of Patricio) and Texas of the territory east
of the Nueces, with tile addition of POtricio;
that Mexico was admitted by our own Envoy
to be IN possession of the east bank Of Rio Gran
de, and that Corpus Christi was The most ,geS-
tern point then occupied by Teras. These nd-
missions from a source so well-informcd, SO
free from bias in favor of any interest but
that of the United States, Including TeXns,i
are fatal TO every pretension ofterritoal rigtrs
on the part of Texas between fhe Rio Grande
and the Nueces, the small County of Patricio
perhaps excepted.
All that remains, therefore, 10 sustain the
pretension of our Administration that the
boundary of Texas extended TO the r. Grando
and that by the annexation The Rio Grande
became the boundary Of the United Statcs,is
the act oftho Legislature ofTexas declaring
its boundary 10 extend to the Rio Grande.--
If that act could he considered of any effect
whatever, it would at most leave ground for
controversy and negotiation, as was assumed
by Mr.. Donelson. But that act itself wus q
mere nullity.
To that eject we have the opinion of SEN
ator WOODBURY., (now an Associate Judge of
the Supreme Court of the United States in
his Speech in favor Gratifying the Treaty of
Annexation:
"Texas, By mere Ea,c," asd he, "could dc-
q,tire no title but what she conquered from
though her law includes more than the an
cent Texas, she could hold and conpey only
That, or, at the uttermost, only what she orer-
ciSed Gear Jurisdiction over."
Texas never had exercised Jurisdiction of
any sort over any territory on the Rio Grande,
and could not, therefore by possibility convey
TO the United States any title 10 it.
To the same effect we have the authority
of Mr. GALLATIN, which saves lis and our
readers the trouble of searching father on tho
subject.
"'Fhe Republic of Texas did, by an act of
December, 1886, declare the Rio del Norte to
be its boundary. 1t will not be seriously con,
tended that n nation has right, by law of
its own, TO determine what is or shall be the
~ he
That act was nothing more than the expression
of the aciShoS or PretonsiOns ofthe Government,
us regards right, The act Of TcTGs is a perfect
NULLITY."
1t is thus conciusiyeiy demonstrated that
the territory between the Nueces and the Rio
Grande never had passed ont of the possess
sion or right of Mexico, and was in no sense
"American SOIL" or territory of the United
States. The fact is, moreover, too notorious
TO need TO be here dwell upon, that the army
of the United States, when it nearcd the Rio
Grande, chased the Mexican custom officers
out Of their houses, and, when it encamped
OH the bank of the river, found itself i'll the
midst of Mexican population, and occupy
ing the corn and cotton fields which they
had fed from in dsmay. The flag of the
United States was planted by orr army, us
in defiance, undert the guns ola Mexican fort,
and at the same time the vessels of our navy
blocka1ed the mouth of the Rio Grandc--a
river running, from its source 10 the ocean,
altogether between Mexican banks, withouta
Texan settlements ofany sort within hun
red miles oft. Nay, Gen. TAYLOR himself
lftcL literally obeying the Executive orders
by occupying position opposite Matamoras,
thus reported TO the War Department (under
late of A pril 6, 1S46) his proceedings:
''On our side a battery for four eighteen
Will be completed, and the guns
placed in battery to, day. These guns bear