The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-12

cessfu war Just terminated we have rebuked an inso
lent and peThaous neighbor, vndicated the national
honor and acquired territory of five hundred and twenty
thousand square mes--mofe than twice as large as
France embracing Of the finest portions of North
America, fronting for hundred miles on the
Pacific coast and including the largest safest and most
valuable bays in the world
10 his wide and discursive range, my colleague paid
another visit to the famous Rio Grande, well and so
frequently explored during the last two years BY con-
gressional navigaors We OF course informed
scundem arem, and with all proper soemnity that the
President produced the war BY removing the army IRON
Corpus Christi, and that he is Justly responsible Tor al
its evils whilst its gores and benefits 10 be reserved
for others This is old story, with which the House
is surfeited and the country Disguised II not my OBJ
ect TO argue that question would ieel my sen qu.e
well employed in entering upon controversy as 10 me
birth place of Homer the precise locality OF the ancient
city oil Troy 1t is supeluous now to attempt 10 prove
that the Rio Grande south OF New Mexico formed the
rue and proper boundary of Texas On that hypothesis
the war was recognised on that assumption our armie
were ordered into the enemys county-beleaguered cues
fell in ruins before them, rivers were cmsoned win the
blood of the slain, and in our onward and victorious
march we halted not until the American nag proudly
doated from the walls of the Mexican capital have
vel TO see the evidence that our country has waged
against neighborng republic war OF ruthless INVASION
On the contrary have repealed aggression and vndl-
Gated our national rights
The question of boundary different aspect IN
reference to that portion of the old province OF New
Mexico lying east OF the upper Rio Grande But IL
must be recoeced that General Taylor approached
within four hundred miles of the southern limit OF Santa
Fe that he ordered to the lower Rio Grande, where
he went and where hostilties occurred Mer was the
most northern point suggested for his consideration IN
the order TO march In the message under consideration,
the President admits that portion OF the country east
of the upper Rio Grande never IN the actual posses
sion Of Texas This admission was seized upon oy my
colleague and the distinguished chairman OF the Commit
tee of Ways and Means Mr.. VNToN,] as an acknowl-
edgment of the Presidents in declaring IN former
that the Rio Gad q as mP Se 60 s
message not inconsistent with any one preceded It,
The President has in Of his communications to
Congress stated that Texas reduced New Mexico to her
possession His language has always been, that Texas
claimed the Rio Grande from ITS mouth to It's source as
her true western boundary. His own arguments, and
have related to the Rio Gnnde south of New Mexico.
In tina: region as he sates) counties were settled court
houses established, justice administered. and elections
held besides the performance OF numerous other acts
under legislative sanction This has been the position OF
the President and it is perfectly consistent win the ar
gumen now offered in opposition 20 the dismemberment
of Texas will proceed to show that this govern
ment is no,c under the highest moral and political obl
CATION TO maintain that State in the full extent OF her
claim Yet do not propose to recaptulae all the acs
which bear upon this point, was deliberately exam
ned and ably presented few days since by the gentle
man on my right, [Mr KAuFmAN]
Texas has never abandoned her claim to the country in
dispute but has pressed it with the greatest ZEAL And
whilst we admit that New Mexico in her &C
ual possession and whilst concede also that under
the resolutions OF annexation, this government had
naked right dsmember Texas, and cede away por-
ton of her territory, the practical question which now
arises is, what ought to do under eIisting clrcum-
stances What the circumstances surrounding us
President Polk attempted to negotiate with Mexico on
the subject of the Texas boundary She sPurned the Of
fer and Indignantly appealed from negotiation to the
sword The sword settled the difficulty; and we have
finally secured only the country TO the Rio Grande,
but to the Pacific Mexico has ceased to be party to
this controversy The question of boundary is no longer
between that republic and Texas but between iexas ana
now presses upon our consideration 49, what adjustment
of this subject shall be made between ourselves and
Texas Just that which the President mas recommend
forr both fOfCDle
In the year 1916 the Congress OF Texas passed reso-
luton defining her limits extending to the Rio Grande
through its whole Shortly thereafter, with THIS
definition of boundary, her independence was acknowl-
edged by the United States and also by the leading pow
ers of Europe In 1888 treaty OF limits and boundaries
was agreed upon between this government and that OF
Texas by which il was admitted that the western boun-
Diary line of the latter extended to the parallel OF AZ de-
grees north latitude How could this line have extend
ed thus far north Texas did not include at least IN the
Judgment of the United States that portion OF New Mex
leo east of the Rio Grande!
But to place the President in the wrong my colleague
appeals to the of the resolutions OF annexation
authorizing this government to adjust all questions OF
boundary The phraseoogy OF these resolutions is pacu
liar and demonstrates that their authors well understood
the work they about to perform They contain the
stipulation referred to- but they embrace another agree
ment fatal, so far government is concerned to the
argument of the gentleman. further provided and
agreed that in such States as may be formed out OF that
portion of the territory OF Texas lying south OF SO deg
30 mn new States may be admitted into the Union, with
or without slavery, the people OF such States asking
admission may determine; whilst in such as may be
formed and admitted north OF that parallel OF latitude,
slavery shall be prohibited. 1t would have been mere
childs play ridiculous and contemplate farce for grave
national Legislators TO sit here and attempt to remove diff
cues by establishing in the State of Texas the compro-
mise line of sc deg 80 mn IT no portion OF the territory
of that State extended north OF that parallel 1t is well
known that the old province OF New Mexico reaches
south the parallel OF 81 deg and any portion OF the
territory of Texas lies north of SO deg 80 min, such ter
rtory must be embraced in thaprovnce and beng so EN-
baced extends west to the upper Rio rande and north to
the parallel of AZ deg. But will pursue this point
no further. Whatever may have been the condition OF
title against Mexico governments estopped Dy lts
repeated and the great rules OF justice, from dsmem
berng Texas and thus robbng her OF the public DOMAIN
payment OF the public debt created whilst she was an in
dependent republic and upon the faith OF her unappro,
priated lands. will now pass on to other grounds OF
complaint
NV colleague and others have told us, with apparent
ZEAL that the President has not only violated his duty
but has involved himself in nextficabe difficulty, BY
the establishment of temporary military government IN
New Mexico. have few remarks to make upon this
point [ have already admitted that this province or
both sides OF the Rio Grande, in the possession Of
Mexico, and that it never was IN the actual occupancy
of Texas 1t is conceded that, if it was part OF Mexico
the President had the right to establish there temporary
government; but if it formed in fact, part OF Texas
then it is argued that Mr. Polk transcribed both his
power and his duty entering the territory OF sover'
authority, existing code of laws For this proceed
ing the President has double Justification. AS stated
his message the country east OF the upper Rio Grande
whether belonging to Texas MexcO) was in the &C
ual and hostile occupancy of the latter None but an
enemys footsteps marked the soil II was as much IN
the possession Of Mexico as San Luis Poos or Puebla
The standard of resistance there raised, and hos
l,fxy tn QUAR- fharn