Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-08-30
nE. ashe,S sueccr,.

Mr. Ashes speech.
We publish on our fouth page, Mr. ASHES speech
nm the Presidents Texas message We have perused
It with much pleasure and commend 1t to the at !
tention of our readers The speech contains much
useful information especially at this particular time
The President has evidently assumed position rel
alive to the Texas boundary, which he will be glad
To get out of the easiest way he can. The following
extract from Mr. ASHES speech clearly shews that
Texas Justly entitled to every foot of Territory she
claims =
AS have read it, as understand it, the message,
the President of the u S. undertakes by his pse dr
IT." backed by the strong arm ofGovernment, to pre-
sctibe territorial limits to sovereign State Sir more
than that he undertakes to dismember sovereign
State to cut SLASH and divide her at his pleasure He
cites from the treaty of Hidalgo the article which
establishes the boundary, the line OF demarkaton
between the u S. and Mexico. What is that line
Ills line, the President informs u.s. commences at
the mouth of the Rio Grande, and follows the deep
est channel of that river until it ntersects the south
ern boundary of New Mexico; then it assumes
westwardly direction to the river Gla and thence to
the Pacific This is the line described by the trea
ty and as quoted by the President and in connec-
tien with it he hesitates not to Declare that all the
country lying east and north of this line belongs to
the United States-is the property OF the United
States will not do the President the injustice to
suppose that he intended to include in this descrip
ion the whole of the State of Texas. Yet under the
claim as made by the United States, her title is
good to the Sabine it is to every foot of the terri
tory lying east of the Rio Grande The President
has failed to intimate what boundary he WILL by the
force of the military power establish between Texas
and the United States but portion of his friends
have always insisted upon the Nueces as the western
limit of Texas this. doubtless will be his ultmatum
+ Now Mr. Chairman is it not we'll known that for
months and months before the breaking out of the
war with Mexico, that all of this country was repre-
sented in this House by the predecessor OF honor
able friend who sits before me Is it not well known
it not known to the President before the com
mencement of the war, " That we constructed forts,
established post Offices and post roads, and located
collection districts throughout the whole OF that
country lying between the Neuees and the Rio
| Grande q
| But if these facts should not have removed all
doubt from the Presidents mind the letters of his
illusrious predecessor Gen Taylor-letters written
during the time of his military ourn in this coun-
try-should have afforded him relief. | have before
me all those official communications and they each
bear the significant superscription of having been
written in the country which was, in his estimation
to be recognized as Texas.
the bill declaring that state of war existed between
the United States and Mexico went from this House
to the Senate, it there met with warm opposition
much discussion elected, and much information
was, of course adduced respecting the validity Of
the Texan title yet, with all this information be-
fore tbem large majority of the Wing members
including two OF the former ana Cnree OF the present.
Cabinet, did not hesitate to declare that this was
American ground. l refer to the amendment to the
bill offered by Mr.. Clayton, which will read.
Yet in the face of this accumulated evidence We
are Informed by the President that this country, 81
living east of the Rio Grande, is not the property O
Texas but is the property of the United States.
x He attempts to justify his position b.
assuming that at the commencement of the Mexican
war; President Polk took forcble possession of thi
hat Of oil hutoO firm
ed and made good that possession That the treaty
in legal language, Joined title to possession and
it has been in possession of the United States
SINCE he is not at liberty to regard it otherwis
than as our property This is sylloglstlc mode
reasoning, which would answer very good purpos
if the premises were correct but unfortunately the
, are not correct Gen Kearny under the direction
of President Polk, did take military possession 0
that country; but was not this possession intende
to be for the benefit of Texas! In answer to de
e mand by the Governor of Texas, did not Presiden
Polk Distinctly that YES msneely "a mi m tar
and not intended in the least degree, opposing tn
claim of Texas? And furthermore did not MI
Polk, through his Secretary, Gov. Marcy, particu
larly order and instruct that the military authority
while in possession of that country, should act i
subordination to the civil authority of Texas-aid
ing and assisting in its establishment? These fact
: are ndisputable; and as the acting President ha
the evidence of these facts before him, can but cor
slider it as disngenuous for him to have attempted
deducc the authority of President Polk to sustain hi
position, when that authority, if accompanied wit
! the appropriate explanations, would have been i
: direct opposition to his policy.
E'Thc Randolph Epistles.''
Il We are indebted to friend for a small pamphlc
J. of Is pages, bearing the above title the subjec
of the Souths losses in fugitive slaves, &c. We hay
read with considerable interest and at the same tim
e with chagrn and astonshment to find that the los
the South has sustained in fugitive slaves who hay
escaped from their owners by the aid of the abolition
It ss and connivance ofthe Northern States is so large
:, After making all reasonable allowance for error
the author estimates the loss for the last forty year
at twenty-five millions of dollars This is enormou
l. and it to be matter of surprise how the Sout
:, has remained quiet so long:
Here array of losses (ays the writer reachin
up to p millions of dollars Who lost it The South
r Who caused it The North What is it? Il debt! WI
. owns it ? The South Who owes it The North! Ho
did it originate From spoliatons to that of ii
" Souths property Were the spolations prompted by
necessities of State of circumstance By neither: Tt
aggressons both wful The North
ed what she did She took what
She sacrificed what belonged to others The motive
emprze not the thrift of the spoilers but the wrong
> injury of the plundered.
have shown the vast amount of slave property whic
thus been taken from the slave States
have shown what it worth at a very moderate valu
ton and stands proven subsisting and valid deb
amounting to $22 1874 $40 Who liable for the payment
Those who took the propertyhose who received t-tho
who kept it-those who gave protecon-and those
evaded resisted its reclamation: The citizens of the fir
States ablc-the governments of those States
in tho Norfh SO 1oh