Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-04-14

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the matter to them as he ,pas not al kberty
to send on forces into that part q Aouis'-
asa, for the reason that such an act, Spain |
being in possession, acor.ld change the rela- |
tons Of the country from state Of peace to
state of uar.
Spain for period of twelve years held
possession of Mobile and considerable
portions of Alabama and Florida, and Mr..
Madison did not take possession of them
until an act passed Congress authorisine
| him to do so. How different was. che
course of the,presentAdministration with
| regard to NJ axico. -
In the preceding cases referred to, the
territory was clearly ours-there was no
dispute about it. 1t was ours by negoti-
alton, and declared soto be by Congress.
In the case OF Mexico, the territory was
not clearly ours, as understand it. and
was, to say the least, disputed territory,
and fear that after all the juggling di.
plomacy which partisan ingenuity can
suggest it will appear on the historic
page, not only that the acquiring of the
Valley of the Rio Grande was not fair
business transaction, but that it clearly
belongs to Mexico.
, The only plausible ground upon which
right of seizure is predicated, save the
destiny right, is, that Of the state of Tex
as claimed the Rio Grande as her south.
western boundary. Let us look at it.
Texas was revolted province frcm Mex
leo. In 1886, the inhabitants, being
mostly emigrants from the United States,
declared themselves independent, and set
up government of their own. which they
had undoubted right to do. They could
Establish government better adapted to,
and more congenial with their chara cter,
than that Of Mexico, for no matter what
: is said or has been said Of the hard case
features Of the runaway portion of them,
they were a degree above the Mexican
character in the scale Of enlightenment
These settlers were all from the land OF
, Washington, Franklin and Jefferson, and
characteristic of its republican stability
and moderation, as we'll as of its boldness
and enterprise.
Between the Rio Neuces and the Rio
Grande, is one vast desert, uninhabile
land uninhabi table. This is the case with
little exception, at any rate.
On the west bank of the Rio Grande
are Matamoras, Metre, Rio Grande, Mon
clovia, and other towns of no inconsider.
liable size, amidst settlements sufficiently
numerous, extensive and hourIshing, to
support them, in all,containing thousands
and tens Of thousands of inhabltants-all
Mexicans. On the east bank they had
military posts and quite extensive settle
ments. They did not join Texas in her
revolution - never acknowledged allegi-
ance TO her or any power, other then
| NttAiCO. SAdS HeNcI uio lootiiOiu VI
any kind, according to her own showing,
in all this territory. She never obtained
anv part of the state of New Mexico,
Coahuila, New Leon or Tamaulipas even
Iby conquest,nor had she ever any soldiery
quartered in any part of the country, only
as prisoners Now then, when Texas
comes into the Union, she has the eff.
ffrontery TO set up a claim to this terrific
trv, part of tho etatoo of New Mexico,
Coahuila, New Leon and Tamaulipas -
Why, she had as good a title to the whole
as part and it will puzzle the historical
IstuGent. in after years, to ascertain whe-
ther these states or Texas had the better
claim-these states to Texas, or Texas to
these state. He will, however. find little
difficulty in solving the problem, from
whence the great and powerful American
Republic derived their claim; it was from
the knock down dark age source of might
That will be perfectly plain to his under
standing plain as little sum in simple
Addition, or in simple Annexation - plain
as the Macedonian conquest of the neigh
boring Grecian states, or the overruning
of the land of the Jews, and the sacking
and burnig of their beloved Hieroslyma
by the Romans plain as was the OBJ
iect of the ten thousand other conquests
of the said Romans. They wanted more
elbow-room. They were anxious to ex-
tend the area of RomiSh freedom, and in
81 Soino lost their own. They had num-