New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-15


pendent State give Us right TO interfere IN her
difficulties with Mexico or 10 snneX her 70 the
United States
A-nThe recognition Of Texas AZ an independent
State was measure which received in various and sp
proprste ors the sanction Of every department Of The
Government whose cooperation necessary % ID.
validity and had my hearty concurrence. From this sc
q our Government INST and proper in al respects a. /
was an inference has however been drawn sni brought
10 bear upon the present question no; Only very far te
yond it, real bearing but BY which s true character j.
entirely reversed Many persons who enter upon The
consideration Of TIE subject with the puresi intentions
and are incapable Of knowingly gving false irterpre
tat0n 70 anything connected with L. take t Tor granted
that the United states in recognising The in2ePendercs
Of Texas declared TO the world not only that she wa
Independent AZ fact but also That she was such d rs
Acting upon TINS erroneous construction they verJ
naturally concude that having gene thus far having
examined into and passed not only upon the eNsteuc.
OF her Independence but also upon her right % is
joyment Il il and more especially after the ause
Of several years. 100 late to hesitate upon The question
Of annexation the ground u any existing controversy
upon those points
The fallacy of this reasoning will be apparent when
Il considered that the Of nations % acknowefge
the Government ce faoio, of every country esiab
sled for the express purpose OF avoiding al inquiry
IO, the expression Vt suy opinion upon the question
oi righf between the conieDong parties. They scknoN
edge other power in any country u IN that which is
In fact supreme They cannot inquire beyond that point
without interfering with the internal concerns Of other
naiiOns-a practice which 81 discaim and disclaimer
which IL has been our invsrisbe usage only 20
make, but 10 enforce with scrupuious fidelity.
In respect 20 al beyond this the laws aud usases Of ma
iions require the observance OF strict neutrality BE-
tween the cOutending parties az long a. the war last
But nothing can be farther from giving 20
the act OF recognition rs true character THAI 70 sup
pose that il has the slightest bearing upon the rights Of
the parties il being a. have already said resorted a.
for the express purpose OF avoiding any such consruc
ton. such is not only the law and usage Of nations
but such also have been the reiterated ayowss OF our
own Government" lMr. y BIS LeVer.
Q-Does Mr.. Van Buren, prove the truth Of bis
assertions by showing that our Government had
heretofore acknowledged and acted on these prin-
ciples when il recognized the independence Of the
Spanish American states.
III do not remember that the recognition Of Texan
Independence gave rise 10 any correspondence between
McXco aud our government and II II aid, have not
means OF stating is character But the principles
upon which all such acts are based were fully set iorih
by this Government upon the occasion OF the recogn-
of the Independence OF the Spanish American states
ia the Message Of President Monroe TO the House Of
Representatives suggesting the propnety Of that recOg
niron IL was expressly declared that in proposing this
it was not contemplated TO change thereby
in the slightest manner friendly relations with either
Of the parties but 20 observe in all respects hereto
fore should the war be continued the most perfect neu
traity between them" The Committee on Foreign
Affairs in their elaborate Report upon the subject says
Our recognition must necessarily be coexistent only
with the fact which II j. founded and cannot survive
H. While the nations Of South America are actually
independent IL Simply 10 speak uutn 10
edge them be Should Spain contrary 10 her droT
ed principle and aokn0ls {god inTfs, he for
the conquest Of South America shall iadoed, rfgrd
bM shall Obsrrs NJ hare done bdDsen ne fgdpena
eaf pors an homes and impartial nffraiiB The sec
Rotary OF state in defence OF the OF Recognition said
to the Spanish Minister This recognition IL neither
intended 70 nyslIdate any night of Spain nor % agc M
employment Of any het she may yet Be disposed
enabled Wih e rier Of TesHag those PTortHees 10
The rest Of heT d1niai0Hs.'" Mr.. J. BE- Lila.
