The North-Carolina standard., 1848-02-16
GEN. HoUsTON's SPEECH.

livered the great Mass Meeting in New York City,
the 29th ultimo by Gen. Houston the hero of San
Jacinto, and one of the Senators from Texas. Gen:
Houston was conspicuous actor in the War which
resulted in the independence of Texas, and what he
says in relation the question of boundary ought to
be deemed conclusive:
/ FeIlow-citizens of the Democracy of New York.
For the first time in my life am here presented be-
fore an assembly which is the most numerous, the
most cheering, and the most emboldening which /
ever or ever heard of, or ever speculated upon
seeing and hearing. l have heard much of the De-
mocracy of New York. l know their zeal,. their
ardor their devoted patriotism and their fidelity to
the principles of liberty and the Constitution. But
now see and have learned that they mighty
people-mighty, mean to say, in the dignity and
magnitude of those feelings which influence great
people, and which make the man ready to vindi-
cate his rights, and sustain and support the constitu
ted authorities of his country. Loud applause
What is the subject and object of this meeting! 1t
not fellow-citiZens, meeting called to deliberate
upon a war which we are about to go into. No; but
it is concerning in which we already en-
gaged-which we are now In the midst of-which l
may rather say, have already disposed of by the
gallantry of troops and the wisdom of
men. We should not be properly able to appreciate
the truth and justice of condition, and of the pre-
sent war; if did not revert to the of this
war, and the position in which placed, at
the time of its commencement, relation to the civil
lized world grant you, fellowcitizens, it is true
In referring to those speeches, of which we hear
much in respect to this war, that in part has grown
up out of the annexation of Texas. But in thatan-
neXaton the best of the bargain yours, and you
ought to be satisfied say the best of it yours
not much in the material you got-though, by the
by that not bad but in the extent and richness
of SOIL in variety and beauty of climate and in the
variety of those institutions possessed. We had
nothing to learn of these institutions and principles
in this annexation; imbibed them all with
mothers milk returned to you, chastened, 1t is
true in the school of experience, and taught by the
this day have now put themselves in opposition to
this war, and yet they willing at it's commence
ment to embark in it. They then said it the
duty of the President to fix the boundary of the
ly acquired country, and now they deny that her
boundary that which she possessed before the
annexation was made. That boundary, however, fel-
citizens, which they deny to Texas, was
hers, and belonged to her by right of conquest We
gained it not by rebellous force or power We new
rebelled against Mexico; but she it who first
violated constitution, subvered our laws, subject
ed to the most cruel despotism, and drove us, by
her injustice, tyranny, and oppression, to vindcate
our rights, which the common rights of freedom
The object of Mexico, in her system of despotism
and oppression, exercised against us, was possible
to sweep from the soil, to annihilate the whole
of us, and not to suffer of the Saxon blood
leave the impress of his foot upon the soil which
we inhabited. What did we do? We resisted this
oppression, asserted our lawful rights we estab-
shed for ourselves provisional government, and we
continued in the hope that better state of things,
better government, would be created in Mexico;
that the other States would, like ourselves, assert
their rights under the Constitution, which had been
so shamefully violated. We continued hoping that
the Mexcans themselves would rally to support US
and redeem the country from despotsm, violence and
oppression. We went in the enjoyment of our
republican lberty-we endured till our hopes became
fainter and fainter. But notwithstanding all thls 1t
was not until 1886, when Santa Anna marched against
us with his myrmidons, threatening destruction
and devastating fields and our country-it was
not until the day of the Alamo, when brave and
hnrd
Il say, until then, when, driven by desperation
and oppression, did we declare the Declaration of
Texan Independence. Then it was we made that.
declaration. We made it in the face of heaven. We
then pledged our lives, our property, (that indeed,
but litte,) and sacred honor, that we would
vindicate just and natural rights against the des
pot and oppressor We did this and after the tyrant
lay manacled at feet, liberated the captive.
1t after the declaration of Texan Independence;
after that the despot the military control of the
country, when victory had justified our cause, and
triumph and success had crowned our Declaration OF
Independence; it then that the tyrant directed
the order and the mandate his general, Filas
ola, to vacate the territory which the lnde-
pendent territory of nation which had risen up and
declared its Independence. That mandate went the
next morning to Fiasola, ordering him retire with
his troops from the soil of Texas and where did he
retirel Where did he stop2 They did not stop at
the Neuces. That not the boundary of Texas.
They did not stop at the Rio Grande. That was not
the boundary. But they marched on in pursuance of
the mandate to leave Texas and they first stopped at
Monterey, leaving all Texas behind them, and leav
ing it free. The government agreed with Santa An
ma afterwards upon the Rio Grande as the boundary
of Texas, and no question as to the Neu-
being it's boundary pending the negotiations for
annexation but it is ony since this war began that
this question has been raised by its enemies. But
still By law passed in 1886, it was promul-
gated to all the civilized world that the Rio Grande
was the boundary of Texas. This boundary was
then defined and strictly laid out beginning at the
mouth of thever of that name; then running north
west up the middle of the river, from thence
crossing in line particularly defined over the terri
tory of the United States to the This was
then declared by law to be the boundary of Texas.
This was not done in corner-it not hid under
bushel but it was promulgated in the face OF all
the civilized world. This was in 1896.
This then recognized as being our boundary
by the United States this then recognized as
being our boundary by France; it so recognized
by Holland; it was so recognized by Belgium. 1t
that this was our boundary. No man contest
this truth All Christendom recognized this to be the
boundary of Texas by their subsequent acts (Great
applause) But this is not all-the evidence thick
ems upon me, but time will not allow that should
bring it all forward before you. When Mexico In
yaded Texas she crossed the Rio Grande, and vast
ed and plundered the rancheros which were on the
Texan side of it. When she came to spoil our coun-
try to ravage land, burn villages and our
FARMS and spread destruction and desolaton over the
country of Texas she crossed the Rio Grande, and
then and there she began her work of spoil and de-
vastaon. And again, after these furtive exploits,
when she fled, driven away with infamy by sol
dier-citizens she skuked back again to hide in her
Businesses on the other side of that river. This was
declared and manifested before all the world to be the
boundary of Texas and this long before the act of