The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-19

| sas and then trayersed New Mexico and the con
| tiguous provinces to Chihuahua and thence
Texas, as prisoner in the hands of Spanish off
GERS, and improved the occasion to learn the geog
raphy and history OF the country through which b.
was led and gave us the earliest American accoun
OF the internal provinces Of New Spain
DIR. Wislizenus, scientific traveller, and one o
the latest in the (former) internal Provinces con
| firms both Humboldt and Pike. In his journal o
| '46-'47, he says:
"Under the Spanish government, Texas, with
Coahuila, New Santander, and New Leon, belonged
TO the general commandment of the propincias in
ternas orientaes. This division was made in 1907
In 1924, when nineteen independent States ano
some territories formed themselves into the prcsen
Republic of Mexico, New Leon and New Santandel
became two of those States, the latter having
changed its name into Tamaulipas, and Coahuils
and Texas united, formed third State. The bo,ui
daries Of those States continued 10 be the same n
der the Spanish government All the authorities which
had an opportunity to compare, in regard to the
then southern boundary OF Texas, seem to agree in
line along the Nueces; but the respective bound
airy between Coahuila and Texas appears to have
been somewhat indefinite from the earliest settle
rnents. Humboldt, in his Essay Politque sur lie
royaume de la Nouvelle Espagne, " i, p. 2s2, says
'Jai trace les limites de Coahua ct de Texas pres
de Pembouchure du Rio Puerco ct les sources
du Rio de San Saba tees que je les al trouvees in
dques dams les cartes specales conservees dams les
archives de la vce-royan, ct dressees par des in
genieurs service du roi d Espagne. Mais com
ment determner des limitcs territoriaes dams les
savannes immenses ou les metaires sont eloignGes
les unes des autres de Is 20 lieucs, ct Oh l'on
trouve presque aucune trace de defrichcment on dc
culture"
A late German work on Mexico by Muehlenp-
fordt, published in 1874, contains the following
comment upon the same subject: 'fThe boundaries
OF the present State of Coahuila towards Texas in
the north and northeast rather indefinite, but
we presume that towards the north the boundary
of the State of Coahuila extends from the mouth OF
the Rio Puerco to the small lake of San Saba, near
the 800 north latitude" And in another place the
same author says of the State of Tamaulipas: .The
State, formerly called the colony Of New Santan-
der, and belonging to the attendance of San Louis
Potosi, but since the revolution Of Mexico nde-
pendent State, is bound on the north by the State
of Coahuia and the present republic of Texas, and
the cast by the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna
de Tampico to the Nueces river, from the 30 TO
the 2So north latitude"
In the "Ensayo estadistico sobre el Estado de
Chihuahua" published in Chihuahua, 1912, find
(p- l0) the following PASSAGE
GEL Rio de Pecos forma la linea dvisoria del Es-
tado con el de Coahuila y Tejas des los 800 30'
latitud norte, hasta desemboquc el Rio rande
del Norte."
.sThe Pecos river forms the dividing line between
the State of Chihuahua and that of Coahuila and
Texas, from 32o 80 north latitude, down to its
mouth, into the Rio Grande."
The Pecos and the Puerco, it will be remembered
the same river, called, at its sources, after the
name Of the Indian tribe who lived upon them, and
in its lower part Pierco, from the color of its
ters, muddy. All authorities agree that this river
was, and Is, in New Mexico
The map of DIR. Wislizenus, which now pro-
duce, agrees with Humboldt and Pike, except in
the correction of slight differences in longitudes
and latitudes, which his accurate instruments
bled him to make, and which have practical con-
sequence in this examination. On this map have
marked, in red pencil line, the southeastern
boundary of New Mexico as il existed under the
Spanish government, and in dotted red pencil
line the new boundary as proposed by our Com
mittee of Thirteen. The difference between the
two lines is, as have stated, about seventy thou
md anna mil tn hat NJ IA Mey
leo to be affected by that proposed line.
