Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-03-17
NO. g..
: ;. - 49,

ofthisipremalure attempt at opening ne
gotiation, was 10 overthrow friend, aut
q place an enemy in power, deeply com
m:tted agains, settling the differences be,
q tween The two countries, and thereby--as
ought 10 have been foreseen-greatly to
increase the difficulty of any future settle.
ment Of the questions. What followed
from this unfortunate step until il ended in
war between the two countries, has been
so clearly traced by the senator from
Maine, as to supercede the necessity Of
nay touching upon it.
;. The overlooking Of the intimate con-
nexion. of; these. two. questions, was nos
only the first link in that series Of causes
which finally terminated in this war, but
it came near preventing the settlement of
the Oregon question. .. Had the action of
Congress, which finally led to the settle
meul of the Oregon question, been delayed
until it was. known that the skrmishes had
taken place between our forces and the
Mexicans OF the Rio Grande, (but short
period,) there is every reason TO belive
ihe Oregon question would not have been
closed. Il speak upon high authority
the escape was a narrow one. Fortunate
ly, the; British government promptly ac-
ted upon the notice, and rendered pro-
position 10 our minister on, W Shich lhe SET
tIemenl was finally made, which he re-.
ceived aud forwarded to our government
but a few days before news was received
in England Of the skirmishes .on the Rio
Grande. But while they fortunately oc-
Cured loo late to prevent a. settlement of
/ The Oregon question: they unfortunately
occurred too soon 10 preserve peace with
Mexico. But if the policy which the adj
minislration first adopted after annexation,
had been pursued, the frontier Of Texas
with our military forces to the extent Of
couulry which she held at the time Of an.
nexaliou, and no furtEer-ihere is every
reason TO believe that on the settlement Of
the Oregon question the peace of the TWO
countries would have been preserved,
It's true Mexico claimed the whole Of Tex
as but it is equally true that she recognised the
difference, and showed disp osition to act up.
on It, bo,weon the country known as Texas
proper, and the country between it and the
Del Norte It is also true tlrat we and Texas
1regarded the boundary us unsettled-as the re-
solution Of annexation which provides thar
the boundary between Teros and Mexico shall
be determined by the United States, clearly
l.shows: Itis, worthy of remark I'm this connex.
lion, that thispr0Yision john YesoIntionis
ks5ffis7sf0oa scorse;
1snsncs 81 lis. groaads iSEssi:
session by the senator from Missonri on :dlsens;
sion oithe treaty, that The Neucus was The Wes:
| tern boundary 0f Texas, and that to extend that
boundary TO The Rio del Nortes Wonid take In
part Of Tamaulipas. Coahua, und New Mex.
leo. What, Ahen,f ought TO have been the
course ;0f the Executive after annexation under
this resolution1 The very one which they ut
| first pursued-to restrict the position Of our:
troops to the country actually occupied BY
Texas ut The period 0fannexation. All beyond,
80 far ns the Executive was concerned, ought
TO have been regarded as subject 10 the provi..
sion oi the resolution, which authorized the
government to settle the boundary. There
| are but two modes Of settling disputed boun.
dary-one by the Joint consent of both paltics,,
that is by treaty, of which the President and the
Senate are the organs-the other, by the deter-
mination OF one Of the 'paities for itself after
failing to obtain the consent Of the other, and
that, under our government, can only be done,
by Congress. Indeed, when we speak Of our
government, II is undefstood to mean Congress.
ail the Executive, acting jonlly-the one pas
sing un act or resolution, and the o'h"r by LIS
approval. And in; Congress, takeI. I'll this
sense, all discretionary power under our|sys'
lem of fgayernmentis vested. 1t is only by this
power that disputed boundary-can beideter'
mlned by the government for ITSELF aud without
the consenL the other patty. The President
hud no more right to determine Of his own will
what the boundary was, than E:bad, or any
other senator. rs,Sucilf indeed, appeared to be
the conviction Of. the President himself 1t is
only ON such supposition that we can explain
his course in attempting 10 open negotiation
with Mexico, with view Of settling all differ:
enccs between the two countries, among which
the settlement Of the boundary was considered
q paramount question. Why negotiate, IL 1t
were no, an unsettled questions Why negots
ate, if the Rio del Norte-as it was afterwards
assumed-was the clear and unqueshonaoIe
boundary And if not, upon what antnonty,
ulier the attempt 10 open negotiation had lalied,
cnuId he determine what was the boundary,
viewing It as an open question: Was it not hls
plain duty, on such an occurrence, to slibrIt
Ihe question to Congress. which was then "a
session, and in whom the right OF establishing
the boundary aud deeIaringmar was cleariyia
vested Had that course been adopted, great.
" mistake If the sense Of This body would not
have been decidedly opposed to taking any
step which would have involved ihe Two eoah-
tries in war. Indeed, / feel "a strong coayiction
that, il the Senate had been left free to decide
ON the question, not one.thrd Of lhe body would
have been found in favor ofwar. Asit was,
large majority felt themselves compelled, as
they believed, 10 vote fnr the bib recog gnisins
the existence Of war, in order te raise the sup.
plies Of men and money necessary to rescue the
army under General Taylor, OH the Del N9ts&
fiom the dangers 10 which it was exposed.
But TO bring the matter home, the senator
| himself is in no small degree responsible, fol
the war. intend no attack on nim.s lhaye
made none, and will make nome Tho rela,
lions between him and myself, personal ana
political, have long beensuch that seh.Tespeol
and a sense of proprie,y forbid my alIudlng
TO him, except when unavoidable, and tnen " J
s- ond f1oW alluda 10 hli