The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-03-10

T..
- -
I er robber chief, and these were never per-
United to remain any length Of time east Of
the Rio Grandc.
All s'ibsequen, hos,iities were only on
paper. In 1874, Gen. Vol, acting under
the express order OF the Mexican govern
ment, issued an order Or proclamation, At
Mier, of which the Sd section is as follows:
'Every individual who may be found At
the distance Of one league from the left
, bank of the Rio Bravo, will be regarded ~
r favorer and accomplish of the usurpers Of
that part Of tie national territory"
Again making the Rio Crards the oonn-
Diary, all the territory beyond which Texas
had "usurped."
. But Texas not only defended all her ter
ritory to the Rio Grande, but she extended
her jurisdiction over it. The territory be-
tween the Nueces and the Rio Grande was
divided into three counties, San Petruchio,
, Bexar, and Rofugio, aud Texan courts
were regularly held in them, aud represent
tatives returned from them TO the Texas
, congress.
We have thus given very imperfect
outline Of the arguments of Mr. ID. to show
, that the Rio Grande is the proper and only
western boundary of Texas everrecognized
by either Texas or Mexico: and taking this
, position Us irrefutably established, MIR. d.
asks the question, who commenced the
, war? The United States or Mexico? He
$ then quotes from the letter Of the Mexican
Minister of foreign affairs to the American
Secretary Of State, and from the instructions
of Paroles TO the commander of the Next
can army Oh tire Rio Grande, and makes
: these comments: 5al
THUS we find that the Mexican Minister
of Foreign Affairs, on the 18th of March,
1876, notified our ministers that "negotia.
ton uds, By its re,y nature, at aas end, and
gdr tcas the only recourse Of Hie MericaD
Government - and that on the 18th day Of
April, 1916, tie President Of Mexico instruc-
f ted the General Of the Mexican army thatit
was '.indispessabie that hOsfiliiies be COM
menced, YOURSELF TAKING THE INITIATIVE
against The enemy" Mexico avows tie act.
1t is her pride and boast that she commence
ed the war--that she took the Cumulative"
I, and struck the first blow. She makes 10
complaint Of General Taylor's march from
, Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande. She
. knew nothing of that movement at the time
r she gave orders for the commencement Of
hcsti'ies. Her complaint was, that our ar
mics were stationed on tho west side Of the
Sabine--that we had incorporated the coun.
, try between the Sabine and the Rio GIands
into our Union, and deprived her of the right
I Nyb no I'll nat If hio
was her grievance, and for this grievance
she boosted that she had the chivalry 10
make war upon the United States, and take
. the initiative. She knew nothing Of the dis
: tinc.ions in the strength OF her title on tho
one side orthe other of the Nueces, until she
found it explained in the speeches Of Amer
lean Senators. Those speeches are the
foundation of her better title to the country
west, than east Of that river. Upto the com
menoement cf this war, the name of the Nu-
eces river cannot be found in any Mexic:h
document--civil or undergraduates TO
! this country, or Texas, in which she claims
p a better, or any other title to that river, than
to the Sabine. Her separate title to the Nu-
eces is a wing title, originating in this couIi-
, try. and derived from wing newspapers and
= speeches, and adopted by the Mexican au-
, thorties, for the first time in the negotiation
with Mr.. Trist, con the Chapultepec cause
way" She now claims il, because she 10
5 told thatits hers: but she is unable TO COM
prehend, much less explain, upon what prin.
: cples her separate and better title rests.
repeat, that this line OF the Nucces was man
Lfactnred in this country, for the purpose Of
, erecting platform, from which 70 assail the
President OF the United States aud, through
him. the democratic party. The idea was
al nt tnv ha r not f ha
18th of May, 1916. recognizing "a state Of
war by the act of Mexico" and by gentle
4 men who voted forthat Jaw. Why idthey
I not then tell US that the President had inva-
5 ded the territory of Mexico in violation Of
q the constitution ofihe United States. and in
5 struct him to withdraw the army within the
I line OF our rightful boundary, instead Of fur
nishin- ten millions of dollars, aud Fifty thou .
sand men, TO prosecute the Invasion TO the
] vitals of Mexico? suppose the answer
S will be, il any answer shall be made, that
they, at that time, were as ignorant as Mex
leo herself, Of the existence Of any better til
C tie, to the one side than the other Of the Nu-
{ Gees. .ll. t1.
Mr.. ID. alludes TO one point more, the or
!, der for the march of our army from Corpus
$ Christi to the Rio Grande, and after show
: ing that this order originated with Gen.
: Taylor, the very man whom many who now
: abuse the president for that order are sup.
5 porting for the presidency, concludes as fol-
! lows:
a But sir, who are the men that condemn
= this order, aud for what purpose il the con-
g demnaton made at this time? They are
a the professed advocates Of the election If
rs General Taylor to the presidency, and the
N order is condemned The purpose of ma
&c king political capital for themselves aud
rs their candidate, against the democratic par
le ty. Under the influence Of the same pat.
y notic motives, ii has suddenly been discov-
in cred by portion Of those who voted for the
war, that it was unjust, unnecessary, and
in Unconstitutional. They can see no hope
of rcscuing the ship Of state from the hands
of the wicked rulers who are directing Ia
!" course, except by the elevation to the pSes-
err idency ola man, whose l,ame has been in
v, roduced to the knowledge Of the civilized
~ world only by his extraordinary success 10
" Sboldinr human bioOti In nm unjust ~ nae