The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-08
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
WASHINGTON. CRY.
THURSDAY. AUGUST. 1850.


The PIesident's Message to Congress, and
the Letter Of Mr. Webster to Gov Bell.
Of Texas, on the Texian Boundary CUES
! ton.
These. papers merit strict examination from
the people of the United States, and particularly
those of the Southern States. We will give
our views of the doctrines they contain, and the
argument advanced in support of them; and in
order that the minds Of our readers may act on
the questions involved, calmly and impartially,
we forbear noso to advert to the circumstances
which may have affected the President in his de-
cision.
The State of Texas has claimed from the date
of her declaration of independence, a certain
boundary She set forth this boundary clearly in
the constitution with which she was admitted into
this Union. And the act of admission, SO far
as it affects this question, stipulated that the
United States might settle the question of
boundary with Mexico.
But, in the interval before the United States
had adjusted this question with Mexico, our
government recognized and asserted in the most
solemn and impressive mode known among M
tons, the right of Texas to the boundary she
claimed against all adverse claims whatever
for the government directed our army to march
and to occupy the remotest verge of the terrific
ry claimed, and declared war against Mexico be-
cause one of her armies marched but few miles
within this frontier and asserted by arms, her
| ttIa m tho ooaunoucv Of ito marc xyaStaru hnr
der The war was terminated by treaty in
4 which Mexico relinquished her claim to the ter
ritory in dispute, and to a large region besides.
There never was therefore, a more uneqnivocal
this claim of Texas by the United States. If that
claim was not good, or was not considered good
by the United States, then we must stand con-
victed of an aggressive war, of shedding the
blood of multitudes of innocent men, of carry
ing ruin and desolation into the heart of neigh
boring people, and of sacrificing in this fell de-
sign, the lives of thousands of our own gallant
citizens who flocked to their country's standard
on a call to defend her rights and her honor, and
to ayenge her blood.
But even if the United States were now to
confess that we were the aggressors, were to
acknowledge to the world the guilt and the dis
honor Of having dyed our garments in blood to
accomplish the slaughter, the plunder, and the
spoliation Of a weaker neghbor, we would be
estopped from claiming that share of the spoil
we had won on pretence of Texan claims for
! ths, Ia of i, irr
and in international law as in common or stat
ute law; and it is as true in logic rs in morals.
| To use the claim of Texas to obtain a territory
and then to appropriate the territory thereby ac-
CURED for our own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, is a viola
ton of the letter and spirit of the compact by
which she was united to us. Before her annex
alton she had Mexico only to contend with for
its establishment; now she is compelled to con-
tend with much greater power-our own-to
establish it, and this too, after she united her
own troops and resources with ours to secure it.
! We suppose that compacts are still supposed to
have some moral force. ~
But distinction is attempted, although it is
not stated between the country on the upper and
lower Rio Grande. The Executive claims Santa
Fe; why does he not claim Point Isabel, at the
mouth of the River The argument Of the
Executive is that Santa Fe was in the possession
of Mexico prior to the war; so was Point Isabel
with the whole valley of the Rio Grande. The
conquest of the one was effected as much rs the
other by Federal power. The only difference is
that the people on the upper Rio Grande, have.
with aid Or nstigation of United States military
officers, attempted to set up a separate govern
ment of their own. s M
In this state of things--with the most solemn
signal recognition of Texian right to the terri
tory. she claimed, made by the Executive and
Congress, and written in the blood of our citi-
zcns and of Mexicans along the very line and
with this recognition, repeated after the war was
over by an order of Secretary MARCY, the pres
ent and recent chief magistrates of the United
States, order military officers to aid the inhabi-
tants of portion of the territory to establish a
government Of their owll--a thing which could
not be done without denying boundary claimed
by Texas and established, without direct and
fragrant violation of the rights OF Texas before
acknowledged.
Here then are the decisions of Congress, Of
the administration of Mr.. Polk, and of the State
of Texas set at naught by Presidents TAYLOR
and FILLMORE, who distinctly threaten to raise
the arm and the sword Of Executive power in
support of their own individual opinions, aided
only by a Mexican population.
The President claims the power and asserts
the design to resist by force--the force of the
Army, Navy and Militia of the United States
the attempt of Texas to establish her jurisdiction
over the territory about Santa Fe. He says
that the Constitution declares that he shall take
care that the laws be. faithfully executed"-that
treaties made by the United States are among
the supreme laws of the land--and that the ninth
article of the treaty of Gaudaloupe EIidalgo pro-
vides that the Mexicans who remain in the