Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-08-05

4 That, after e succession of military exploits
the brilliancy of which alone redeems this from
unmitgated odinm, the war was at length brough
to close, without accomplishing either of its pro
fessed objects, indemnity for the past securit,
for the future but leaving the nation burdened with
large public debt and with yet greater ineumbranc'
in acquired territory, bought at double ats value
and which has already, in its distraction the Pub
lie Counses, proved adire plague to the inventor
We forbear these topics, therefore, with tho
exception of single point, which is yet Pertlna
ciously made the subject of argument before the
| People. We refer of course to the main point
the question, what ives the rightfui boundary o.
Texas when annexed to the United States! We
refer to that question the more particularly, mas
much as the President has, in a late Message, laid
down yet more extraordinary principles regarding
it than even he had before advanced. The foun.
dation of the war with Mexico was laid-six months
however, after the preparation for it began, blythe
Presidential his first Message to Congress, in
December, 1916, in the following assertion:
The jurisdiction of the United States. which at
the formation OF the Federal Constitution was
bounded by the st. Mary's on the Atlantic, has
passed the Capes of Florida, and Tby the annexa-
= ton Of Texas been peacefully ertended TO the
: UeL NOrte."
This declaration was in the teeth of the act of
annexation itself, (,he Joint Resolution) passed
March l, lS45, which runs as follows:
I" lst. That the Congress doth consent that the
Territory properly included in and righ1ttlly be-
longing to the Republic Of Texas, may be erected
into State to be called the State of Texas &c.
20. That the foregoing consent Of Congress is
given upon the following conditions, and with the
following guarantees, viz Said State to be formed,
subject to the adjustment by this Government of
Gouernaaents,'' meaning of course Mexico, the
only conterminous Government.
Here is the most clear and unequivocal declara-
ton, by Congress, that Texas was to be annexed
only with the righ5fid boundary, and only on con-
dition that any question that subject was to be
the subject of adjustment by this Government with
MEXICO. What sort of adjustment! Was it to be
adjusted by force by marching an army into the
State of Tamaupas State as distinct from the State
of Texas as the State Of Pennsylvania is from
that of New York How absurd, how destitute
even of plausibility is not such pretension The
President knew, therefore, when he provoked a
war by this declaration, and when, Mexico not
having resented it, he marched an army into her
territory, that he was counting with Mexico
unless she ANONYMOUSLY skunk from the defence of
her own soil. In defence of this declaration it has
been again and again said by the President, that
Texas had, by act of her Congress, declared her
territory to extend to the Del Norte. But Congress,
when it passed the act of annexation, knew this as
well the President and laid down the law for his
government, that Texas was to bring into this Union
'nly the territory "properiy included" within her
limits, and that what Was SO included to be set
led not by her declaration, which could give her no
light, but by negotiation between the United States
md Mexico. That such was known to the Pre- |
ident to be'the intention of Congress- and that the
President himself had no real confidence i'm the |
pretended title acquired from Texas to the Rio |
irande, is fully established by facts brought to light
" the late publication of the SLIDELL Instructions
n which Mr.. Secretary BUCHANAN wrote to that |
entleman, then our Minister in Mexico, as follows !:
8" The President desires TO deal literally by /
Mexico. You are therefore authorized to offer |
to assume the payment Of all the just claims of
our citizens against Merico and, IN addition, 10
pay .fue millions Of dollars, in case THE MEXICAN
GOVERNMENT SHALL AGREE TO establish the bona-
dary ofthe t,oo countries from the mouth of the
Rio Grande up the principal stream TO the point
Uhere IL touches the line Of NeD Merico thence
west of the river along the exterior line Of that
province, and SO as to include the whole within
the United States, until it again intersects the river;
thence up the principal stream Of the same to its
source, and thence due north until ii intersects the
forty-second degree Of north latitude"
independently Of this testimony by the Admins
ration itself, the President knew that the claim by |
Texas, from whom it was alleged that we derived
iae to the territory between the Nueces and the
rio Grande, was good for nothing claim which |
! was disreputable to any gentleman who had ever
tudied law las the Presiden, and every member Of
lis Cabinet had) to set up even by way of argu- |
nent. The act of Texas which claims the Rio
irande as a boundary was no more than the ex-
'ression of its wishes; and, as regards right, was
he merest nullity. Every man Of common sense
,nows that he can acquire no title to his neighbor's
plantation by pretending to own it. Nobody knew
,eer the worthlessness Of this claim than Texas her.
,elf for which conclusion we have even better au-
hory than just respect for the intelligence Of her
People. The late lamented Senator ASHLEY, of
Arkansas, in Speech in favor of the Joint Resolu-