Q-Were these avowals in conformity to the
Law Of Nations
n" That these syowals were in strict conformity 10
the true principles Of the Law of Nations there be
doubt They were, at all events those which this
Government has solemnly announced Its rule Of
ton in ,rd to contests between rival parties for the
supreme power in Foreign Stsies That the admission
OF Texas a member of this Coaiederacy. while the
contest for the maintenance OF the independence she
had acquired still pending and a consequent as
sumption of the responsibility Of protecting her against
invasion, would have been plain departure from the
laws and usages Of Nations and violation Of the prn
cipcs to which We had svoUei our adherence IN the
face Of the world was too clear 10 be doubted"
t1fr. y. BIS Lsrr.
Q-Whcn the letter of Mr. Van Buren,, from
which the foregoing extracts are taken. was pub
lished did the leaders Of the lOco-FocO party in
this State approve its doctrines or did they from
that time drop him as a candidate for the Presi-
dency
A-HThe entire New York Delegation 10 the Balti
more Convention voted for him no less than eight times
On baoing the ninth time thirty i've OF the thirty Elk
dele voted for James n Polk, who was nominated
by the Convention Sc Proceedings Of he Blltm0rS
Coarsnnon, as published in JHHs, 1874.
O-When did the same LocOFOcO leaders CON
clude 10 violate the Law of Nations by annexing
Texas 10 the United States
f." Resolrsd That our title 10 the whole OF the Ter
rtory OF Oregon IS clear and unquesuonahle that no
portion OF the ht 20 be ceded 70 England any
other power and the re0ccupatOn OF Oregon ana the
rdnHeraii0g Of Teas at the earliest practicable period
are great American measures, which this Convention
TO the cordial support o. the Democracy Of
the Union. Resolution p0ssed BY ne Baltimore CORrtH
ii0R ejlr he nomination. II Jams 4. Poik
Q-What does President Polk say about the
OF Texas to the United States
A-"The annexation Of Texas 10 the United States
constitutes no just cause Of offence 10 Mexico"
IPOlfs AuHlal Message De-. s, lsi6.
Q-Accordiug 10 Polk statement, how did the
war with Mexico begnl
A. But new, after reiterated menaces Mexico has
passed the boundary OF the United states has invaded
our territory, and shed American blood upon the Amer
lean soil PoRs Var Message, Nay n, lsi6.
Q-What does he cal the boundary Of the Uni
ted States
A-"The iurisdctica OF the United states which al tie
formation Of the Federal Constitution was bounded BY
he St Mays tie Atlantic, has passed the CaPes Of
Florida and been peacefully extended to the Del Nor,e
PoiS's iEgaal Message, Dc. , l-i5.
Q-Was the claim of the United States to the
Del Norte. or as il is more commonly called, the
Rio Grandc, boundary. founded on the claim
Of Texas
1.-The Republic OF Texas always claimed this river
her western boundary and in her treaty made with
SAINTS Anna in May 1896, he recognized iias such BY
he Constitution which Texas adopted in March ls36,
and Represcntive Districts organized
Extending west Of the Nueces The Congress OF Texas,
the 18th Of December 1886, passed An aei to define
he boundaries Of the Republic Of Texas, in which they
declared the RIO Grande from its mouth % is 70
be their boundary and by the ssd act they extended
heir civil and political Jurisdiction the country
Up 10 that boundary"
Polks annual Message Dec. :, 1876.
Q-Had Santa Anna been an absolute sovereign,
would a treaty made by him when prisoner IN
Texas, have been binding on the Mexicans
A." The captive sovereign msy himself negotiate the
eace and promise what personally depends on him
the treaty does not become obligatory on the nation
N ratified by herself by those who invested with
he public authority during the princes captivity, or
naly BY the sovereign himself after his release. -
Yatefs Lac Of Nations book 4, chap. ,, sec. l3
Q.-Does this boundary. as claimed by the Re |
ublic OF Texas cut off n part of Mexico over /
which Texas has never exercised any jurisdiction /
whatever
A." With respect TO Texas her destiny Is fixed. OF /
curse, J. who consider what am about always speak \
Texas constituted the time Of the Treaty Of 1919