The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-03-11

pressve language Of some western gentlemen
(who afterwards complained that in the Ore
gon controversy they were abandoned by thei
Southern brethren,) they " went ii Wind"-ye
the vortex into which they plunged was not ST
dark and deep as the gentleman supposes. HI
is entirely wrong in his facts. The constitu
ton Of the State of Texas, adopted in l845
Rio Grande, and in the genteman's published
speech, he has modified his statement. On the
contrary, that constitution, which have nov
before me, declares in its preamble that it wal
adopted in accordance with the provisions o.
the Joint Resolution of Annexation. A nc
tuition is as follows:
"Sec. A II laws and parts of laws, now in
force in the Republic Of Texas, which are moi
repugnant 10 the Constitution Of the United
States, the joint resolutions tor annexing Texas
to the United States, or to the provisions OF
this constitution, shall continue and remain in
force, as the laws of this State, until they ex-
pirc by their own limitation, or shall be alter
ed or repealed by the legislature thereof"
All laws, then, of the former Republic Of
Texas were to remain in force by the constitu
ton OF the State of Texas, except such laws
as were inconsistent with the annexation -eso-
luton. Laws SO inconsistent were not to con-
tinue in free, but were, from that time, re-
pealed by this constitution OF the State of
Texas. Now, sir, | ask, what laws of the old
If W
annex alton resolutions? Show me, if you
can, single law Of this character, except one,
and that one was the act, passed by the Texan
Congress in 1886, extending the boundary Of
Texas to the Rio Grande, and thus, if allowed
to iemain in force, annuling that clause in
the annexation resolutions which provided that
the boundary question should be settled by The
Government of the United States. shall give,
in another part Of my remarks, some facts
with regard to the ch aracter Of the act OF the
Republic Of Texas, passed in 1886, which ex-
tended the boundary to the Rio Grande, and
was thus repealed by the constitution OF the
State Of Texas, os being repugnant to the an
nexation resolutions. cannot dwell upon il
in this place. The State Of Texas, in forming
a constitution with the view OF coming into
this Union, was not guilty of the folly of risk
ing tho SUCCESS Of their favorite measure, by |
refusing 10 consent that the boundary line be-
tween Texas and Mexico should be settled by
the United States Gov ernmenr. No, sir, they |
had previously, in point OF fact, abandoned
all claim TO the Rio Grande. They never had
possession up to that river, and their claim to
it was virtually abandoned long before In
proof Of this, permit me to read an extract
from letter from Charge d'A flares at Texas,
(Mr. ndrew Jackson Donelson.) to Mr..
Buchanan, (Secretary of State) dated Texas
July IL, l045. lie say
"The proclamation of truce between the
two nations, (Texas and Mexieo,) founded on
propositions mutually acceptableto them, eav-
ing the question of boundary not only an open
Dne, but Mexico in possession OF the east bank
of the Rio Grande, seemed TO me inconsistent
with the expectation that, in defence OF the
claims of Texas, our troops should march i'm
to that river. What the Executive
If Texas had determined not to fight for, but
o settle by negotiation, to say the least Of IL,
could as well be left to the United States on
he same conditions"
The question of boundary, then, was by
Texas not only left OPEN" but the President
lad information that Mexico was in posses
ion /, { the east bank OF the Rio Grnnde." IL
vas then eminenily proper, when Texas, rs a
State, adopted constitution preparatory to her
admission into our Union, that the
avs of the Republic Of Texas, inconsistent
With the annexation resolutions, should be con-
idered no longer Of binding validity. She
anne into our Union, if not abandoning her
lain to the boundary Of the Rio Grande, at
east leaving it open for negotiation. She came
With the express understanding, both on her
art and on ours, that the settlement Of the
boundary question was one which the General
government must undertake; and that it was
ot for Texas, much less for the President OF
he United States, to attempt its settlement.
Tro ne coSrtyuIp1