Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-11
Mr.. B. closed his speech by offering the follow


Texas, comprehendng, the said Incorporation would do
portion Of the Mexican departments of New Mexico Chhua-
hua Coahua and Tanaulipas, would be an act Of direct
aggression upon MricO for all he consequences Of ,eheh
The United States toouM stand responsible.
To The same effect, that great Democratic leader,
the Hon. SnAs WRIGHT, Whose late death has
was present during the whole debate upon the Texas
Treaty and gave his vote against its ratification,
declared to his constituents, in speech delivered
at Waertown, as follows:
II felt it my duty to vote against the ratification
of the treaty for the annexation. | believed that
the treaty, from the boundaries that mast be i'm
piied from IL, embraced country to ,cltich IeIaS
had no claim, oUer Wiich she had neuer asserted
Jurisdiction and phich she had no right to cede."
But, many years before the date of this debate,
the records oflhe United States had borne testimony
to the true boundary of Texas. In 1896 an Agent
was dispatched by the President of the United
States (Gen. JACKSON to examine and report upon
the condition of Texas, which had then established
an Independent Government; and in his report,
dated in August of that year, he reported that the
political limits of Texas proper, previous to the
last revolution, were the NueceS RiUer on the
= VeSt; along the Red River on the north; the
Sabine on the east; and the Gulf of Mexico on
the SOUTH
At the time of the consummation Of the act of
annexation, Mr. DoNELsoN being the Charge d. At
faires Of the United States to that young Republic,
communicated freely with his Government as to the
position of things in Texas. From his letters we
extract the following passages, showing what was
the fact as to the limits Of the territory actually
occupied by Texas, even at that time:
Corpus Christi said be healthy Pensacola,
convenient place for supplies and THE MOST WESTERN
POINT now OCCUPIED ny TExAs.-Leter to Secretary Of
State, June 80, 1885,
The occupation of the country between the Nueces and
the Rio Gande, you aware, is disputed question.
Texas holds Corpus Christi Mexico THE BRAsos
DE SAsTrAGo."-Letter to Gen. Taylor, June 2s ls45.
ssThe joint resolution of Congress left the question
open one and the preliminary proposition made by this Gov
eminent under the auspices the British and French Gov
ernments the basis of defntve treaty with Mexico, left
the question in the same state And although this Goren-
naent 1.-THE Government Of Texas has since indicated point
the Rio Grande for the occupation of troops, did not
consider this circumstance varying the question, since the
President of Texas bat few weeks before issued procla-
nation suspendng hoses between Texas and Mexico, the
practical effect of which leave the question precisely
IL stood ,caen Joint resolution passed-MExICo
POSSESSION PORTION TERRITORY, AND TEXAS
ANOTHER" The proclamation of truce between the
nations founded propositions mutually acceptable TO
hem leariag The question Of boundary not only an open
one but Mexico IN POSSESSION THE
Rro GaASDE, seemed inconsistent with the expectation
that in defence of the claim of Texas troops should march
Immediately that river What the Executive of Texas had
determined fight for but to settle by negotiation,
say the least Of it, could well be left the United States
on the same conditions"
'The question whether under the circumstances
should take position to make for this claim, in the face
of an acknowledgment the part Of this Government that
ii could be settled 6y negotiation decided that
should take such position, but should regard only c
IN the limits Of protection that portion Of territory
TUALLr TEXAS, and chich she did not
slider subject 10 negotiation 10 Mr. Buchanan,
July IL, ls43
'Your purpose will be the defence Of Texas, if she is in
vaded by Mexico, and gnu H be in position at Corpus
christi, San antonio, THE NUEcEs,
ready according circumstances To Gen. Taylor,
July7, ls45.
These extracts taken together establish, upon the
evidence of our Government itself, through its Di
plomatic Representative in Texas, that Mexico was
IN possession Of the territory west Of the Nueces
Except the county Of Patricio) and Texas of the
territory east of the Nueces with the addition of
Patricio; that Mexico was admitted by our own
Envoy to be IN possession of the east bank Of
Rio Graade, and that Corpus Christi was the most
western point then occupied by Ieras. These
admissions from source so well-nformed, so free
from bias in favor of any interest but that of the
United States, (ncludng Texas are fatal to every
preenson of territorial right on the part of Texas
between the Rio Grande and the Nueces, the small
county of Patricio perhaps excepted
All that remains, therefore, to sustain the preen-
sion of our Administration that the boundary of
Texas extended TO the Rio Grande, and that by her
annexation the Rio Grande became the boundary of
the United States, is the act of the Legislature of
Texas declaring its boundary TO extend to the Rio
Grande. Ii that act could be considered of any
effect whatever it would at most leave ground for
controversy and negotiation, as was assumed by
Mr.. Doneson. But that act itself was a mere
nullity.
To that effect we have the opinion Of Senator
WOODBURY., (now an Associate Judge of the Su-
preme Court of the United States in his Speech in
favor of ratifying the Treaty of Annexation
Texas, by mere la,c," said he, . could ac-
I" 9ltife no title but what she conquered from Mex