Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-13

sand square miles, to be taken by the commuters line
from its present and ancient possessor and transferred
a new claimant. This is what the new line would do
and in doing it would raise the question Of the extern
sion of slavery and of its existence this time by law
IN New Mexico as part of Texas
This statement Is too important to remain mere
statement therefore proceed to verify it; and for thai
purpose have recourse to the highest authores-Hum
bodts Essay upon New Spain, Pixies Journal Of hs
passage through New Mexico, and DR.. Wislizenus;
report OF his tour with Doniphans expedition begir
with Humboldt and quote him to show the boundaries
OF New Mexico on the east where that province bound
ed upon Texas and Coahuila At page 2s2, vol !, Pa
rs edition OF the Essay, he says:
J al trace les limites de Coahuia ct de Texas pres
De Pembuchure du Rio Puerco, vers les sources du
Rio de San Saba tees que e les al rouvees indquees
dams les carries speciaes conseeeS daps les archeves
de la vceroyaute dresses par des ingenieurs au
service du roi dEspagne"
In ENGLISH: al have traced the limits of Coahula
and of Texas the mouth Of the Rio Puerco, and
towards the sources OF the Rio de San Saba such as
have found them in the special maps preserved in the
archives of the royalty and drawn up by eng-
neeTs in the service of the King of Spain.
This what Humboldt says of the eastern boundary
OF New Mexico and his map illustrates what he says.
de places that boundary it leaves the Rio Grande
del Norte, at about twelve miles below the mouth of
the Paerco, in west longitude lo4, and in north lat
tude 29a and thence ENTHUSIASTICALLY to the head of the
Rio San Saba, branch of the Rio Colorado of Texas
10 north latitude 80 deg Is nn, and in west longitude
lol. his is the line he gives found in the special
maps drawn up by engineers in the service of the King
OF SPAN, and preserved in the archives of the Vceroy-
atty in the city Of Mexico Further than that he does
not traceit; but that is far enough for purpose 1t
is enough to show that New Mexico under the Spa-
nsh Government extended far east as l0l degrees
of longitude covering the whole of the Puerco
and entering what is now the county OF Bexar in Tex
as. So much for Humboldt: now for Pike He saws
at p. of his appendix TO the journal of his Journey
through New Mexico:
New Mexico lies between 30 deg 80 min and ID
deg OF north latitude, and l04 and lOS degrees west
longitude, and is the northern province of the
Kingdom OF New Spain 1t extends northwest into
an underlined boundary-is bounded north and east BY
Louisiana, south by new Biscay and Ceahua, and
west by Sonora and California Its length is unknown:
its breadth may be 600 miles; but the inhabited part
IS not than 400 miles in length and so 10 breadth
lying along the river del orte from the 81 deg to the
81 deg. 80 min ofnorth latitude but in this space there
is desert of more than $50 miles, Santa Fe is the
capital, and the residence of the Governor Ell Paso
is the second city and it is the residence of the Lieuten
ant Governor 1t is the most southern town Of the
Province, as Taos is the most northern"
This the Journal of Pike, and his map corresponds
with it. 1t shows the eastern boundary of New Mexi-
CO, leaving the Del Norte few miles below the mouth
OF the Puerco in longitude 104 and bearing northeast
towards the San Saba This corresponds with Hum
6odt, and shows that in naming l04 the eastern
longitudinal limit of New Mexico, he only speak,
ing Of the point at which it left the Rio del Norte
called in that part the Rio Grande. His map the
breadth OF that province, stated by him at six hundred
mles-and the boundary east on Louisana-all show
that he carried the eastern boundary after leaving the
Del Norte, as far northeast as Humboldt had done
This is the testimony OF Pike then Lieutenant alter
wards general in the army of the United States an
energetic explorer swell brave officer much adj
dlcted to geographical study. He had explored the
head-waters Of the Mississippi and the Arkansas, and
then traversed New Mexico aud the contiguous pro-
vnces to Chihuahua. and thence Texas prisoner
in the hand OF Spanish officers, and improved the oc-
cason to learn the geography and history OF the coun
try through which he was led, and gave us the ear
lest American account OF the internal provinces of New
Spain.
