Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-01-18
cu.GEESS tD.[AL.
EXTRACTS fem Mr EEvsEpT JOHNSON f'
delivered in The Senate n II: 4. s'@'Ss' 'A""'
I'll lll,h 1916:

my country, that such will be ''S juuS
Cnris,endom Sir, wish 10 De eledIy s u" NJ
stood. | am no, inquirlng in.o ,"i ;,s copsti,u.
the Executive, into lis prudence, OF lis = ,ha, &c
,;onalrv M; single proposition now - ti", as
~, ween The United Staes and MeSico, vi, &c ,
mer had inst cause o! war ON the ION 'naN ~
when The war act Of that dae Mas pa'sea .I ~
,hai nm that day war in fact EXISTED w ne"I9 "
The unjust and illegal act OF mexico. Hn' ins,
peat, before going further, lna' si"ee,uy r.,
Fl low. The fair fame u. my counlIYmeh, 'hai
4 NAV he able TO make this plain. Sir, | shoad
how I, deem and heartfelt modification lof INA,
fsme If did not believe il TO be PLAIN. "ouiu
mn, have IL even TO be involved IN Inc sisn'ss'
obscurily or doubt, from the dread Oh 'le JuuS.
,nent which the civilized world would then DC
compelled TO pass upon US. We 1--we IN an age
when nations, as individuals, lose 'hen p oSe.
and usefulness and sink into oegraca'iop, u 'ne5
perpe,ra'e ac;s of wrong and inluslice. CIV
thank God, surrounded by moral a'n,os pue. ss
as necessary 10 healtniul natiohai eA'seue -
The atmosphere we breathe is necessary I" in
dividuaI lie. II we discard ii, it we sinh oe
low il If we substitute for il, that whie,i - :"
senar able from violence and injustice, Inc pun
;sbment is al hand. The decay begins ana pro-
crosses. until we are involved In hopeless ,u',
National character is national power, anu ,ile
purer. The more elevated, the more Spo'e'. .aa'
character, the greater the power uu:', NJ ~,
,S;s mar 10 mon cur part Just and honorable. II
not II MOI clearly Just aud honorable, then WI
we he nronounced 6y The Judgment OF the world
hand nj murderers No other sentence can
then be passed upon US. II We are tiSh', We d's
mostly descendants of sires who knew no morai
hlemish who estimated the national honor above
all price. II we are wrong, we nave 'iSsraceu
The inheritance OF freedom they nave ien uS'
brought disbonor upon our lana, anu ainleu Id
IL freedom llSel1
II speak strongly it is because feel strongly.
wish 10 give offence to none, | tade no offence
il others hold different opinion. ! am heie "
Justify nv own before The Senate and Inc country,
and mean 10 do il with the freedom lhat belongs
10 each OF US. ,o,;,,
[ have an instructive repugnance 70 oel'eVe
my country wrong in any war Ia "nlcn sue Eau
enoa,e and 1 rejoice that in this instance my
feelings and my judgment are one. no" pro-
coed with the attempt 10 maintain that judgment
have not time sir, nor health, 10 slate all the
facts which our difficulties with Mexico have de-
veloped applicable to this question NORM mad,
shoulc deem il necessary 10 lrespass SO much
upon the time OF this body. My purpose is 10 re-
Ter only to such as | am sure cannot be success
fully denied, and which are OF themselves, IN my
Judgment, conclusive OF The controversy.
In 1884, the Mexican Congress passed de-
cree recurring all citizens 10 surrender TO the go
vernment their arms The Legislature OF Goa
hula and Texas, by decree, demonstrated against
il and other acts repeating the constitution OF
Mexico OF "a. by which they had changed the
government from Federal to n Central one.
For this General Cos, under the order OF Santa
Anna, al The head OF his army, broke up The le-
gisaure of Coahuia and Texas, and arrested all
The officers Of the government, marched over The
Rio Grande and established his headquarters al
San Antonio, leaving garrison al LipaullIian,
on the Nueces, and one at Goliad. The Texans
then commenced the revolution, retook GoIad,
Lipauli,lan and San Antonio, in 80.
