The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1848-02-15

and we shall ttiumphan.ly elect the nomninee
of the democratc convention. Washington
| Union.
TIE SPEECH OF REvERDY JOHNSON.
have made the following extract from the
speech Of Mr.. Johnson, whig Senator in
Congress, from Maryland, delivered on The
10Th instant, because il expresses The views
ola man who is governed by his convictions
Of truth, rather than the blind notions of the
whig party. He speaks strongly on The JUS
tce of the present war
| Now what are the clear and indisputable
facts? The United States had received the
republic Of Texas into The Union without an
tecedently defining her. boundaries, and un-
der constitution which reiterated what had
been. so far back as '3G, part ofher original
constitution as an independent republic
that the Rio Grande, from lis source TO IFS
mouth, was her southwestern boundary.-
Tho United States extended oil her laws over
the State OF Texas, as SO admitted. They
had assumed actual Jurisdiction at Corpus
Christi. They knew that there were citizens
between the Nouces and the Rio Grande who
claimed to be citizens ofthc State OF Texas
SO admitted. They knew that for nine years
The State of Texas had existed as an lnde-
pendent nation.
Who proposed Withdrawing Taylor on the
18th May? Who denied then, that we had
good right to repe the Mexicans and to m
wade, for tie purpose Of avcngng the on'
RACES, any and every part ofMe&ico? She
had refused to negotiate; she had considered
annexation as war; she had determined all
diplomatic relations; she had refused TO re-
ceive our Minister upon mere quibble Of
the then President, because he was afraid Of
his own power, .hrsa,ened with downfall be.
cause it was believed ho was willing 10 ne
poiia,e at all She had mustered an army
on the Rio Grande with the declared object
Of invading all Texas and recovering the
whole to her own sovereignty. Her then
Government owed its existence 10 this very
determinations She had never maintained
any peculiar title to what is now called dis
putcd territory.
What, in this. state, where the United
States to'do? Were they bound to remain
still and wait The invasion, or were they not
authorized to meet the threatened Invasion
even upon She admitted territory of the inva,
der? Who doubts, that with nations as with
individuals, the right Of self defence gives
the right to sIike the frs, blow? To pre-.
vent an injury is easier than to repair it.
Sir, where is The writer of the law of ma.
tions, who holds different opinioni There
are some proposition so plaiD, that they ad-
nit of no illus,rationj they furnish their own
bes; illustration, and this is Que ofthcm.-
We had clear undeniable right TO meet
Mexico at the very outermost limits of Tex.
as and repe her there, or if we deemed it
advisable, all equally clear and undeniaJle
right to anticipate her by striking the first
blow on her own admitted territory, But it
is said that the place Of conflict was on Mex
can territory. Iii was, the argument in
our behalf would not be in the least enfeeb-
led. She was there intending 10 60 further.
She was there 10 drive our army back to the
Sabine. She was there TO re conquer Tex
as, the whole and every part of Texas, and
not to retain q portion only, upon the ground
that such portion was not Texas, *
b., even tie fact is. not as allegedwheth-
er this portion Of the territory was or was no,
jrightfuIly part of Texas was, at least, a
matter of dispute. Texas claimed it; Tex
as. ovora portion oft, exercised jurisdiction.
Cnizens residing on it, claimed to be citizens
of that government. Mexico had in vain al.
tempted 10 recover it. The Constitution of
Texas included it. The United Suites had
exercised, after the administration Of Texas
into the Union sovereignty over parl of it,
the highest act ofsoVcreignty, the taxing pow
er. She had received Texas ihro the Union
without any other definition of boundary, re-
serving the right only as between themselves,
Texas, and any other power, who might ques-
ton the justice Of The boundary, to settle II
by negotiation. Without breach of honor
TO Texas, the United States could no more
have surrendered, wi.hou, enquiry and ne
gotia:ion, to an absolute and armed demand
this portion of the territory, than they could
have surrendered to such u demand the en-