Tri-weekly journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1847-188?, 1848-02-10

WV heu iolu " W tic Gust VI the uuhuhlOunc
to avoid the horrors ola border war. So tia
Mexican population withdrew TO the Western
bank OF the river, and the country was dc.
serted.
Texas was revolutionary government, and
could not divest 1.-THE title Of hmaulipas and
other Mexican States 10 the lands lying within
their respective and undoubed limits, Except
by taking and holding possession. This she
never did, either by her settlers or her soldiers
Tor the occasional passage of troops ACROSS the
country was not possession; and, in fact, the
Mexicans crossed Il thus, as well as the Tex
ans. Predatory excursions and border fnys
were never held to make a possession.
But my colleague says that Gen. Rusk, for
the purpose of facilitating the removal of those
occupying the country and of watching the
movements of the Mexican army, and prepar-
atory TO an advance upon Matamoras, despatch
I'd Gen. Felix Houston with sufficient force
4 take position OF Corpus Christi, and that was
done. This was true. sir; and this was good
pont-l mean as TO the right of Texas up TO
thalimit which indeed freely admit TO have
been the frontier of Texas. Beyond this they
did not 60, beyond this they had no posses
sion IL the Legitimate sense of the word, and
therefore deny that the establishment OF the
port at CorpusChristi established the claim of
Itxas up to the Rio Grande.
Texas had no establishments there; she had
erected no forts, she had no civil officers in that
country no, believe, not so much as a
justice OF the peace or a constable. But il 10
said,a proof of possession of this country. that
a. anelection held AT Corpus Christi in 1912,
certain settlers came from the disputed terrific
ny andvoted. And il is asserted that Texas
thereby and then established authority, not
where hey voted, but where they did not vote.
We'll, assert exactly the reverse, and ! ask
whether her authority had been established
on the KID Gnndo she would have required her
citizens tt travel $50 miles to give their votes.
Why, If 1exas had established any authority
or jurisdiction on the Rio Grande she would
at least havehsd the election so held as to ac-
commodate these poor fellows who were so
deslrous oil exercising the elective iranchise.-
Now, care lpt whether these people went to
Corpus Christ to vote or not-nobody knows
who they Were or whence they came, how
they were induced to come; whether they were
the poor fishermen of Padre island, or stray
Cling herdsmen who attended their fiocks like
the Nomades OF he eastern world. The whole
thing wants precision to make il valuable as
fact, and if Texa had not even an election
precinct on the RIO Gmnde country; that of
itself is suttcientproof that she had no estab-
lishment there with could constitute possess
sion.
The other fact whrh my colleague cites as
an authority to provethe right of Texas is what
ne stated, on authoritypf the Senator from Tex
as, that purchasers OF tie colony grants of Ia
maulipas had their deedsrecorled in Texas
We do not know when ihey were executed
and acknowledged. This, too, wants precision,
detail, and finish 10 give 1t Certainty and make
ii available But suppose that be so, and what
does it amount to more than this, that some
-i.ss~sl y, u eriSise -fallo.rs, knowing r.ss the
country was claimed by Texas, and sappossao
IT might one day be acquired By it, thought II
prudent TO have these deeds recorded in Texas
as well probably as at Matamoros, as future
evidence of their title. The fact, indeed, is,
stated little too broadly for it is said this
was done as far back as 1884; when, in fact,
the revolution in Texas only took place in
1885. AT all events, assuming the fact in its
extent, it only proves that Texas had no clerks
nor record officers in the region Of one humid
red and fifty miles north
My colleague says that no Mexican authori-
ties were TO be found there, and that Mexico
had lost the right she once had. Now, / pro-
pose 10 referto few authorities to show YOU
the other side of the question: and think that
these authorities cannot be overthrown. shall
invoke first the authority of the Senator from
Missouri, whose elaborate research, and whose
accurate and minute information, have been
the boast OF his friends and the admiration of
Ills OppDnfntS- NOW Isl TcdQ from q speech
made by that Senator after the formation ofthe
annexation treaty. 1t will be recolected that
he introduced bill for the annexation of Tex
as, aad IN that bill he submitted several propo-
sitions as the basis of his proposed arrange
ment. Here is what he says ON the subject of
boundary:
1.-The bill which ask leave to bring in, be-
sides authorizing and requesting the President
to treat with Mexico and Texas for an adjust
ment of boundaries, and for the annexation of
the latter TO the North American Union, pro-
poses some basis for the treaties expected to
be made. Boundary is one Of these; and in this
the basis conforms to the geographical diyis-
ions OF the country-to our natural and proper
limits-to the line first indicated in president
Jacksons proposition, as communicated by
MIR. Van Buren, TO Mr.. Poinsett in 1929; and it
conforms to the boundary designated in Mr..
Randolph's report in 1906 and 10 the resolu-
tion of the House of Representatives., adopted
in pursuance TO that report. and ALREADY read TO
the Senate. Leaving the Rio GFande and all
its valley and waters to the Mexicans, and the
Mississippi valley and its waters tothe United
States, il proposes TO follow the mountain
heights from near the South Pass ia the Rocky
mountains, called Fremont's Pass, in she map
Of The typographical bureau, along the Sierra
Obscura, OZARK mountain until il su bsides in
to plain as il approaches the Gulf of Mexico,
and then reaching the gulf by line in the desr
ert prairie to the west of the Rio Nueccs, Wal