The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-14
Troubles lu Texas.
fFrom the Houston Telegraph

Il
A suit has recently been brought in the u. s.
District Court of this State by Mr. Cameron,
against the settlers an eleven league grant,
which he claims under title from the Mexican
government. The tract Is situated in old Mont
gomery co unity, and embraces some of the finest
lands IN that section. Wrts have been served on
thirty or forty settlers, some of whom, under
stand, have held undisturbed possession of their
lands for thirteen years. Most of them, we believe,
hold the r titles under the colonial contracts of Ste
phen F. Austin 1t is hard, indeed, that these set
tiers, who could never have been disturbed under
the laws of the old republic, should now be dragged
into the federal courts to defend their homesteads
against the claims of foreigner, who fled from
the country in the hour of peril, and left these set
tiers TO win their titles from perfldious, tyrann-
cal government by their own good rifles: II the
enemy had conquered the country the claims ., Of
Cameron would have been sustained; but he would
have received desolated hearhs, and fields perhaps
dlstigured with the bleaching bones OF murdered Ia
miles, instead ofthriving farms chequered with well
cultivated and fertile fields covered with iuxurlant
corn cotton, pastures teemlng with fattenlng
herds and hocks. These lands have been rescued
from the Mexican and Indian foe by the valor of
these settlers, have been beautified and adorned
the laws of the country of their adoption and now,
that this country has fraternized with their native
land, 10 the arms of the nation held out to
crush rather than to protect them They were told
all the rights they enjoyed under the Republic of
Texas, would be retained by them citizens OF the
State of Texas. They were told by the Judiciary
Committee of the Convention that formed the con-
sttution of the State that the laws of the State and
Republic would be respected by the federal courts
IN their decisions, and that all titles that were
valid previous to annexaton would be valid after
that act. The Judiciary Committee was com
posed of the most eminent and able lawyers of the
State, and we are confident that the opinions they
then expressed, will be sustained by the Judges OF
the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge
Watrous may issue writ upon writ, and then land
their claims, but in vain; the rights that cit-
zens acquired when they cast of the tyrannical
yoke of Mexico, will not, cannot be torn from
them. The great Egis of the Union has not been
lifted over them to crush but to protect. Though
another Jeffries were to be found upon the judicial
bench OF the Union, he would be deprived of the
power to injure. The mmutable principles of JUS
tice and equity, taught by the illustrious Mar
shall and his associates, will control and guide
their successors. The States which have entered
the Union reserved certain local rights which the
Supreme Court has ever respected. Texas was to
the Union a foreign State, previous to annexa-
the greater republic it yielded no power to the ge-
neral government to call IN question It's previous
acts Its treaties, as made by the political depart
ment OF the government, will be respected by the
Federal Court of the Union, the treaties of TO-
relng State; and its statutes, which guaranteed to
the citizen the title to the land he occupied and I'M
proved, will be also respected as the statutes of
foreign State. The federal courts cannot go be-
hind the constitution of the State, and decide cases
under the constitution of the republic of Texas
Those cases are much beyond their control, as
the in the courts of England, or any other TO-
reign State. We consider, therefore, that the set
tiers who have acquired valid titles under the laws
of the old republic of Texas can never be disturb
ed by any. decision of the federal courts; and we
believe the efforts that are now making by Came
ron and others to sustain these superannu ated
claims, will prove entirely abortive, and will result
in the establishment of the claims of the old set
tiers upon firmer footing than they now occupy.