The southern press., 1850-08-31


sought that association which now binds us, with
mutual advantage, 10 common Union That
answer was recorded, alike, in her constitution,
and her statute of Iimlts and in view OF that. and
as she was, we adopted and incorporated her, into
the Union In view of that, and as she was, we,
by solemn act Of Congress (under the constitl-
Union, ,) did recognize and admit her. Nay, more.
when Mexico, in an hour of "judicial blindness.
controverted that answer, claimed a large portion
of the territory which Texas had marked out as
her own, and dared, in attempting TO enforce that
claim, to cross the line with armed force, we, by
another solemn act OF Congress-, declared that
Mexico had inuaded oar soil, and that state OF
war existed between her and US, as the necessary
consequence Of her practical assertion OF claim
in dispute between her and Texas.
The result Of this protracted, san
culinary, and expensive war, which ended IN
the recognition and establishment, by the formal
stipuIations Of treaty, of the entire claim
Of Texas, az she, herself, had originally made it
and as it had, more than once, been recognized
and adopted by us. Here then, we find that this
claim Of Texas, and for Texas, has been asserted
and established, upon principles, by means, and
in manner, which, take all together, are univer-
sally recognized as sound, proper, and conclusive.
With the original question, as between Texas and
Mexico, we have, here, nothing to do. The mer-
it's of that were determined before we became
party to it, Our agency, in relation to it, has con-
sisted in enforcing upon Mexico, and obtaining
from her, recognition of the rightfui claim OF
Texas to her territory, as designated and de-
fined in her Constitution, and Statute Of limits Gas
a Republic.) This we have done. The result is
fixed and irreversibIe. The title Of Texas to the
territory thus claimed by, obtained for, and Sc
cured to her, is ''clear and unquestonable. =
Pursuing this inquiry, where, and what ~ the
extent Of the territory embraced by this title of
Texas? Inspection of the map shows it to be the
territory lying between the southwestern bound
extending from the Gulf Of Mexico to the head
of the Rio Grande, which has been fixed at the
4Oth degree Of North latitude; and embracing, al
together an area of 1926, $50 square miles. II is
separated from New Mexico, and all the country
west, by line formed by the Rio Grande. That
this territory, originally claimed by Texas, was
recognized, and adopted, as such, by the United
States (if all prior proceedings were not conclu-
sive OF the fact) is certainly, and indisputaby,
proved by one Of the resolutions of annexation,
itself. That resolution is in these words:
New States of convenient size, not exceeding
four in number, in addition to said State of Texas,
and having sufficient population. may, hereafter,
by the consent of said State, be formed out of the
territory thereof, which shall be entitled to adj
mission under the provisions of the Federal Con-
stitution And such States rs may be formed
out OF that portion of said territory lying south of
thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude,
commonly known as the Missouri Compromise
line, shall be admitted into the Union with or
without slavery, as the people of cash State ask
ing admission may desire. And in such State or
States as shall be formed out Of said territory
north of said Missouri Compromise line, slavery
or involuntary servitude (except for crimes }
shall be prohibited"
Here, we see that, not only is the whole terri
tory claimed by Texas, recognized and adopted,
4 - .lol ,oI
pectively-and that, too. with direct and special
reference to this very question of slavery, in con-
nection with which we are now considering it..
What but the clear and unequivocal recognition,
and the solemn adoption of the territory, could
have made a division and disposition Of it lawful,
or even admissable' Beyond dispute, the most
emphatic and conclusive acknowledgment that
any government is capable of making of the ex-
istence Of any fact, is its assumption as the basis
of legislation. This acknowledgment we find
here, made in the cearest manner, and most solemn
form. iet sa
Acting in the spirit, and pursuing the purpose
(as generally ayowed at the time of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, Of 1920, we find Congress
adopting the parallel Of $50 80 north latitude as
the Northern limit Of African slavery, and ex-
tending it through Texas, to the Rio Grande; that
is, as far west as we then Claiming for Texas)
had any possessions. The policy or propriety Of
such provision l shall not, here, consider. |
allude to it, only, and assume il, as fact, CON
elusive in favor of the title Of Texas to the whole
Of the. territory; for, if we did not assume her
title to it, how could we provide that she should,
at her own discretion, exercise the highest at
tribute Of sovereignty over ito divide and dis
member it!
The title of Texas to the whole territory--that
is, east ofthe Rio Grande, and extending north to
the 4Oth degree Of latitude, assumed, and the va
lidity Of the Resolutions of Annexation unques-
toned, l come, with these two facts, to inquire
what is to be the practical effect, of this third pro-
vision Of the Bill, before us, upon the question Of
slapery?
1t is seen that, even under the Resolutions Of
Annexation, Slavery does lawfully exist through
out the whole Of Texas, from the Sabine to the
Rio Grande, and from the Gulf Of Mexico to the
40th degree of north latitude-thatis while Texas
remains one, undivided State. Under the same Re
solutions, Texas may divide her territory into ad
ditional States not exceeding four in number; but
the exercise of this privilege of division, abridges
her control the institution OF savery restrict
ing to that portion of her territory south of the
line of 36o30 and giving over to free soil all Of it
lying north Of that line The ,ohoie Of Texas then,
is, in the language ofthe day." Slave Territory"
at her discretion, even under the Resolutions of
Annexation; and, even should she be divided, all
south Of 36o 3O' would remain so only that por-
ton lying north Of that line embracing an erea of
about SIS 900 square miles) becoming free soil, un-
der any contingency. But being essentially a
Slave State, and for the best reasons having to re-
main SO, it is not at all likely that Texas would
ever avail of the privilege Of division, by which
she would not merely curtail her own limits, but
establish free-soi State along her Northern bor-
der, and nearer, by some hundred miles, than that
already existing, to her great agricultural interest,
so liable to be injured by such neighborhood.
But whether this supposon be well or i'll founded,
and even if she should divide, the worst that could
happen in this connection, against the interests Of
the South, would be the loss, as have described
it, the territory lying north Of $50 30, and sufi
cient, only, for one free State.
But, what do we find south Of 36o 80 north
latitude' The map shows us broad and beauti-
ful territory, embracing an area of at least 275,-
600 square milesor the equivalent of four States,
each fourth larger than Arkansas, which is
among the largest in the Union. And all this.
whether remaining under one organization,
Texas, or divided into four seperate States--all
retaining or admitting slavery, and all, by that
great interest, assimated in sentiment, identified
in policy, and indissolubly allied, to the South.
How desirable, how indispensable, indeed to our
interest and safety, this is, must be obvious to all