The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-11

shown that every Mexican garrison between the Nueces
and the Rio GraIide, well all other portions OF
iexas was reduced and captured IN the fall OF 1887
mat the counties of San Patrcio and Bexar were repre-
scented IN the convention which established the provn-
cal government in November 1888 and also in the
Venhon which declared the independence and formed the
constitution OF the republic OF Texas IN March, 1886
ana that by that constitution, each of those counties con-
shtuted congressional district with the right OF sending
representatives and senator's to the Congress of the
public have referred also to the act of the Texan
Congress o the 24h of May, 1885, defining with greater
certainty, the dividing line between those counties from
The Nueces TO the Ro Gande and confirming the surveys
OF land which had been made by the county surveyors of
both, respectively On the 10Th of December 1885, the
Congress OF Texas passed act defining the boundaries
OF the republic and adopting those designated in the ea-
ty of San Jacnto On the 4th of February 1872 an act
passed fixing the times OF holding the higher courts
IN the counties OF San Patrico and Bexa and for other
purposes On the 18th of January 1914, another act
was passed regulating the times of holding those
counties; and the 3ls of December, 1874, act
passed changing the times Of holding courts those
counties. On the 18th of January, 1915, an act was
passed removing the seat of justice OF San Patrco coun-
~ TO Corpus Christi, and providing for the appointment
Of presiding Judge of the county court On the LIST Of
February 1915 act providing for the resurvey of all
the land in the counties of San Patrco and Reugo the
title of which derived from the Mexican government
the State of Coahuila and Texas and for returning the
plats the General Land Office of Texas have all
these acts before me- but will not stop to read them un-
less desired by some senator During the whole OF the
period from the establishment of the republic, these
They also represented in the convention of the peo-
pie OF Texas, which agreed to the terms OF annexation
and which formed the constitution OF the State OF Texas,
with which she admitted into our federal Union |
hold in my hand the present constitution of Texashe
upon which our act OF Congress founded, ad
hitting her into the Union, State upon an equal
footing with the original States and the 30th section
OF the Sd article, find that the county of San Patrcio is
constituted representative district with representa-
ve and the county of Bexar with two representatives
and in the 32d section of the same article is the follow
he nj he
trct, shall elect one senator. The counties OF Goad,
Refugio and San Patcio the nineteenth district, shall
elect one senator"
The third section of the thirteenth article is as follows
'Ec. B. All laws and parts of laws in force in the
republic Of Texas which are not repugnan, to the const
ing Texas the United States. the provisions of this
constitution, shall continue and remain in force the laws
OF this State, until they expire by their Limitation,
shall altered repealed by the leg slaure thereof
Now sir, this provision atfes and continues in force
all the acts OF the Texan Congress 10 which have re-
erredthe act declaring the Rio Grande 10 be the boun
dairy of the republic the act establishing the boundary
lines OF counties from the Nueces to the Rio Grande the
several acts providing Tor the surveys OF lands and fixing
the times OF holding courts in those counties all are
confirmed by this section of the constitution. The Con
gress OF the United States must he presumed to have
been familiar with these laws and this section OF the
constitution when the act passed admitting her INTO
the Union This presumption is greatly strengthened BY
the fact, that within few days after the admission OF
Texas, Congress passed act extending our revenue
laws the territory Of the State, and establishing
in the county of San Paircio
have now concluded all have to say on the ques-
ton of boundary Whether have succeeded in estab-
fishing the boundary of the Rio Grande, is for the SEN
ate and the country TO Judge. One thing is certain
dreamed Of any other boundary than that Of
of the country to the Rio Grande, and claimed the right
conquer TO the Sabine. This the position of Mex
towards Texas, stated by herself when the latter
annexed to this country and admitted into the
Union.
The question now arises, Who commenced the present
war The United States or Mexico? This seems to be
disputed point between the two great political parties
in this country, although the governments of the two
begerent countries agree in relation to 1t. Our gov
eminent has officially declared, in the form of solemn
law, all the departments concurrlng that the war was
commenced ''by the act of Mexico" This is our state
ment of the question. Now for the Mexican side of the
case as stated BY her President and Ministers OF War
and Foreign Affairs read from the Presidents annual
message of December stb 1916:
"The apprehensions of conem plated Mexican invasion
have been since fully justified by the event The deter
States afterwards manifested from the whole of
the note of the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs
Paedes had then revou,ionized the government and his
minister after reerrng to the resolution for the annexation
March, 1875 proceeds declare that fact such as his
speak with greater eNaciness notable
her own honor, should repel it with proper mness and
dignity The supreme government had beforehand de-
and consequence of this declaration, negotiation
by nature, at an end and par 'cas the only
g0reTnWeM
" appears also, that the fourth oil April following,
General Paredes through his minister OF issued orders
the Mexican general in command the Texan frontier
to attack army by every means which permits
To this General Paredes had been pledged the army and
people of Mexico during the military revolution which had
brought him into power On the eighteenth of April 1876,
General Paroles addressed letter the commander
that frontier which he' stated him AT the
date suppose you the head of that valiant army either
fighting already, preparing for the operations of
pan and surprising you already on the theatre of ope
be that hostltss be commenced yose dlng the Initiative
against the enemy !" .-f.ag ar.
Thus we find that the Mexican Minister of Foreign
Affairs, on the 18th of March, 1916, notified our minis
ter that ''NECOTIATIoN WAS, BY VERY NATURE, AT
AN END, and WAR WAS THE ONLY RECOURSE OF THE MEN
IcAN GovERNMENT; and that the 18th day OF April,
1885, the President of Mexico instructed the general OF
the Mexican army that it was "indpen that hostH-
titles be commenced, YOURSELF TAKING THE I'M
TtATiVE AGAINST THE ENEMY" Mexico avows the
act II is her pride and boast that she commenced the
war; that she took the nitatve, and struck the first
blow. She makes no complaint of General Taylor's
march from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande She knew
nothing of that movement at the time she gave orders o
the commencement of hostiltes. Her complaint was
that our armies stationed the west side of the
Sabine that we had incorporated the country between
the Sabine and the Rio Grande into Union, and de
prved her of the right which she claimed of reconqu
This was her grievance; and for this grievance she
boosted that she had the chvalry to make war up
on the United States, and take the initiative She knew
nothing of the distinctions in the strength of her it'll
on the side the other OF the Nueces, until sht
found il explained in the speeches of American sena
tors. Those speeches are the foundation of her bet
ter title to the country west than east of that river
Up TO the commencement of this war; the name of tn,
Nueces river cannot be found any Mexican document
civil military addressed to this country, Texas,
which she claims a better, or any other title to tina
river than to the Sabine. Her separate title to tn,