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

when the fact was otherwise? Was it
to disguise the truth, in order to de-
fend his own unauthorized acts? 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, is, that the
territory thus taken was "American soil" a
Of the United States. / propose to ex-
anime that proposition.
In the year 1874, the predecessor Of the pres
ent Executive made a treaty with Texas, BY
which that country was annexed to this Re-
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 it.
| shall have occasion, in the course of my re-
marks, to quote what Mr.. 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 to an
mex territory belonging to Mexico to the UNI
ted States. The Senate refused to seize a por-
ton Of Mexican territory, by annexing Texas
with the Rio Grande as a western boundary.
The measure was thus, for a time, defeated.
During the last Presidential canvass it was
made a 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. After the result Of the Presiden-
tial election Of 1914 was known, the subject
was again brought before Congress, and it wat
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 this second proposition, which
il was said would be adopted by the President
the Joint Resolutions of Annexation passed
the Senate. Mr.. Tyler, however, on the thirC
Of March, 1916, as one Of the last acts of hi
administration adopted the first alternative 0
the two propositions. In the message Of De
cember, l845, Mr.. Polk says:
" In pursuance of the Joint Resolution o
Congress for annexing Texas to the Unite'
States, my predecessor, on the third day o
March, l845, elected 10 submit the first ant
second sections Of that resolution to the Re
public of Texas as an overture on the part o
the United States for her admission into tn
Union. This election l approved" &c.
The first and second sections of the Join
|, Resolution, thus adopted by Mr.. Tyler, and aP
f proved by Mr.. Polk, are as follows:
t IS ResolUed by Tie Senate and House Of KeF
resemtGtiues of the United STATES Of America, i
Congress assembled, That Congress doth cor
! sent that the territory properly included withi
D and righgdAy belonging TO the Republic Of Texa
NAV be erected into q new State, to be Gale
t the State Of Texas, with republican form {
: government, to be adopted by the people {
said republic, by deputies in convention al
sembled, with consent Of the existing govern
|, ment, in order that the same may be admitte
{ as one of the States of this Union.
"Be 1t further enacted, That the fOregoin
n consent of Congress is given upon the follow
s ing conditions and the following guarantees,
wit:
~Fsrst, Said State to be formed subject
n the adjustment by this Government Of Ill
QUESTIONS OF BOUNDARY that ma
d arise u,h other governments, &c."
Under these conditions, Mr.. Chairma
Texas came into this Union; with the expire
" condition and guaranteed that the questic
n of her boundary with Mexico with no 9th
nation had she any question of boundar.
Is should be settled by the Government OF Il
10 United States. The question, what was ste
ritOry properly included in, and rightfully b
q longing to, the Republic Of Texas" was to
adjusted by this Government and Mexico.
Thus far, then, the boundary question w
lie purposely left open for negotiation But '
were told the other day by the gentleman tro
Is Maryland, (Mr. McLane0 that the cOns'lt
ton Of the present State of Texas, adopt
n July 28th, 1916, extending the boundary
IN that country to the Rio Grande in EXPIRE
terms, and that Congress, in is final cOnsuI
h nation Of annexation, admitted Texas into t
N Union with that constitution, and thus adopt
IL and sanctioned the Rio Grande as the bound
IN ~; and, further, that the President was bou
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