The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-01-11

t0neu At SANTA 1i4Q all INC
% de BOUNDARY q ls 81 territory Of Texas By
Judicial authors o hs iss q Tssss haye not been re-
4 cognzed BY the military authorities It Santa re.
1 On the 3lst, MI Root, free-soil member from
Ohio, Introduced into the House Of Representatives
| a resolution Of instruction to the Committee on
Territories directing them to report with as little
delay as possible, "a bill or bills providing for
| Territorial government or governments, for all
the territory acquired from Mexico, lying eastward
II the Sierra Nevada, and prohibiting slavery
therein the resolution has not passed yet. A mo-
ton 10 lay it on the table, made by Mr. Stephens
Of Georgia, was lost, SO to 101--and action was
then STAYED of by amotion to adjourn, which pre-
vailed. Congress would not meet again until the
ID inst, and then the effort would be renewed
The freesoers are evidently determined to put the
Wilmot Proviso test to the House.
The Committee on Territories has four Southern
andfive Northern In the vote to lay this reso
luton on the table, Mr. Richardson, of Illinois,
voted with the Southern men-thus giving the
majority to the opponents of the Wilmot Provso.
These movements give immediate importance to
the question of the Texas boundary. Texas has
since her Declaration Of Independence, and through
out the whole process Of annexation, demanded the
Rio Grande as the Western boundary. This claim
has covered-as belonging to the rightful sove-
reignty Of Texas-a populous part of what was
the Mexican State Of New Mexico. An instruc-
ten to bring bito organize Territorial govern
ment for New Mexico directly involves this ques-
ton. and brings forward in its most Objectionable
form, the controversy about the rightful boundary
of Texas 1t is blended at once, openly, adversely
and mischievously, with the slavery question.
The Territorial Committee is made the mouth
piece Of the House to declare foregone conclusion
that slavery shall be prohibited in the territory Of
New Mexico and the whole anti-savery feeling is
thus enlisted against any calm investigation of the
| rights Of Texas, Opposition to Texas is thus in
vited, on the ground that whatever territory is
taken from her will be made free-soi territory
by the power of Congress. Within the limits OF
| Texas, the sovereignty of the State excludes the
application Of this law of Legislative restriction
hence all the zeal of ant-slavery fanaticism is to
be rsused, in order to cut down as much as posi-
| Bile, the limits of Texas and extend the area over
which the power of Congress may be asserted
Mr.. Roots proposition is clearly free-soil move
ment to bring about direct and immediate conflict
between the North and the South and as such we
hope it will be laid the table, and the subject Of
the rghtful boundary to which Texas is entitled
be considered on its own merits, and with the
gravity belonging to the inquiry into the territorial
rights Of sovereign State.
| The call of Gen. Houston is eminently proper;
in aid of such fair and candid inquiry. A full re-
ply will develope nor only the views of the Cabi-
net, but the history Of the action of the Govern
ment, under the former as well as the present Ad-
ministration. We wait the official reply to the
call, with all the officia,papers bearing upon it. to
enable US to treat the question Understandings,
and separate it if practicable, from the distracting
connections with which such issues as Mr. Root
and his fellow free-soers undertake embarrass it.
| Our own convictions are strong that nothing can
shake the equitable, if the legal title of Texas,
to the territory east Of the Rio Grande as against
the only adverse claimant, which is the United
States. A great deal of argument, and some of
much plausibiEty might have been urged by the
United States in negotiation with Mexico, for
conceding something to eclaim of New Mexico
against Texas. There were, before the late war,
some knotty difficulties in the way of Insisting
upon the absolute title of Texas to the left bank of
| the upper Rio Grande against Mexico, had the
United States entered into a negotiation with that
power for the settlement of boundaries, as en-
powered by the annexation resolutions. But what
ever difficulties about that question, subsist
no longer in behalf the United States as against
Texas. If the title of Mexico were hundred
times better than it is, the United States could moi
set it up after having assumed during the whole
war, the rightfulness of the title of Texas, and
maintained it by arms The acquisition of the ter
ritory must, in good faith, be treated as purchase
for the use of Texas not for the Of the United
States.
This general view of the is fortified by the
strength of the legal title in Texas herself, and the
recognitons of it, made, at various times, by Mex
leo and the United States-the details of which
will probably appear in the answer of the President
to the resolution of Gen. Houston. The circum-
stances by which the question is surrounded make
1t one Of the most critical which will engage the
attention Of Congress, and in that view we intend
to give all the material facts and documents, the
substance of them, which are within reach.
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