Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-01-15

the United States emanated from Congress
or from the Executive. No act of either
recognising the country beyond the Nueces
as part of the territory of the United
States, can be alleged against Mexico as a
proof of their right to the country thus
claimed. Any such act is only an asser-
ton, declaration, but not an argument
sustaining the right 1t is, however. proper
to observe here that the port of delivery
west of the Nueces, erected by the act of
Congress "to establish collection district
in the State Of Texas was at Corpus
Christi, place which was in the actual
possession of that State.
1t must also be promised that in the Joint
resolution for the annexation of Texas,
the question of the boundary between it
and Mexico was expressly reserved as one
which should be settled by treaty between
the United States and Mexico.
The only arguments in the Presidents
Message. which sustain the right of Texas
to territory beyond the Nueces, are con-
tanned in those passages in which it is as
serted that the jurisdiction of Texas had
been extended and exercised beyond the
Nueces: that the country between that river
and the del Norte had been represented in
the Congress and Convention Of Texas.
had taken part in the annexation Of itself,
and was now included within one of our
Congressional districts.
But it is not stated in the Presidents
Message how FIR beyond the Nueces the
jurisdiction of Texas had been extended,
nor Uhat part Of the country between that
river and the del Norte had been repre-
scented in the Congress and Convention of
Texas, and was then included within one
of our Congressional districts.
Now the actual Jurisdiction beyond the
Nueces never extended further than the
adjacent settlement of San Patricio, con-
sisting of about twenty families. That
small district, though beyond the Nucces.
was contiguous to, and in the actual posses.
sion Of Texas. On this account il might
be rightfuIiy inclUded within the limits
which we were bound to protect against
Mexican invasion.
But what was the country between this
small settlement Of San Parcio, or be-
tween Corpus Christi and the Rio del
Norte. over which ii might lie supposed.
from the message, that the jurisdiction of
Texas had been extended, SO as 10 be in
cluded within one of our Congressional
districts? Here, again, Texas had erected
that small settlement into county, called
San Patrico, and declared that this county
extended to the Rio del Norte. This, like
all other declaratory acts of the same kind,
was only an assertion. not affecting the
question Of right. The State Of Texas
might, with equal propriety. have declared
that their boundary extended to the Sierra
Madre or to the Pacific. The true ques.
ton of right to any territory beyond the
Mexican limits of the department of Texa:
depends on the facts: BY whom was the
territory in question actually inhabited ant
occupied! and had the inhabitants united
with Texas in the instruction against Mex
leo?
The whole country between the settle
ment of San Patricio and Corpus Christi
till within few miles of the del Norte, il
perfect desert. one hundred and sixty
miles wide by the route pursued by Gen
Taylor, as stated by himself, and near one
hundred and twenty miles in a straight line
The on y settled part of it is along ,ht
left bank of the del Norte. and but few
miles in breadth. This bank was settled
iuluOItCu. anu pSSuplCu SACIusiNtIt ny
Mexicans. 1t included the town of Lorcdo
and Mexico had custom.house at Brasos
north of the mouth of the river. Til oc
cupied by the American arms it had eve
been, and was at the time when invaded BY
General Taylor, part Of the department
of Tamaulipas, and subject to the jurisdic
ton of the Project Of the northern dis,ric
of that department.
In the course of the war between MeXc
and Texas, incursions had been occasional
made by each party into the territories c
the other. A Mexican officer had once o
twice obtained temporary occupation {
San Antonio, within the limits Of TeXa
and the Texans had on one occasion take
Loredo itself and more than once had cal
ried their arms, not only to the left bank {
the del Nortc. but even beyond that rive
In both cases the aggressive parties had bee
rcpulsed and expelled. The last Texan e.
petition of that kind took place in Decen
Der, 1912, and terminated in their defeat
Mier.
That the country adjacent to the le
bank Of the river was exclusively in II
possession of the Mexicans, was we
known to our Government.
When Gen. Taylor marched to the d.
Nor,e he issued an order, (No. 3O) tran
lated into Spanish, ordering all under h
command to observe with the most scrup
ous respect the rights of all the inhat
tan,s who might be found in peaceful pros
cution Of their respective occupations.
3 well on the left as on the right side of Il
, Rio GranGe. No interference he ad,