The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-11

nng to be laid aside in the Old World, Tor the straght
forward and manly policy which has been the boast OF
America, and repudates the maxim every American
Zip and in every American hear-"To ask nothing but
what is dearly right, to submit to nothing wrong ms
acknowledgment is the unfortunate In TINS case not
only for It's future efects-not only because tends 10
throw shade of suspicion the repeated Opinions OF
other pure and distinguished statesmen, who have made
no such avowa-but because this very nslnceriiy was
suspected and limited by the Spanish minister and the
idea Indignantly repealed strong and forcibe American
language by this gentleman from MASSACHUSETTS
then negotiating as Secretary OF State. lie says;
The observation, that truth Of all times and that Tea-
and justice founded upon nmuabe prime mas
been contested by the United States but neither
ruth, reason justice consists in subbornness of asser
ton, IN the null piled repetition of error referred
Don Pedro Cevalos for an ample and satisfactory relu
ton OF the supposed facts, grounds and arguments now
produced by You reply by telling me thai there does
appear TO be single incident give the smallest sup
port TO the pretensons OF my government that al the
have been eied and isspaed by the Spanish
eminent by demonstration so luminous and convne ing
more than intimate that the American government
does itself believe in the validity OF the statements and
Arguments used by its ministers in support OF the claims oil
the United States, asserted by them
"To language and sentiments such as these the govern
an effort, continue all discussion sullied by such I'M
worthy and groundless imPutations"-l4 Foreign Ren-
Truth is ofaH times Ii is humiliating Amer
| lean President ayow the truth OF an lmpntaton,
which he then alleged groundess, and the mere mputa-
ton of which suliied the discussion
The question: as made by our opponents is, was the
march to the Rio Grande act of waran invasion of
Mexico This raises the question of title to the country
between the Rio Grande and the Nueces. Mr. Polk ar
CUES that question, and with all the authority IN the world
to sustain hm-French, Spanish, and American. So far
coded to Spain by the Florida treaty of 1919,
braced all the country claimed by the State OF Tex
as between the Nueces and the RIO Grande." Mr.. DA.
adds: The Santa Fe country and Why add this
The President did not say So His language precisely
limited to that portion of country in controversy, and
which the wings say is Tamauipas, and has nothing
whatever to do with Santa Fe into which Taylor did not
march Why add so much to what is said-and going so
TAR beyond the point controversy and then contradict
ing the whole' Why not contradict the assertion it
stood Virginia owned the State of Kentucky and claim
ed the whole country northwest OF the Ohio to the great
lakes and Mississippi. If one should say The Ken
lucky admitted, embraced all the lands now claimed by
that State from the mountains to the Mississippi" nobody
would add, :" OHIO and Indiana and ALL for the pur-
pose of conradicting it. And, he said Kentucky was
represented in the old Virginia Legislature and conventions
that in Kentucky, Virginia exercised jurisdiction granted
lands, &c. would suppose he meant to her pop
ulaon clustering around the shores of the great lakes
had been represented kentuckyand still less would
Misrepresentation.
But, let us lay aside all the claims and assertions of
American and French diplomacy. Let us agree with MIR.
Adams that if not overcome by Don Onis he ought to
have been; that the claim of Spain just and right
that the country from the Sabine the Rio Grande
was Louisiana that France had no title; that had
none that the Spanish arguments and facts rer
gable and conclusive. And, then, Mr. Polk right
wrong How did Spain release of claim, which
call cesson' What did she call the country which
we called Louisiana? Did she claim the land between
the Nueces and Rio Grande Tamaulpas, Texas!
II as Teas, it seems to me the gentleman from
Kentucky must admit the Presidents truth From first
to last that whole country and that particular
was claimed as Texas--nothing but Texas Never as
Santander-as Tamaulipas never. If Mr.. Adams was
overcome by Onis in argument and proof it proof
that it was Texas-not Santander--not Louisiana. If
Mr. Adams admits that he, and Monroe, and Pinck
ney, and all wrong and Onis right it is because it
was Texas; for that all that Spain, all that Onis
commended. as
Strange indeed s it that the gentleman from Kentucky
and his allies here should know much better, not only
than all American and French statesmen who have gone
before hem but even than the successful Spanish
who were, they contend, right and whose
they espouse. If Spain claimed and received this coun-
try as Texas, and not Tamaupas, il seems to me the
President is justified, whatever may be the opinion of
gentlemen who differ with Spain and her ministers to
the limits OF those provinces she claims and receives from
In Spain Texas has gone to the Rio Bravo ever Stree
the beginning of 100. Mr. Cevallos, negotiating
with Pnckney and Monroe, writes at Aranjuez, April
49, 1905:
always known, when the French possessed
Near the beginning of the last century, the venerable Alan
of Texas, towards the confines of louisiana different mis-
sons, among them Nacogdoches. And few years after
oe that EG Of TeSns or Ne New Pnp
pines had its boundaries about the middle of the Gulf
siana'
The Texas claimed OF us, in 1905, then extended to
Rio Bravo. But perhaps they learned better by 1917.
Let us hear Don Onis to Mr.. Adams, Jan. 16, 1877:
You did me the honor applaud proposition so frank
and LIBERAL dictated by equity and good ith and made
known with the franlness, that the United
States desired to unite its dominons all the territories
which belong to Spain to the east of the Mssissppi and
that for them they would offer to Spain those which Were
only these lands but all those which lie between Colo
RADIO and cape North, drawing line by the river Memeno
or Mermentao, towards the Preside of Adias and from
thence, by the Arroyo onda, towards Natchitoches,
part the yrorince of Irds belonging TO- and in the UNI
interrupted possession of his Majesty, whouthe having
Spain, Chat dispute being solely Natchtoehes which
fort the French raised uniusty the territory his Caho
lie Maiesy) it results that this proposition only does
offer compensation to his Majesty for and east
Florida whose cesson the United States intimate would
be very agreeable to them, but it involves the renqusl
of the property and possession which his Majesty
the Colorado and the vicinity OF Nachitoc hesl Foreign
Relations 43S
Thus Ons thought it Texas between the Nueces and
Rio Grande-it would have strengthened his argument
10 say you over not only of provinces but
facO You Offering compensation not only our own
province of Texas, but "arge part of Tamaulipas as
gentlemen now express it. II not cas- advocate"
then, or merely argument that he called it Ierds Nor
it "grOsSneSs Of ignorance about matters of which
he ought TO have the fullest and most accurate inorma
ton." For his correspondence amply shows that he
ransacked not only all the cold maps and Biographies
but all Spanish archives, histories, and other of
information, and gives history OF the settlements of
Texas, Leon and Santander Tor Tamaulpas) Coahuila
and New Mexico and the dates of all, and eectualIy
sustans himself, that gentlemen contend the other
then dispute his accuracy in this particular, in claim ~
the country for Spain Texas and not Tamauipas
for he says in his letter OF the 10Th OF March, 1875
Ons Se France oiiraY claimed the territory phich
you call Ieras, being within the limits and forming
part of louisiana"
Ons adhered In his fhis suhipcf nd