Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-12-24

occupy, with the troops under his command, no
sitions on or near the cast bank of the Rio
del Nortc. Il is presumed Point
Isabel will be considered by you an eligible 30
eition. This poiut, or some one near Il. and
points opposite Matamoros and AIier and in the
vicinity OF Laredo, arc suggested for your CON
sideralion. Should you attempt
to exercise the right, which the United States
have in common with Mcxito, to the FREE navi-
gaiion OF tins river, IL Is possible that Mexico
would interp0se resistance You will not NJ
tempt TO enforce this right without further in
structions il Is not DESIGNED. In
our present relations with Mexico, that YOU
should treat her MS an enemy but, should she
assume that character by declaration of war, or
any open act Of hostility towards u.s. ,ou will
not act merely on the defensive II your relative
means enable you to do otherwise"
The administration was therefore Of opinion,
that this military occupation of the territory in
question was not an act of hostility towards Mex
ico, or treating her as an enemy. Now, do
aver, without fear Of contradiction, that whenev-
or territory claimed by two powers Is, and has
been for length Of time in the possession Of
one OF them Il the other should invade and take
possession Of II by military force, such an act
Is an open act Of hostility according TO tho nc-
knowledged and practical. law Of nations. In
this case the law of nations only recognizes
clear and positive fact
The sequel is well known Gen. Taylor with
his troops, LEFT Corpus Christi, March sth TO ith.
iS46, and entered the desert which separates that
place from the vicinity of the del Nortc. On
the 2lst he was encamped three miles south Of
the Arroyo, or Little Colorado, having by the
route he took marched l SO miles, and being near
" north Of Maiamoros, about thirty miles dis
tant lie had ON the 18th met a party of irrcg-
nlar Mexican cavalry, who informed him that
they had pcrcmptory orders, If he passed the
nver, to hire upon his troops, and that il would
be considered declaration of war The river
was however crossed, without a single shot hay-
ing been fired. In proclamation issued on the
18th, General Mejia, who commanded the forces
OF the department Of Tamaulipas, asserts that
the limits Of Texas arc certain and recognized,
and never had extended beyond the river Nue.
ces, that the cabinet of the United States eoyet-
ed the regions on the left banks Of the Rio Bra
vo, and that the American army was now adj
yancing to take possession of a large part of
Tamaulipas. On the oath Of March General
Taylor reached point ON the route from Aiata-
moros to Point Isabel, eighteen miles from the
former, and ten from the latter place, where
population sent him formal Protest Of the Pre-
feet Of the Northern District of the Department
Of Tamaulipas, declaring, in behalf Of the citi-
zens of the district, that they will consent
W sci tutuisciNts lfOan inc olcNiCnn hepub-
lie, and to unite themselves with the United
States. On the 18th of April, the Mexican
General, Ampudia, required General Taylor to
break up his camp within twenty four hours, and
to retire to the other bank of the Nueces river,
and notified him that, il he insisted in remaining
upon the soil OF the Department Of Tamaulipas,
il would clearly result that arms alone must de-
eide the question, in which case, he declared that
the Alexicans would accept the war to which
they had been provoked. On the oath of April,
General AIisa arrived in Matamoros, and on
the same day, informed Gen. Taylor that he
considered hostilitics commenced, and would
prosecute them On the same day, party of
sixty-three American dragons, who had been
sent some distance up the left bank Of the river,
became engaged with very large force of the |
enemy, and after a short affair, in which about |
sixteen were killed or wounded, were surround |
ed and compelled to surrender. These facts |
were laid before Congress by the President in |
his message Of the llth Of May.