The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-08-13
Message Of President Fillmore.

To The Senate and House Of Representatives:
| herewith transmit to the two Houses of
Congress, a letter from Ills Excellency the
Governor of Texas. dated on he l4th day
of June last addressed to the late President
of the United States, which, not having been
answered by him, came to my hands on his
death, and | also transmit a copy of the nm.
swer which ! have fell ii to be my duty to
cause TO be made to that communication.
Congress will perceive that the Governor OF
Texas officially states, that, by authority of
the Legislature of that State, he despatched
a special commissioner, with full power and
instructions TO extend the civil jurisdiction of
the State over the unoreanized counties of
Ell Paso, Worth, Presidio, and Santa Fo,
situated on its north western limits he pro-
cceds to say, that the commissioner had re-
ported to him in an official form, that the
military officers employed in the service of
the United States, stationed at Santa Fe, in
terposcd, adversely, with the inhabitants, to
the fulflment of his object, and in favor of
the establishment Of separate state govern
ment, east Of the Rio Grandc, within the
rightful limits of the state OF Texas. These
four counties, which Texas proposes TO es-
tablish and organize as being within her own
Jurisdiction, extend over the whole OF the
territory east Of the Rio Grande. which has
been heretofore regarded as an essential and
integral part Of the department of New
Mexico, and actually governed and possessed
by her people until conquered and severed
from the Republic Of Mexico by the Ameri-
can arms. The Legislature OF Texas has
been called together by the Governor for the
purpose, as is understood, of maintaining her
claim to the territory east of the Rio Grande,
and of establishing over il her own jurisdic-
ton, and her own laws, by force.
These proceedings of Texas may well ar
rest the attention of all branches of the
Government of the United States, and | re-
joice that they occur while Congress is yet
in session. A crisis may be brought on
which shall summon the two Houses of Con-
gress, and still more directly the Executive
Government, to an immediate performance
OF their respective duties under the Consti.
tuition Of the United States. The President
is constituted commander-in-chie or the ar
my and navy, and of the militia of the sew
eral states, when called into the actual SER
vice Of the United States. The Constitution
declares also, that he shall take care that the
laws he faithfully executed and that he shall
from time to time, give to Congress informa-
ton of the state of the Union. Congress has
power under the Constitution to provide for
calling on the militia TO execute the laws OF
the Union, and suitable and appropriate acts
of Congress have been passed, as well for
providing for calling forth the militia as for
placing other suitable and efficient means in
the hands of the President to enable him tc
discharge the constitutional funrtions of hi,
office. The second section of the act of the
2Slh Of February, 1898, declares that "when,
ever the avs OF the United States shall hc
opposed, or their execution be obstfucted il
any state by combinations too powerful to bC
suppressed by the ordinary course of the ju
dicld proceedings, or the power vested il
the marshals, the President may call forll
the militia so far rs may be necessary TO SUI.
press such combinations, and cause The law,
to be duly executed" by the act of Marcel
Sd, 1907, il is provided, that in all cases q
obstruction to the laws, either of the United
States or any individual state or territory
when il is lawful for the President to cal
forth the military for the purpose of %causin,
the laws 70 be duly executed, il shall be law
ful for him to employ, for the same purposes
such part OF the land or naval force of III,
United States as shall be judged necessary
These several enactmepis are now in full
force. II, therefore, the laws of the United
States are opposed or DISTRACTED in any stat,