Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-28

leo. =. oo,s;or ., the whole of New Mexico
~ ."e .;1as ~ The Rio Crande 10 The United |
STATES the question Of disputed boundary, ~ iai
~ Nc,;co Is concerned, has been settled; leav'
;no Tho cuesion - 10 tie true limits oil Texas 10
New Mexico 10 be adjusted between me o'a'e
and The United States. Under me c'cuulsah
re-, existing during the pendencY OF inc "dI' anu
while the whole OF New Mexico, Is cldin'eo -
onr enemy. WAS in our military occupaliohi
nv no, nnmnd.u Of Inc rigns oil Texas 10 that
nn,,;on NJ il which she claimed 10 be within her
limits In answer 10 a Letter from he Governor
~ Teras dated on The 4lh oil January, loi', me
Secretary OF Stale, by my dHecllon, lpioi lieu
him. in a letter OF the 18th of February, ioii,
thatin the Presidents annual message OF Deceui'
her. 1886 "You have already perceived mat I'VE"
Mexico is al present in the temporary occupaioh
OF The troops Of The United States, ana Inc 81
vernment over il is military in lis character. =
is merely such government as must exist unu.i
the laws OF nations and of war, 10 preserve orae,
and project The rights of the inhabitants, ano WIN
cease on the conclusion of treaty oil peace WIN
Mexico. Nothing, therefore, can be more cef-
lain than that this temporary Government, result.
ing from necessity, can never Inlu'IouSly dhec'
the right which the President believes 10 De Juslly
asserted by Texas 10 The whole territory on nus
side OF The Rio Grande, whenever The Me1cah
claim TO il shall have been extinguished oy urea
". But this is a suhJecl which more properly De-
| longs 10 The legislative than the executive piahch
| OF The Government"
The result, Of tbe whole is, that Texas mas as.
serted right 10 that part OF New Mexico eas' VI
| the Rio Grande which is believed under The acts
| o. Congress for The annexation and ADMISSION OF
! Texas mo The Union as Stale, and under the
| constitution and laws OF Texas, 10 be well found
| ed but This righ, had never been reduced 10 her
actual possession and occupancy. The General
| Government, possessing exclusively the waT-ma-
king power had the right TO lake military posses
sion OF This disputed territories; and until the tiie
| ID il was perfected by treaty OF peace u was
| heir duty 10 hold it, and 10 establish temporary
| military government over il for The preservation
OF The conquest i!sel The safety oil our army, ana
| The security Of The Conquered inhabitants.
| The resolutions further request information
| whether any persons have been tried and con-
demned for "treason against the United States
| in that part Of New Mexico lying East OF the
Rio Grande since the same has been in the occu.
pancy of our army and, if 50, before "what
tribunal and "by what authority of law such
tribunal was established" 1t appears that, after
the territory in question was "in the occupancy
of our army" some of the conquered Mexican
inhabitants, who had at first submitted to our
authority, broke out in open insurrectlon, muir
drring our soldiers and citizens, and committing
other atrocious crimes. Some of the principal
offenders, who were apprehendcd, were tired
aud condemned BY tribunal invested with
civil and criminal jurisdiction, which had been
established in the conquered country oy IN:
military officer 10 command. That the offenders
deserved the punishment inflicted upon them
there is no reason 10 doubt; and the error in the
proc eedings against them consisted in designa.
Ting and describing their crimes as "treason
| against the United States" This error was
pointed out, and its recurrence thereby pre-
vented by the Secretary of War. in despatch
to the officer in command in New Mexico, dated
on the 26,h of June. -i7, a copy Of which, to.
yether with copies of all communications rela
ting to the subject which have been received al
The War Department, are herewith transmitted.
