Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-12-04

milton of the independence Of Texas within It's Legitimate
boundaries Popular feeling and the ambition OF contendng
4 unfortunate dlssensons
YET, when Mexico refused receive Mr. Slde Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenpoeniary, the United
should have remembered we had the aggressors
thai we had committed act Acknowledged well by the
practical law OF nations by common and common
Jce 10 be tan'amoun to declaration OF war; and they
should have waited with patience till the feelings excited by
our conduct had subsidized.
Gen. Taylor had been instructed by the War Department.
as early as May 20, lSd5 the forces under his
mand 70 be put in position where they might promptly
ana efficiently act In defence OF Texas III the event that it
should become necessary proper to employ them for that
purpose by subsequent instructions, and after the people Of
Texas had accepted the proposition of annexation, he d
reced TO select and occupy position adapted to rePe nva
SON. az near the boundary line tho Rio Gande prudence
would dictate and that with this vew part of his forces
least should be west Of the river Nueces certainly
duty OF the President to protect Texas against invasion from
the moment it had been annexed the United States and
as that Republic in actual possession of Corpus Christi
which was the position selected by Gen. Taylor, there
no,hng in the position he had taken, indicative of any dan
ger o. acrua, s.astltles
But our Government seems g have considered the REFUSAL
on the part of Mexico receive Mr.. Slde resident En-
voy Of the United States necessarily leading to war; The
Secretary of State his letter to Mr. !" January 49,
1916, says:
Shoud the Mexican Government finally refuse 10 receive
you the cup of orbcarance will then have been exhausted
Nothing remain but toake the redress Of the injuries
citizens and the insults to our Government into
hands"
And again:
sShoud the Mexican Government finally refuse receive
YOU then demand passports from the proper authority and
the United States 1t will then become the duty Of the
President to submit the whole Congress- and call upon
the nation assert its and avenge injured honor
With the object in view, the Secretary of War did
by his letter dated January 49, 1914 instruct Gen. Taylor
"To advance and occupy, with the troops under his
mand positions the bank Rio del Nort
1t is presumed Point Isabel will be considered
by you eligible position. This point, it.
OF Loredo suggested for your consideration. =
Should you attempt exercise the right which the United
States have, in with Mexico the free navigation
OF this river it is possible that Mexico would nerpose
ssanee You will not attempt to enforce this right without
present Mexico you should treat her as an
enemy but should she that character by declaration
OF war; or any open act OF hostility towards you will not
merely the defensive If your relative enable you
! TO do otherwise"
The Administration therefore Of opinion that this mill
tay occupation of the territory in question
hostility towards Mexico, treating her enemy Now,
do aver without fear of contradiction, that whenever terri
tory claimed by Powers is and has been for length of
time in the possession of Of hem if the other should
wade and take possession of by military force, such
is open act OF hostility according to the acknowledged and
practical law of nations In this the law of nations only
recognises clear and positive fact.
The sequel is well known. Gen. Taylor with his troops
left Corpus Christi March sth TO lth ls46, and entered the
desert which separates that place from the vicinity ofthe Del
Nore On the 2ls he encamped three miles south of
the Arroyo Little Colorado having by the he took
marched hundred and thryye miles, and being nearly
north of Maamoros, about thirty miles distant He had on
the 18th met party Of irregular Mexican cavalry, who in
formed him that they had peemptoy ORDERS if he passed the
river TO fire upon his troops and that would be considered
declaration Of The river was however, crossed without
single shot having been fired In proclamation issued
the l2h General Mea who commanded the forces Of the
department of Tamaupa asserts that the limits of Texas
certain and recognised and had extended beyond the
river Nueccs that the Cabinet of the United States coveted
the regions the left bank the Rio Bravo and thai the
American army advancing to take possession Of
large part Of Tamaulpas On the 24h Of March Gen Tay
Tor reached point the route from Matamoros Point sa-
BEL eighteen miles from the former and from the latter
place, where deputaon him formal protest of the
Project Of the northern district Of the department Of Tamaui-
pas declaring in behalf Of the citizens Of the district that
they will consent to separate themselves from the Mex
Republic and to unite themselves with the United States
On the 18th Of April the Mexican General Ampuda required
General Taylor to break his camp within twenty hours
and 10 retire TO the other bank of the Nueces river and no
fled him that he insisted remaining upon the soil the
department Of Iamaupas, would clearly result that
alone must decide the question: in which he declared that
the Mexicans would accept the to which they had been
provoked On the Gath of pn Gen Arsta arrived in Ma
amoros and the day informed Gen. Taylor that he
considered hosties commenced, and would prosecute them
On the day party of sxtyhrce American dagoons
who had been sent distance up the left bank the river
became engaged with very large force of the enemy and
after short affair, in which about sixteen killed or
wounded surrounded and compelled to surrender These
facts laid before Congress by the President in his
sage of the lth of May.
V. Inc clam o. IeTds 10 Inc Rt0 det N0Tfe as ats
boundary examined.
From what precedes appears that the Government the
United States considered the refusal Of Mexico TO receive re-
dent envoy minister sufficient for war; and the
Rio del Noe the legitimate boundary Of Texas. The first
opinion Of Importance but the question of bounda
y, which the immediate Of hostiles has this
day been the greatest mpedmen the restoration peace
feel satisfied that if this settled there would be no nsu
perable difficulty in arranging other pretensions.
The United States claim other portion Of the Mexican
domnions, unless be by right of conquest The Of
country between the Rio Nueces and the del Nore only
which has been claimed by both parties respectively be-
longing either Texas Mexico As regards every other
part Of the Mexican possessions the United had
claimed any portion Of it. The inluty of acquiring any
portion Of otherwise than by fair compact freely consented
by Mexico is selfevdent is every respect most i'm
portant examine the grounds which the claim Of the
United States the only territory claimed by both nations is
founded. II is the main question at issue.
The Republic Of Texas did, by Of December 1885,
declare the Rio del Noro TO be its boundary IL will
seriously contendcd that nation has right by law of its
own determine what is shall be the boundary between
and another country. The act nothing more than the
expression Of the wishes petcnsons Of the Government
Its only practical effect was that emanang from Congress
legislative body it made it imperative the Executive not
conclude any peace with Mexico unless that boundary
agreed As regards right, the of Texas is perfect
nuity. We the arguments and documents by which
the claim is sustained.
On first view the pretension truly startling There is
exception the Rio Norte from its mouth
declared to be the ghfu boundary Texas That river