The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-01

MIR. Clay the Occupation OF Disputed Territory
All the official documents show that Mexico has never
ut forward any particular and especial claim to what is
allied by the wings the ''dsputed territory" between the
Iueces and the lower Rio Grande. All the territory OF
e State of Texas is at this moment by claim of Mexico,
,sputed-dsputed against title complete and egit-
nate as can be shown by any people TO the soil on which
hey dwell Ii the claim of Mexico to part OF this
rtorv stronger and better than her claim to any other
art of it, she has not thought fit to say So She avow
IDLY .rih for the mhole of it. and for
part Of il Just as much as for another.
This should be fully kept in mind in our judgment of
he position taken by Mr.. Clay and the leading states
hen and journals of the wing party, in relation to the
dvance of our army to the Rio Grande. But ad-
hitting Congress, when it gave its consent to
he anne Ration of Texas assumed for the federal govern
ent the power to determine the "proper and righuP'
esten boundary of that Staetha the territory the
Rio Grande may in any peculiar sense be termed
disputed territory, still the question remains as to the
gh and the duty of this government in regard to such
rrilory auhen Merico had refused TO negotiate about it,
md had mustered troops upon ats frontier, under peremp
pry orders to meade and attack troops at Corpus
4hnai. This the case on the 18th of January, 1916,
hen the order directing General Taylor to advance to
he Rio Grande was issued from the War Department.
r Clays views to the occupation of ''dsputed ter
tory under circumstances far less cogent than these,
re fully record We copy the following forcble pre-
eminent of them from the Richmond Enquirer
The United States purchased Louisiana of France in
b03 At that time, and until ISl9 Florida belonged to
Dpan, who claimed that her dominion extended west to
Mississippi The United States denied this, and al
tged that Louisiana extended the Rio Perddo,
Ennng into the Gulf of Mexico, about fifty miles Of
Mobile. Between the country actually in the possession
Ind occupancy of Spain, and that actually in the posses
and occupancy OF France, space interviewed of hr-
ben fourteen leagues which had been in the
sive possession ofether of those powers After the Uni
ki States had purchased louisiana dispute
boundary between possessions and those of SPAIN
'ehd President Madison seized upon the country of
ke Mississippi river and extended the jurisdiction of
I, United Shtes the Rio Perdido, which flowed through
ke intervening space, which had been in the
vusve possession either of France Spain. For this
b he assaed in Congress by the federal mem
HRS who denounced this act usurpation of the
!. rmaking power On the 18th OF December, 1870 Mr..
replied those denunciaons, and went far, if
her support of the seizure of the disputed territory
ho any advocate of the present war has gone.
neither title to the whole territory thus seized
dunder the cesson OF Louisiana, had been settled
wi negotiation 1t was disputed by Spain, much
TO the country beyond the Nueces disputed by
xico, If ii be unconstitutional in Mr.. Polk order
ops into the latter because it disputed, it
aly unconstitutional in Mr.. Madison seize the for
fr for that disputed also? True of Congress
o been passed authorizing port OF entry and deive
SCI in the territory disputed by Spain but act of Con-
kss had extended laws beyond the Nueces.
"fe Congress had recognised the boundary Orleans
,upk itoy embracing West Florida but Congress had
ognised the limits of Texas extending beyond the
ing eccs But this all Mr. Clay went farther in 1870
said that right in sezing the disputed
ndependent of any iHc for says he have no hest
.x pa in saying that il parent country viii not
Tvs authority IN colony adjacent to us, and there
,et In II state OF msruc and disorder, menacng
e-and H. moreover, such colony by passing the
Il Of any other power, would become dangerous TO the
rity oil the Union, and manifesy tend to the subver,
our laws-we have right upon the eternal princi-
III 'eii-preservation, to lay hold upon it,
lc carries the constitutional power of annexation to
extent II also settles the matter OF the annexation
far Mexico is concerned, even if the Unitel
with violent hands, laid hold Texas
PAsr-Privatc letters (says the New York
the highest sources in LONDON, that the