The boundaries OF Coahuila and Texas, as
these departments were laid eft into one Sale oy
the Constitution OF IA, was the Nueces, running
for upward of one hundred miles up that Sneami
and then by a line across from that point 10 The
Rio Grande The territory below that point, be.
tween The Nueces and the Rio Grande. was part
OF The State of Tamanlipas. TamauliPas grant.
ed it to various individuals, by what were called
colony.srants, under which many settlements were
made These coloniss, or the greater portion OF
them, so entitled 10 this portion oil the territory,
Joined in The Texas Revolution, and were repre-
senled in the Convention Of Texas, which subse.
quenty declared the independence OF ,ha, Repub.
lie The day after the baue OF San Jacinto, SIS.
April, '36, Santa Anna surrendered as prisoner
In about six weeks afterwards ne entered into
treaty with the Government Of Texas, acknow-
lodging the Rio GraGde as their Southwestern
boundary, upon condition that Genera Felisolea,
then al the head OF FIVE thousand troops, being al!
that were left to the cenTalists 10 maintain their
rnese conditions we're compued ~ilh, r'rhsoiea
being permlled 10 retire with all his force 10 The
West Of the river and Santa Anna, in October
afterwards, released. The treaty contained alsU
varions slipaaions about the release OF prisoners
and The surrender of properly. General Rusk,
then al the head of the Texian forces, and undrr
the order of the Texan Government, transmitted
a copy of the treaty 10 General Felisolea, who re.
cognized H. and al once complied with all the Oh
legations il imposed upon him.
In 1886. 18Th December, the Texian Congress
passed law describing the Rio Grande as their
southwestern boundary. After this, Felisolea
was supel ssded in command by the appointment
OF General Urea, who Immediately commenced
rais,ug an army to re-invade Texas. General
Rusk who was still al the head OF the army Of
Texas, and stationed at the Gaudaioupe, ordered
the families between hat part and the Rio Grande
TO retire 10 his rear or 10 remove To the western
bank OF the river. The most OF them did retire
TO his rear, but many o! the Mexicans elected TO
CROSS the river, and settle on the opposite side
For the purpose OF facilitating the removal Of
those occupying The country, and OF watching
the movements of The Mexican army, and pre-
paratory 10 an advance upon Ma,amoras he des-
spached General Felix Houston with sufficient
force 10 take possession Of Corpus Christi and
that was done. Gen. Houston exercised more
authority between the Nueces and The Rio Grande
than Urea did, who was stationed al Malamuras,
with force OF about len thousand men. AT one
period Urea crossed the river with greater part
OF his command and encamped few miles east
of the river but in very short period he recroSs-
ed 10 the western side. In This condition things re-
NAMED until 1913 the Mexicans having no army
to the east OF the river, and the Texans having
few troops at Corpus Christi aud San Antonio.
With these troops, however, the ansfrequen;-
ly made excursions 10 Lacido, place upon the Rio
Grande and several times crossed 1t. The Mex
lean troops made two incuIsions crossing the RI
yer both times coming As far as San Antonio and
upon each occasion were Immediately driven
back 10 the west bank.
In 43, also, an armsticc was agreed upon IN
der which the Mexican army was 10 remain on
the west, and the Texans on The east side OF The
river. This armistice was in the same year re-
voked, and the war declared 10 be renewed The
proclamation OF General Vol, who was hen in
command Of The Mexican force, issued 10y drec.
ton of Santa Anna, declared that all McNcanS
found within three leagues of The river would be
considered as "iayoring The usuTpers Of ina, ter
ri,ory," meaning by the territory The whole Of
Texas, be lried by court martial and capially
punished There were during this period, at a
pos called Lacido, on the cas-, side OF The river,
some citizens under military organization and
ogan'z.d simply with a view Of defence against
lhc lncians, mustered only upon such occasions,
but claiming TO be citizens when days or Nc
Culough was there with The Texan Rangers
From the commencement of the revolution in "a
TO the independence declared by Texas in 80
from that period 10 the admission OF Texas into
our Union in 45--and from rs up to the present
hour, no Mexican document can be found mill
tary or civil-no Mexican officer, military or ci-
vii, has ever been known 10 contend lha, the ter
ri,ory lying between the Nueces and the Rio
Grande belonged 10 Mexico by any other title
than that which she maintained TO The whole ter
riiory between the Sabine and the Rio Grande.-
Under the colony contracts granted by Tamaul.
pas the settlers, al an election in Texas in ~ or
40 of members Of Congress- voted at Corpus
Christi, claiming 10 be citizens OF Texas and
their votes were received and recognized By the