The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-01

do hereby certify that this map has been compiled
reuzbaur and that IL Ia the most correct
be State which have seen, which has come within my
nOwledge The meaDders Of the rivers are all correctly
epresented being made from actual surveys"
[Signed by Thomas w. Ward, at Austin, July
, 1s4s
g. The undersigned Commissioner Of the General land
)mce Of the State of Texas has hesitaney in decar
ng his firm conviction that this map is very correct
Of the State representing all returns
late having been compiled with great care from the
# the General La Once by the draughtsman Robert
IreuIbawr."
Signed July 4, ls4s: George w. Smith
a State Of Texas certify that George W. Ward
Of the General Lsnf on from the 9th day
Of January ls 10 the 10Th day Of March, lS4S and also
that George W. Smith and has been Commissioner AZ
aforesaid since the goth day OF March last In testimony
whereof have hereunO set hand and affixed the seal Of
the State Austin the 18th day Of July SS and Of the
independence of Texas the thirteenth year"
ISigned, George T. Wood countersigned by
the Secretary Of State, w. d. Miller.
This is the authentcation of the map, and GER
tainly nothing could be more full and satisfactory
The dates Of the certificates are also most essen
tial for they show the map to have been COM
piled as late as the spring of lS4S the very date
Of the treaty with the Republic Of Mexico, as if
nited States the extent OF the rexan possession
on the day she became interested in the question
By becoming the owner Of the territory contigu.
Gus to Texas Here ia this authentic map. Look
at Unfolding it up( 1t is large enough to be
seen across the Chamber, and shows objects with
sufficient distnctness 10 be discerned by all. Its
western limit is the longitude Of 1902 the very
limit propose, as if | had made the map myself
| to suit my bill Here is the longitude Of l02
constituting the western limit of the map, running
through the centre of the Staked Plain leaving
every county every town, and every land district,
and every stream and river of Texas, with all
their head springs and sources TO the east leaving
the whole course of the Puerco and its valley to
| the west, and striking the Del Norte just below
the mouth Of the PuercO, and three hundred miles
on a straight line below Ell Paso Behold ii
Here is lO2 cutting the long blank space marked
| Ell LlanO EStaeddO, the Staked Plain; and here
are all the breaks in the eastern deoivity of that
| long, broad, and sterile table land, from which
| issue the thousand little streams which, taking
their course towards the rising sun, and gather
ing themselves into large channels, give birth to
| all the beautiful rivers of Texss-the Colorado,
| the Brasos, (Los Brssos de Dios, the Arms Of
| God,T the Nueces and the southern forks Of the
Red river. There they all are Everything
that ia Texan by nature or by law, Rivers,
tovuS cay9tise ~ 70 the east NJ 1o2, and al
separated from New Mexico by the high desert
plain which marks the structure Of the country,
and divides systems of rivers and of lands from
each other.
This is the line which | propose and upon the
adoption of which the sense Of the Senate will
be taken 1t is entirely different from that of the
committee, and makes a difference Of 10000
square miles TO the United States territory
in New Mexico, according TO its adoption or re-
lection.
have diligently studied the report of the COM
mittee to find out the principle on which they
could take line beginning above Ell Paso to di-
vide the territories of New Mexico and Texas
a line which, conforming to neither claim, fall
SITES both and which, contradicting history, ge-
ography, and law, invslidates itself have been
4reatly at loss to discover the principle which
such an anomalous line could be based and sup
pose have found it, so far as it can be found, in
the paragraph of the committees report, which
will read This is it;
UThe committee beg leave next to report the subject
of the northern and boundary of Texas On that
question great diversity Of opinion has prevailed Accord
ing TO one petp IT, the limit Of Texas was the
ueces according another, IL extended to the RIO
rdnde and stretched from its mouth to its source ma
recommending dicdbte GdtuS n'enf OF the boundary
with Texas abstain from expressing anu opinion as 10
the true and legitimate western and northern boundary
that State The terms proposed for such an adjustment
contained in the bill herewith repor ed and they are
with nconsidersbe variation the same as that reported by
the Committee on Territories.
According 70 these terms II Is proposed Texas that
her boundary be rscog the Rio Grsnde and that
river TO the point commonly caed III Pao, and running
thence np that river twenty miles measured thereon by
straight line, and thence e'swardly tsa point where the
degree Of west longitude crosses he'd river being
the sOuthwes angle in the line designated between the
United States and Mexico and Che same angle in the
line of the territory set apart for the Indians by the United
Statesp
This is it! and pretty light it is to guide the
Congress of the United States-a great diversity
of opinion among the people, and no opinion at
all in the committee Some think the Nueces the
true and legitimate western boundary some think
il extends to the Rio Grande. The committee
think neither one nor the other, nor anything
else; but, having come to the conclusion to recon-
mend an amicable adjustment they abstain from
expressing any opinion as to the true and leg'ti'
mate western boundary of Texas and then
without any regard to what is either true or legit
|, innate, they cut New Mexico in two, and give
! half of her to Texas. If the committee had
e studied the question of boundary, and expressed
l. an opinion and then made their line conformablt
d TO it, their recommendation might have been en-
titled TO great weight Butthey do no such thing
They do not study the question. They expressly
: abstain from it. They neither give an opinion
of their own nor adopt that Of anybody else
o They neither take the Nueces, as they say som'
n believe nor the Rio Grande, as they say other
believe nor name any line which they themselve
believe but, going it blind-making half anC
, half business Of it-cutting instead of untyint
, the Gordiau knot-they take a new course across
tbs Puercos beginning half way up the De
, Norte cut New Mexico in two just below TIT
! hips, and give the lower half TO Texas, leaving
, New Mexico TO stump it about as she can, with
, out feet or legs
: This is called abstainng from expressing al
opinion but il is certainly acting an opinion
and executing it also They amputate New
Mexico-cut her in two just below the middle
give half 10 Texas-and call that no opinion
Sir there was once dispute before wise mar
. with respect to the maternity Of child Two dif
, ferent women claimed to be it's mother, and Solo
mon, puzzled with their contradictory assevera
l, tions, and not able to decide which was the tru
: and legitimate mother and abstainng from OK
: pressing any opinion ordered the child to be Gu
! in two, and half of it to be given to each I OF
know how it ended. The true mother would no
have the child cut in twoi and the wise man kne'
a that and his Judgment was nothing but devic
II to ind out the truth by making nature speak
- do not know whether our committee have acted o
= the policy of Solomon-Solomons though they a
"a may be; nor, in fact, upon what policy or prir
a ciple they acted. There Is no point from tn
a a head TO the mouth of the river which may not
+ taken on the same principle Amcabie adjust
= ment is the only rule they profess and that seen
- to be very amicable and according 10 what the
20 propose all their amicablity runs in one channe
=, and all their adjustment leans to one side. The
!. give seventy thousand square miles OF New Me'
80 leo to Texas, and offer her $4,000 900 TO acceI
40 1t! This is amicable enough TO Texas, ana az
~ justment enough to sui; her But how does
- suit the United States and New Mexico2- Ho
- does it suit truth and ustice-that true and legi
y, innate line which the committee did not even pr
~ tend to ascertain
a The committee propose a consideration to
L paid by the United States to Texss-how muC
aI they do not say in their bill report but RUNE
no talks of $40 100000. This is what the repo
20 says:
AS reconsideration for IT, and considering that por
the debt of Texas created pledge to her cred
CT the duties foreign IMPORTS transferred by
resolution Of annexation 70 the United States and now
ceyed and receivable In their treasury majority OF