The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-01-11

tween the Nueces and the Rio Grande
He then repeats the Acts ofTexas with ref
erence to their boundaries: stating that edu-
ring period Of more than nine Years. which
interviewed between the adoption of her con-
| stitution and her annexation rs ono of tbe
States Of our Union, Texas asserted and exer-
cised many acts ofsoverei:nty and jurisdiction
ever the territory and inhabitants west of tbe
Nueces; suchs organizing and defining limits
of counties extending to the Rio Grande: es-
| tablishing courts of justice, and extending her
Judicial system over the territory establishing
also a custom house, post-offices. and land,
office, &C."
The President desi gnates by the name of
TEXAS, the cesSion of Louisiana by France TO
the United States; and he again calls the ter
ritory coded to Spain by the Florida treaty of
1919, the IeTas. He intimates that the claim
| of the United States to the territory between
the Sabine and the Rio Norte was derived
from the boundaries of Texas, and that by
! claiming as far west as the river, the United
States did recognize that it was the boundary
of the 1eras. really do not understand what
is meant by this assertion.
The United States claimed the Rio Nortc as
being the legitimate boundary of LOUISIANA and
not OF Texas. Neither they nor France had
ever been in possession of the country beyond
the Sabine. Spain had always held possession
and had divided the territory into provinces as
she pleased. One of these was called Texas,
and its boundaries had been designated and
altered at her will With these the Uni
ted states had no concern. If their claim
could be sustained, it must be by proving that
Louisiana extended of right thus far. This had
no connection with the boundaries whichSpain
might have assigned to her province of Texas
These might have extended beyond the Rio
del Norte, or have been east of the Rio Nue.
ces. There is not the slightest connection be-
tween the legitimate boundaries of Louisiana
and those OF the Spanish provinces of Texas
Ihe presumed identity is mere supposition.
1t Is not necessary to discuss the soundness
OF the pretensions to the Rio Norte, asserted
by Mr. Jefferson and Mr.. Monroe, since they
were yielded in exchange of Florida and some
other objects by the treaty of 1919; treaty
extremely popular at the time, and the exc
cutlon OF which was pressed with great zeal
and perseverance.
Whenever ultimately ceded to Mexico, that
republic fixed its boundaries as it thought prop
er. Texas and Coahuila were declared to
form State; and the Rio Nueces was made
the boundary Of Texas. When Texas declar-
ed itself Independent, it was the instruction
OF only part of State; for Cohahuila remained
united to Mexico. But the Rio Nueces was
the boundary between the department of Tex
as and the State of Tamaulipas. The whole
contested territory lies within the limits of Ia
maulipas, which never was under the Mexican
Government, connected in any shape with
Texas.
The question now under consideration is
only that between the United States and Mex
leo; and in that view of the subject, it is quite
immaterial whether the acts of the United
States emanated from Congress or from the
Executive. No act of either, recognizing the
territory beyond the Nueces as a part Of the
territory of the United States, can be alledgcd
against Mexico, as a proof of their right to this
country was claimed, Any such act is only an
assertion, 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 the State of
Texas.
1t must also be promised that, in the joint
resolution for the annexation of Texas, the
question Of the boundary between it and Mex
leo was expressy reserved as one which should
be settled by treaty between the United States
and Mexico.
The only arguments in the Presidents mes
sage, which sustain the right of Texas to terri
ritOry beyond the Nueces, are contained in
those passages, in which it is asserted that the
jurisdiction Of Texas has been extended and
exercised beyond the Nueccs: that the country
between the 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 mes
sage, how far beyond the Nucces the juristlic-
ton of Texas had been extended, nor what
part of the country between that river apd the
del Norte had been represented in the Con-
gress and Convention Of Texas and was then
included within one of our Congressional dis
tricts
Now the actual jurisdiction beyond the Nue.
ceS never extended farther than the adjacent
settlement of San Patrico, consisting of about
twenty families. That small district, though
beyond the Nucces, was contiguous to and in
the actual possession of Texas, On this ac-
count it might be rightfully included within the
limits which We were bound to protect against
Mexican invasion,
But what was the country between this
small settlement of San Patrico, or between the
Corpus Christi and the Rio del Norte, over
which it might be supposed from the message /.
that the jurisdiction Of Texas had been extern !
led, so as 10 be included within one of our
districts? Here, again, Texas |
had erected that small settlement into a coun- /
ty called San Patrico, and declared that this .
county extended to the Rio del Nortc. This,
ike all other declaratory acts CO the same kind .
was only an assertion not affecting the question
Of right. The State of Texas might with G.
lual propriety. have declared that the boun-
larry extended to the Sierra Madre or to the
Pacific. The true question of right to any ter
itory beyond the Mexicrn limits of the De-
'artment of Texas depends upon the facts: By
whom was the territory in question actually in
lacited and occupied? and had the inhab-
tants united with Texas in the instruction a.
,ainst Mexico?
The whole country beyond the settlement of