To avoid all misconcepuon, repeat hat have
already declared, that am not occupying myself
with the question of title as il may exist and be
eventually determined between New Mexico and
Texas; nor am questioning the power of Congress
TO establish any line il pleases in that quarter for
the State OF Texas, with the consent Of the State
and any one II peases for the Territory of New
Mexico without her consent. 1 am not occupying
myself with the questions OF title or power, but with
the question of possession only-and how far the
possession of New Mexico is to be disturbed, if dis
turbed at all, by the committees line; and the effect
of that disturbance in rousng the slavery question
i'm that quarter In that point of view the fact Of
possession is every thing: for the possessor has a
right TO what he holds until the question Of title
is decidedly law, in question between indi-
viduals or communities in land Of law and
order-or by negotiation arms between indie
pendent Powers. i use the phrase, possession
~ New Mexico but it is only for brevity. and
20 give locality to the term possession. New
Mexico possesses no territory she is Territory,
and belongs To the United States; and the United
States own her as she stood the day Of the
treaty of peace and session between the United
States and the Republic of Mexico; and it is into
that possession that inquire and all which assert
that the United States have a right To hold until
the question OF title IL decided. And To save in
quiry doubt, and to show that the committee are
totally mistaken in law in assuming the consent of
Texas 90 be ndispensab ects the settlement of the
tite say there three Ways 10 settle IL; the first
and best by compact, ne proposed before Texas
49,. .
by n suit in the Supreme Court under that clause
in the Constitution which extends the judicial
power of the United States 10 all controversies to
which the United States is party, and that other
clause which gives the Supreme Court original
jurisdiction of all cases 10 which State Is party;
the third way is for the United States 90 give gov
crnment TO New Mexico according to the territory
she possessed when she was coded TO the United
States. These are the three ways 10 settle the
question--one Of them totally dependent the will
Of Texas one totally independent of her willard
one independent Of her will until she chooses to 90
into court As TO any thing that Texss New
Mexico may do in taking or relinquishing posses-
sion, il is all moonshine. New Mexico is a Terri
tory of the United States. She is the property Of
the United States; and she cannot dispose Of her.
SELF or any part of herself; nor can Texas take hes
or any part Of her. She is 10 stand cue did the
day the United States acquired her; and to that
point all my examinations are directed
And IN that point Of view il is immaterial what
arc the boundaries of New Mexico The whole Of
fully belonging to State, belongs to the United
Statesi and, such, is the property of the United
States, and 10 be attended 10 accordingly. But
proceed with the possession of New Mexico, and
show that il has been actual and continuous from
the conquest Of the country by Don Juan dc onate,
in 1895, 70 the present time That ancient actual
possession has already been shown at the starting
point Of the linc--at FL Paso del Nortc. will now
show it to be the came throughout the continuation
OF the line across the Pucrco and its valley, aud at
points the left bank Of the Del Norte below
III Psso. And first, Of the Puerco river. II rises
in the latitude Of Santa Fe, and in ts immediate
only ten miles from it, and running
south, falls into the Rio del Norte about three hun
drcd miles on straight line below FL Paso, and
has valley Of its own between the mountain range
on the west, which divides il from the valley Of the
Del Nortc, 10 which il is parallel, and the high arid
table land on the cast called FL I.ano Estacado-
the Staked Plain-which divides il from the head
waters Of the Red river, the Colorado, the Brasos
and other Texan streams. II is a long river its
head being in the latitude Of Nashvie-its mouth
a degree and half south of New Orleans II
washes the base Of the high table land and receives
no sfiiuents and has valley on that side on the
west u has valley, and many bold affluents, com.
ing down from the mountain range, (the Sierra
Obscura, the Sierra Blanca, and the Sierra dc los
Organos,) which divides il from the valley of the
DoI Nnrfc NJ =, Il Z. -