The map of Dr. Wslzenus, which | now produce
agrees with Humboldt and Pike, except in the correc
ton OF slight differences in longitudes and ATTITUDES
which his accurate instruments enabled him to make,
and which have no practical consequence in this exam
nation. On this map have marked, in a red pencil
line, the southeastern boundary of New Mexico as it
existed under the Spanish Government and in dotted
red pencil line the new boundary proposed by our
COMMITTEE OF Thirteen. The difference between the
two lines is, as have stated about $1,000 square miles;
and to that extent is New Mexico be affected by that
proposed line.
To avoid all misconceptions repeat what have al
ready declared, that am occupying myself with the
question of title may exist and be eventually deter
mined between New Mexico and Texas nor am
questioning the power of Congress to establish any line
peases in that quarter for the State of Texas with the
consent OF the State and any peases for the Ter
rltory OF New Mexico without her consent | am not
occupying myself with the question Of title or power
but with the question OF possession only-and how far
the possession OF New Mexico be disturbed if dis
turbed at ALL by the committees lne and the effect of
that disturbance In rousng the slavery question that
quarter In that point of view the fact of possession is
every thing for the possessor has right to what he
holds until the question of title is decidedly law in
question between individuals communities in land
OF law and order-or by negotiation between
independent powers. use the phrase possession by
New Mexico; but it is only for brevy, and to give To-
caity to the term possession. New Mexico possesses
no territory she is territory and belongs to the Uni
ted States and the United States her she stood
on the day OF the treaty OF peace and cesson between
the United States and the Republic of Mexico and it
Is into that possession that inquire, and up to which
assert that the United States have right to hold until
m to
doubt, and to show that the committee are totally mis-
taken IN law in assuming the consent of Texas to be
indispensable to the settlement of the title say there
are three ways to settle it, the first and best by compact
as proposed before Texas annexed, and again by
bill OF this year. next by suit in the Supreme Court
under That clause In the constitution which extends the
judicial power OF the United States to all controversies
70 which the United States is party, and that other
clause which gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction
o all cases to which State party: the third way is
,q me United States to give government to New
Mexico according to the territory she possessed when
she was coded to the United States These are the three
ways to settle the questionone of them totally depen
liant on the will of Texas-one totally independent of
ler willard enc independent OF her will until she
chooses to go into court AS to any thing that Texas
Or New Mexico may do in taking or renqushing pos
session. it is all moonshne New Mexico is territory
ot the United States She is the property of the Unit
I'd States; and she cannot dispose of herself or any
part OF herself; Texas take her. or any mart of
1er. She is to stand as she did the day the United
States acquired her and to that point all nv examna
lions are directed
proceed with the possession of New Mexico. and
show that has been actual and continuous from the
conquest OF the country by Don Juan de Onate, in
1895, to the present time. That ancient actual pos
session has already been shown at the starting |
point OF the line-at Ell Paso del Nore. I will now
show 1t to be the same throughout the continuation
the line the Puerco and its valley and at the
same points the left bank of the Del Norte below
Ell Paso And first of the Pueco river. 1t rises in The
latitude Of Santa Fe, and in its immediate neighbor-
hood only ten miles from it, and running south falls
into the Rio del Nore about three hundred miles on
straighline below Ell Paso and has valley of its own
between the mountain range on the west which divides
it from the valley of the Del Norte which is para
lei and the high arid table land on the east called Ell
Llano Estacado-the Staked Plain--whch divides it |
from the headwaters of the Red river, the Colorado the
Brasos land other Texan 1t is long river its
head being in the latitude of NashvlIe-ts mouth de-
gree and half south of New Orleans 1t washes the
base of the high table, and receives afluents and
has valley that side the west it has valley
and many bold aluents, coming down from the noun
tain range the Sierra Obscura the Sierra Blanca and