Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-01-12

up his camp within twentv-four hours anC
10 retire to the other bank OF the \ueces
river, and notified him thar. if he insisted
on remaining upon the soil o. the depart
mont Of Tamaulipas. it would clearly re-
sult that arms alone must decided the cues
ton. in which case he declared that the
Nexicans would accept the war to whic!
they had been provoked. On the cath O.
April. Gen. -irista arrived in Natafn0ros
and on the same dav informed Gen. Tav-
Tor that he considered hostilitics commenc.
ed. and would prosecute them. On the
same day party Of sixty-three American
dragons. who had been sent some dis
lance up the left bank of the river. became
engaged with a very large force Of the
enemy. and after short affair. in which
about sixteen were killed or wounded. were
surrounded and compelled TO surrender.
These facts were lad before Congress bv
the President in his message Of the llth
of Nav.
y. Tie cTaim If Ieras 70 the Rio del
Ngrtc rs It's BouHdary crantined
From what procctles it appears that the
Governments Of the United States consi-
dered the refusal Of Mexico 10 receive a re-
9i3SHt envoy OF minister as S9lHclent
cause for war. and the Rio del Norte as the
legitimate boundary Of Texas The first
opinion IS now Of no importance; but the
question Of boundary. which was the i'm
mediate cause Of ho~tlities has to this dav
been the greatest impeachment to the res
toration Of peace | feel satisfied that II
tbs was settled there would be no inSu-
perabi difficulty in arranging other pre-
tensions.
The United States claim no other por-
ton Of the Mexican dominions. unless It
be b. right Of conquest. The tract Of
country between the Rio Nucccs and the
del Norte is the only one which has been
claimed by both parties as rcspectivelybc
longing either 10 Texas or to Mexico As
possessions, lac United States never had
claimed any portion of it. The iniquity
of acquiring any portion of it otherwise
then By fair compact. freely consented to
by Mexico. IS selt-evilcnt. Iris in every
respect most important to examine the
grounds on which the claim of tn. nitcd
states TO the only territory claimed by both
nations IS founded. 1t is the main ques-
ton at issue.
The Republic Of Texas did bv an act
Norte to be It's boundary. 1t will not be
seriously commended that a nation has ii
right. by law of its own. to determine
what IS or shall be the boundary between
It and another country. The act was no.
thing more than the expression OF the wish
IS OF prctension> of the Government. Its
only practical effect was. that. enanating
tron is Congress or legislative BODY, it
made il imperative on the Executive not
to conclude any peace with MEXICO unless
that boundary was agreed TO. As regards
right the act of Texas is q perfect nullitv
u e want the arguments and documents
by which the clam is sustained.
On first view the prctcnsiOn is truly
startling. There is no exception: the Rio
Nortc from It's source to its mouth IS de-
clarcd to be the ri ghttul boundary ofTexas
That river has its source within the depart
ment. province, or State of New Mexico.
which it traverses through lis whole length
from north to south. dividing it into two
unequal parts. The largest and most
populous, including Santa Ec. the capital.
lies on the left bank of the river. and IS
therefore embraced within the claim of
Texas. Now this province of New Nexi-
co was first visited and occupied BY the
Spaniards under Easquez Coronado. in
the years 1910 TO 1912 Ii was at that
time voluntarily evacuated. subs auuentlv
revisited, and some settlements made about
the year 1888: finally conquered in 1895
by the Spaniards. under the commend Of
Onate. IN Instruction of the Indians
drove away the Spaniards in the wear 1880.
They rc-entered it the ensuing wear. and
after a long resistance re-conqucred if.
This was an internal conflict with the
aborlgincs; but. as related to foreign Pow
ers the sovereignty of the Spaniards over
the territory was never called in question::
and II was. in cypress terms. made the
western boundary Of Louisiana in the
ROYAL Charter Of the French Government.
The conquest of the province by Onate
took place tive-and twenty wears priorto the
landing Of the Pilgrims In New ENGLAND.
md twelve years before any permanent
settlement had been made in North imcri-
"a: on the shores of the Atlantic. bv either
England. France Holland. Sweden. or any
}thcr Power, but that in Florida BY Spain
herself.
have in vain sought for any document.
>manatng from the Republic or State of
FcNa>. for the purpose of sustaining is
'!ai.n Gilbert 10 New Mexico or to the coun
n bordering On the lower portion Of the
I'll Nortr. The only official papers with
n my reach. in which the claim of Tcxas
5 sustained. are the Presidents messages
I May | and December 3. 1916: and
he~c refer only othe country bordering on
ne lower part Of the del Norte The por- :
ION OF the MESSAGE of MAY II. 1916: re- {
ating to that subject. is as follows:
"Neagtime Texas. BY the final action of
ur Congress. had become an integral part
I our Mon. The Congress of Texas. :
Y its act of December 10. 1886. had de- t
Jared the Rio del Norte to be the bound :
~ Of that Republic Its jurisdiction had /
cen extended and exercised beyond the
'ueces- The country between that river r
nd the Del Norte had been represented :
/ the Congress and in the Convention of T
'exaS: had thus taken mar, in tho 90. - :;