Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-08-14


tale and rights Of Mexican citizens or ac-
9uire those Of citizens Of the United
States. But they shall be under the obl-
ga,ion 10 make their election within one
YEAR from the date OF the exchange Of rat.
iGcations OF this treaty and those who
shall remain in the said territories ailer The
expiration Of that year. without having de-
clared their intention 10 retain the charac-
Ter of Mexicans, shall be considered 10 have
elected TO become citizens Of the United
States.
"In the said territories. property Of every
kind, now belonging 10 the Mexicans moi
established there, shall be invioably res
pec,ed. The present owners. the heirs Of
these, and all Mexicans who may hereal-
ter acquire said property by contract. shall
enjoy, with respect 10 it. guarantees equal
ly ample ash the same belonged 10 citizens
Of the United States"
The nin,h article ofthc treaty is in these
words
"The Mexicans who. in the territories
aforesaid, shall not preserve the character
Of citizens Of the Mexican Republic, cor
formally with what is stipulated in the
preceding article, shall be incorpored into
the Union o( the United States and be
admitted a, The proper time TO be judged
Of by the Congress Of the United Stales,)
10 the enjoyment Of all the rights of ci'-
zens Of the United States, according to The
principles Of the Constitution and in the
meantime shall be maintained and protect.
ed in the free enjoyment Of their liberty
and property, and secured in the free exer
else Of their religion, without ressriction.'
II is plain, therefore, on size face of,hesc
treaty siipuIaiioos. that all Mexicans es,ab-
lished in territories north or east Of the
kne of demarkatioa already mentioned,
come within the protection Of the ninth
article and that the treaty, being a pari
Of the supreme law Of the land, does extend
over all such Mexicans, and assures TO
them perfect security in the free enjoyment
of their liberty and property, as well as in
the free exercise Of their religion ; and this
supreme law Of the land being thus in lul!
force over this ierriiory,s TO be maintained
until it shall be displaced or superseded by
other legal provisions; and if it be OBJ
structed or resisted by combinations too
powerful to te suppressed by the civil au
thoriiy, the case is one which comes with
in the provisions Of The law, and which
obliges the President to enforce these pro.
visions. Neither the constitution, nor the
laws. nor my duty, nor my oath Of office,
leave me any alternative, or any choice in
my mode Of action.
The Executive Government Of the Uni.
ted States has no power or authority to dc.
termne what was the true line or bounda
ry between Mexico and the United States
before che treaty Of Guadalupe, llidal go,
nor has any such power now. since The
question has become one bet~ the
State of Texas and the United States. So
far as the boundary is doubtful, that doubt
can only be removed by some act Of Con-
gress, TO which the assent Of The State
Of Texas may he necessary, or by some
appropriate mode Of legal adjudication but
in the meantime, il disturbances OF COLI.
sions arise or should be threatened, it is
absolutely Incumbent on the Executive Gov
e,nmcnt, however, painful the du,y.,o take
care that the laws be faithfully maintained;
and h1 cuu regard only the actual state o
things as il existed at The date OF The treaty,
and is bound to project all inhabitants who
we're ihtn established, and who now re.
main north and east Of the line OF demark.
nlion, in the full enjoy ment Of their liberty
and their property according TO the Provi.
sions Of the 9th article of the treaty in
other words, all must be now regarded as
New Mexico which was possessed and &C.
cupied as New Mexico by citizens ol Mex.
ico at the date Of the treaty, until definite
line Of boundary shall be established by
competent authority. This assertion of
duty TO protect the people Of New Mexico
from threatened violence or from seizure,
TO be carried into Texas for Trial Tor a.
ledged offences against Texaa laws. does
no, at al include any claim OF power on
the partUf the Executive to establish any
civil military government within that Ter
ritory. That perer belongs exclusively
to the Legislative department. and Congress
is the sole judge ofthe time and manner Of
creating or authorizing any such govern
ments.
The duty Of the Executive extends only
70 the execution of laws and The malnien-
ance of treaties actually ia force, and the
protection of fall the people Of the United
States in the enjoyment Of The rights which
those treaties and laws guarantee.