The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-03

tory which neghbor desired to purchase,
To perceive clearly the utter fallacy OF this whole
OF the subject, it is necessary only TO advert 10
leading facts belonging to the series OF events, our o
which has grown the state of things now exishg De-
tween the two countries ,t..,e.
who had been invited thher by Mexico under the guar
antees for the security OF life liberty and property AFFORD
ed by the constitution OF s24-a conshtuti0n modelled
non that o their native landthe people Of Texas after
the lapse of few years, found themselves presented
with the alternative Of taking up arms in defence of their
dearest rights submitting to the military usurpation
and deupoism by which the organic law of their adopted
country had been subverted and replaced AS could
but be oeseen by all persons net entirely unacquanted
with the national character formed under the influences
of English principles of government and of the develop
meDts which these have received side of the At
lsnc, the former of these alternatives the choice Of
the Texans. They resisted, and their resistance proved
successful. Thus arose the republic of Texas.
After establishing government the security afforded
BY which to all that civilized man holds dear presented
the most striking contrast to the consequences OF the
subversion OF the Mexican constitution, as exhibited
throughout the rest of the country for whose happiness
it had been established After obtaining from the princi
pal powers OF the earth recognition as one OF the great
family of nations, and after maintaining this position
through period and under circumstances rendering man
est to the world that not to be shaken BY Mexico,
the republic sought and obtained admission among
the United States OF America as a member OF thef
Union.
By this event she became entitled be protected by the
United States from INVASION their appropriate organ for
the discharge of this obligation being the Executive OF
the general government as the tunctonary charged with
the control and direction of their defensive force But,
of what consisted the territory OF this member OF
the Union, which, from the moment of her admission
SUCH had thus become the duty of the President of
the United States employ the forces placed by the con
stuton under his direction in protecting from invasion
In other words, where were her boundaries To pro-
tec State from invasion, means prevent the occupa
ton of any portion of her territory by the armed force of
any other state nation. This obligation, therefore,
.manifesty implies the existence Of limits to her territory
stues an invasion. IT necessarily results, from the
very nature OF things, that this duty of protection
have no existence. except concurrenty with the ex-
ence to this obligation, territory without deteminae
limits is contradiction in terms. 1t is of the very
essence of the obligation that the portion of the earths
nateit being otherwise impossible to say when it is in
vaded and when 1t is not invaded.
Where, then, the limits Of this member of the
Union? AS defined and asserted by herself the territory
of Texas extended to the Rio Bravo. Her right to insist
upon this boundary was equally good, and den,ically
the same in all respects, as the right of Mexico to in
agreeably TO principle OF international law, too well
established to admit OF dispute doubt existed indie
pendently of the question as to what might might
not have been the true limits of Texas whilst constituting
part OF the Mexican republic With reference to that
period, their excellcnses the commissioners assert,
matter Of absolute certainty, that the country compre-
hended between the Nueces and the Bravo had never
formed part OF the State of Texas But, supposng this
to be true would not in any way affect the right of the
Texan people, at the close of the war into which they
had been forced, above stated, to insist upon such
boundary as they might deem essential their future
security against the spirit manifested towards them by
the government whose usurped power they had so
cessfuy defended themselves against whilst not con
tent with subvertng the authority of the constitution
had sought to stie and to extnguish forever within the
bounds OF Texas especially not only every spark of ber
y, but every OF those great elements OF civilization
which that constitution was designed to foster and
to develop: In word, the republic Of Texas and the
republic Of Mexico had been for many years at war; and
as the condition to the cessation of this either party
had the same right, identically TO demand and to in
sst upon the establishment of such boundary in her
Indn nf -oc tho inef md Mnyt,~
her part, could assert fundamental axiom the one
now put forward by her commissioners, that nation
can righuly, be required, nor should any nation ever
consent to relnqush her natural frontier y and from this
axiom deduce her right to insist upon possessing the
rtory between the Nueces and the Bravo the ground
Of the nsucency OF the latter alone fol her sec
rlty either IN military or in commercial point of
and that the river and the territory together ndis
pensable to her for this purpose if this right appertaned
TO Mexico. Texas, on the other hand had equal right
to appeal to the same principle and to point to the mani
fest self contradiction involved in the deduction drawn
from 1t; which, on the ground that the whole OF broad
and angry torrent insufficient for her security, gave
to Mexico wide extent of territory additional bull
wak whilst required that Texas should content her
self with half the width Of comparatively and
sluggish stream.
Such them was the position of Texas, with regard to
her boundary towards Mexico at the time when She be-
adnatted INTO the Union According to the well,
settled doctrine OF International law upon this subject,
the line OF demarcaton between the two republics had
become obliteated by the war; and the consent of both
had become necessary TO the reesablshment of that
line, or the establishment OF any other, as their common
boundary This being the state OF things, Texas,
ing her right and her determination TO insist upon the
lower part of the Rio Bravo part of that boundary.
obtained admission into the North American ssterhood
With respect to this point however the American Con-
gress, through scrupuous regard for any right which
Mexico might have might suppose herself to have to
any portion OF the territory embraced within the asserted
limits OF Texas reserved to the United States the right
to determine those limits by of friendly negotiation
with Mexico this being has already been observed
the only way in which International boundary, in the
proper sense OF the term can be asceraned For although
of two contenous nations may select for ITSELF and
may maintain by force, the line which is to separate her
territory from that OF the other yet boundary between
them be said TO exist, except virtue oft
consent and recognition of both Without such an agree
ment between them, neither of two nations whose terri
tories touch each other be said to have boundary
Such was the state of the case between Texas and
Mexico at the time of the admission of the former into
the American Union and such it necessarily continued
be after that event, with this single deence-that
the question between Mexico and Texas had become
one between Mexico and the United States No agree
ment understanding had yet taken place between
them the Mexican government the contrary, still
over which intended to reestabish its authority,
was, in the nature of things, impossible that the bounda
res of this member of the American Union should
have become determined.
From this state of things resulted the obligation
equally imperative upon the United States and upon
Mexicoto effect speedily possible, that settlement
of boundary which, by events past recall and
ifestly to the whole world constituting fact fulfilled"
had become matter of absolute necessity between these
the two could exercise authority any portion of the
country lying between the Rio Bravo and the Sabine
without the certainty of collision between the equal right
and the equal obligation of each to defend its territory