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

/. Texas, when the fact was otherwise! Was
e necessary to disguise the truth, in order to de
fend his own unauthorized actst So much
for the accuracy of the message on this point
The principal ground of defence assumed
by the President for taking forcible possession
OF the territory on the Rio Grande, s, that til,
territory thus taken was merican sol,"
portion of the United States. propose to ex
anime that proposition
In the year l844, the predecessor Of the pres
ent Executive made a treaty with Texas, by
public. That treaty was submitted to the
Senate Of the United States for ratification, and
was BY that body rejected. The published de-
bates on that occasion show the grounds on
which the rejection Of the Tyler treaty was
based. Mr., Benton, and other Democratic
Senators, voted and spoke against the treaty
and their opposition was almost solely placed
on the ground that, by the treaty, the bounda-
ry question was settled precisely as the Presi-
dent has now taken upon himself to settle il.
| shall have occasion, in the course of my re-
marks, to quote what ! 7. Benton said on that
occasion. He and other Democratic Senators
voted against the treaty, because it implied
that the western boundary of Texas was the
Rio Grande, thus, as they said, encroaching
upon Mexican territory. The treaty was,
therefore, rejected by the votes of Senators
| friendly to annexation, but unwilling 10 an
mex territory belonging to Mexico to the Uni
ted States. The Senate refused 10 seize por-
tion of Mexican territory, by annexing Texas
with the Rio Grande as a western boundary.
The measure was thus, for time, defeated
During the last Presidential canvass it was
made question at the polls; but when its OPP
ponents predicted war as one of its probable
consequences, the people were assured that
there was no danger Of war, that the claims of
Mexico would be silenced by money, and that
the question of boundary would be settled by
negotiation. A fter the result of the Presiden-
tal election of 1914 was known, the subject
was again brought before Congress, and it was
proposed by joint resolution of the two Houses
of Congress, TO annex Texas to this Union
The resolutions, after having passed the House,
were amended in the Senate, by adding an al
Tentative proposition, authorizing the President
to negotiate with Texas and Mexico; and with
the addition OF ,his second proposition, VIII oh
il was said would be adopted by the President,
the Joint Resolutions of Annexation passed
the Senate. Mr.. Tyler, however, on the third
OF March, 1916, as one Of the last acts of his
administration, adopted the first alternative OF
the two propositions. In the message Of De
cember, 1916, Mr.. Polk says:
In pursuance of the Joint Resolution OF
Congress for annexing Texas to the United
March, i845, elected TO submit the first and |
second sections of that resolution to the Re-
public of Texas as an overture on the part of
the United States for her admission into the
Union. This election approved" &c.
The first and second sections Of the Joint
Resolution, thus adopted by Mr.. Tyler, and APP
proved by Mr. Polk, are as follows:
" Resoirtd By he Senate and House Of Rep
resentatires Of he United States Of america, in
Coagre" assembled, That Congress doth con-
sent that the territory property included WiH,in
md Hghtfuiiy belonging 10 the Republic of Texas
nay be erected into a new State, TO be called
he State Of Texas, with a republican form of
government, 10 be adopted by the people OF
aid republic, by deputies in convention as
ombled, with consent Of the xisting govern
nen,, in order that the same may be admitted
Is one Of the States Of this Union.
"Be IL further enacted, That the foregoing
consent of Congress is given upon the follow
ng conditions and the following guarantees, to
Wit:
First, Said State to be formed subject to
he adjustnent BY h5 Gouernment Of ALL
Q QUESTIONS or BOUNDARY that may
Irise nth other governmental, &c"
Under these conditions, Mr. Chairman,
Texas came into this Union; with the express
condition and guarantee" that the question
Il her boundary with Mexico with no other
lation had she any question of boundary
hould be settled by the Government Of the
United States. The question, what was "ter-
itory properly included in, and rightfuliy be-
onging to, the Republic Of Texas" was to be
by this Government and Mexico.
Thus far, then, the boundary question was
left open for negotiation. But we
we're told the other day by the gentleman from +.
Maryland, (Mr. McLane,) that the constitu.
ion Of the present State o, Texas, adopted
uly 28th, Ie45. extending the boundary OF
hat country to the Rio Grande in express
erms, and that Congress, in its final consum-
nation Of annex alton, admitted Texas into the
MON with that constitution, and thus adopted ,
nd sanctioned the Rio Grande as the bounda-
v; and, further, that the President was bound
o protect Texas to that boundary-the resPon-
ibiliiy Of all consequences, which might re-
uli, resting upon Congress, and not upon the ,
resident. Nov, sir, IL this were true, there :
would be, admit, some force in the argument.
Iui the gentleman, sir, is grossly mistaken in
he facts. admit that the last Congress, in
dmitting Texas ss State, did proceed with
Indecent haste The measure was hurried
trough, without regard to the usual forms Of
seislaiion, and without debate, under the pre- z
ious question. But though leap was taken i
D the dsrk-IhOugh, in the peculiar and er-' q