The resolutions call for information in Tela
ton 10 the quantity Of public lands acquired
within the cejed territory, and show much of
the same is within the boundaries Of Texas, as
defined by the act of the Congress Of the Repub
lie OF Texas OF the 18th day Of December,
1886" No means Of making an accurate e'ti-
mate on the subject is in the possession OF the
Executive Department. The information which
is possessed will be found in the accompanying
report of the Secretary of the Treasury.
The country ceded 10 the United States lying
west oil tue nlO 1Tdnue, duu W "HCH lcAds
has no title, is estimated by the Commissioner of
The General Land Office to contain 526,078
square miles, or Soc, 6S9,92O acres.
The period since the exchange of rati6cations
OF the Treaty has been too short 10 enable the
Government TO have access 10, or 10 procure
abstract. or copies of, the land titles issued by
Spain or by the Republic of Mexico. Steps
will be taken to procure this information at the
| earliest practicable period. II IS estimated q, "a
Secretary of the Treasury, hal much III. larger
portion oil the land within the territories ceded
remains vacant and unappropTiated, and will be
subject to be disposed OF by the United States.
Indeed a very considerable portion Of the land
embraced in the cession, il is believed, has been
disposed Of or granted either oy Spain or Mexl.
CO.
What amount OF money the United States may
De able TO realize rom The sales of hese vacan,
lands mus, be uncertain; bur i. is confidently be-
lieved thai, with prudent management, after max
inc liberal grants 10 emeranls and settlers il will
exceed the cost OF the war and all The expenses
10 which We have been subjected in acquiring il.
The resolutions also Cal! iof the "evitence, or
any raTl thereof, that the extensive and valu.
able territories ceied by Mexico to The Unl;ei
States constitute indemnify for me past
The immense value u the ccded country does
not consist alone in the amount, OF money Tor
which the pubic lands may 5e sold Ii not a
dollar con!d be realized from The sale q. these
lands The cession OF The jurisdiction over the coun-
nv, and The taci that il has become part of our
Union, and cannot be made subj, CT 10 European
power, constitutes ample "indemnily Tor the pas, "
in the immense value aud advantages which It's
acquisition must give 10 the commercial, navi-
eating, manufacturing and agricultural interests
OF our country.
Tho 80 NJ ~ ha - Ia -. r:,l:
ne Limits Of he ceded territory great as that va
lue may be, is far less important 10 The people OF
the Gniicd States than Inc sovereignty over The
county. Most OF our Saes contain no public
lands owned by the Unilei States; and yet the
overeignty and jurisdiction over Them is OF il.
calcuable importance TO the nation. In the
Sale Of New York The United States is the wn.
IT OF 10 public lands; and YET wo.lhirds oil our
whole revenue is collected q! The great port Of lha
Siale, and within her limits is found about one.
seventh OF our entire population. Although none
OF he future cies on our Coast OF California may
ever rival the city OF Nea York in wealth. popu.
ia'icn aud business gel rha, important cities vii.
grow up en- me magnificent harbors OF that cnas
with rapidly increasing population, and yield
ing arg" revenue, would seem 10 be certain
By the possession .. the safe anu capacious haf.
bprs on The California coas, we shall have gfea
advantages IL securing The rich commerce OF the
East, and shalt thus obtain for our product. new
and increased markets, and greatly enlarge ou
coas;ing ami foreign trade, as well as augment
our tonnage and revenue
These great advantages, Tar more than the sim
PIE value OF The public lands in The coded lerriio
~, 'cons,iue our indemnity Tor he past"
JAMES X. POLK.
/ by Telegraph for he Charleston Courier.l
LATE AND IMPORTANT FROM MEIICO
R1uis Jsttresa Insurgents and Gore na,sat Troops.
Insurgents Successfui
New ORLEANS, July p.
The nhabitant sot Yucaan have been success.
fui ia sevs.a! engagements with The Indians
The lca.ans having suffered in killed and wound.
cd. had 10 every case retired discounted
The Cotton market al New Orleans was mere
animated, and The dema nc bris, Two thousand
bales sod-midding bringing from s. 10 So