The southern press., 1850-07-29
For the Southern Press
Infringement Of State Sovereingty
ia TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO.


that our people seem scarcely to credit the stern
reality. Twenty-Five years ago, the Southern
people would have been in fame of indignation
at the Federal outrage which they Indicate; bu,
now they seem too much to acquiesce in that sen
timent of miscaed loyalty, which affixes the
title of disunionist to the Southern patr It, pro-
testing against oppression, and Of traitor to him
who would resist by arms the invasion of the
sovereignty Of State
There is no law, which justifes the present
course towards Texas, except possibly tha,
g which is above the Constitutions" of which un.
fortunately we know less than we hear from the
lips of the phianthropist and senator from New
York. Ego farther. All law pronounces the ac.
ton contemplated by the Compromise bill, as
well as that said to have been conceived, and in
part carried out by General Taylor, treachery
and bad faith to the State, and war upon the
vital principles of the Constitution. The first
proposes openly division Of State-a seizure
under the forms Of law, but in violation Of solemn
compacts, upon a large portion Of her territory
the other as openly preconcerts with disafected
citizens and wayfring adventurers, sedition with
in her limits, and rebellion against her authority
and proposes to support the disorganizers by the
armed force Of the United States !! And in the
face Of all this, we are gravely told by Mr.. Tru-
man Smith, in his place in the Senate, that Texas
should look for the security of her rights to Con
gress; and if loyal (God save the mark TIC
whom State be loyal) she may hope for a
kind word from her oppressors, and such parti
ton of her domain as will make her heart bound
with the indignant demand for justice, or the
equally stern appeal to her own citizens to resist
the outrage at every hazard. @3
What propose first briefly to do, is to show
that the attempt to wrest from Texas by the force
of law, any portion of her territory or TO induce
her to cede by proposal to buy out her doubted
title thereto, is without question the most fagran,
outrage upon her rights on the one hand, and or
the other the most corrupting procedure, ever at
tempted under our government. l think shal
be able to show that the ttleof Texas to soil and
jurisdiction up to 42o, in fact, throughout her
whole extent, is clear and unquestionable
And in discussing this question, it is not neces-
sary to grope among the piles Of useless learning
connected with the ancient boundaries Of Texas.
/ look to the COMPACT, and to that alone. Ji54
In March, 1845, President Tyler approved GER
tain resolutions providing for the annexation of
the State of Texas 2 g
6 Resolped, That Congress doth consent,
that the territory properly included within and
rightfully belonging to the Republic Of Texas,
may be erected into new State, to be called the
State of Texas y ss in order that the
same may be admitted as one of the States of this
Union. = gaU fgtr a9
The second section provided that the " said
State,was "to be formed, subject to the ADJUST
ment by this government of all questions of boun-
dairy, that may arise with other governments.
Here, then, was the preliminary agreement be-
tween the sovereignty of Texas and the delegated
agent Of the States of our Confederacy. The
terms imply that from the Republic Of Texas, n
State is "io be formed; which Congress agrees
to admit, upon condition mentioned above
Now by whom was this State to be formedi
Clearly not by Congress; for as to Congress,
Texas was then foreign sovereign, negotiating
with ita treaty Of Union.
Then by whom to be formedi Clearly the State
of Texas, which Congress agreed to admit, was
to be self-crcaied, Formed and fashioned by her
own sovereign power, and according to her own
sovereign pleasure, with one condition. BY the
terms Of the resolution, Congress only agreed to
admit her with territory .sproperly included
within, and rghtfully belonging" toher. Here was
the Limitation which Congress imposed upon its
consent to the admission of the State
Thus far, the boundary of Texas was a subject
for Congressional consideration. Texas might do
with herself what she pleased but whatever she
did, was as far as her admission was involved,
subject to the decision of Congress- under the dis
cretion reserved by the terms of the Joint Resou-
lion.
Mark the farther progress of events. During
the summer Of lS45, Texas addressed herself to
The task of remoddelling her forms of government
70 suit the new relations which she was to
assume towards the United States. She formed
her constitution If the constitution itself does
not, an act of her convention, the representative
IF State sovereignty, defined the State formed out
II the Republic of Texas, conformably to the
assumed by her under the law of 1886.
These boundaries were upon the west, the Rio
Jrande; upon the north line upon the par
'llel Of 40, the southern boundary of Oregon;
'pon the south the Gulf, and upon the east the
United States boundary. Thus selferected, self
ormed, she presented herself before Congress,
'aving performed the task prescribed by the joint
esolution, precedent to her admission She
sked her admission under the terms, and upon
he plighted faith of that resolution. She had re-
eemed her pledge, she demanded the ful6lment
f theirs on the part of the United States.
In December ls45,a joint resolution passed
congress for the admission of the State of Texas
nto the Union. II recited the substance of the
oint resolution OF the March previous that Con-
ress had consented to the erection into State OF
il the territory rightfully belonging to, and pro-
erly included within the Republic; that the con-
ent had been given upon certain conditions. sand
whereas the people of the said Republic of Texas
y deputies in convention assembled, with the