The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-30

oil the territory claimed by New Mexico; and sir they
have not in my Judgment advanced single step towards
the establishment OF the title they have claimed on the
Upper Rio Grande
Lei as examine for few moments the grounds OF
ihis clam. There is no pretence the part of the
senators from Texas that any portion of This territory
was within the original limits Of ancient Texas No
body p,eends that There is no pretencc that was
within the limits OF the State OF Coahua and Texas
no portion OF the ancient Stale OF New Mexico was IN
caded within the limits Of the Mexican State OF Texas
OF OF Coahuia and Texas
Texas, IN the year 1915, being a portion of the MeY
ican republic OF which New Mexico also province
OF Territory, revolted. and, by successful revolution
rendered herself independent OF the government OF Mex
ico, breaking OIL forever her connexion with that repub
nc what did Texas acquire by her saccessful revou
non She acquired the sovereign powei--the right of
ss government tor her people within the actual limits of
iexas rs she was ut the time when she established her
independence She acquired still another ght-that of
obtaining, by conquest and by treaty, additional territory
IRON Mexico. with whom she continued to be af
te the establishment OF her Independence To what ex
tent ihen, did fexas carry her co1quests after she be-
came herself sovereign State and capable OF aequisi.
ton! What did she add--whai has this goyt rnlnen
admitted her To have added 10 her original territories?
propose to examine that question for moment.
Texas has acquired any title to New Mexico
from Mexico to Texas, or ii must have been by
conquest and cession to the United States Tor the ben
eht OF Texas. And here, SIR. am willing admit that
the government oi the United States in ali its branches
competent to decide this question, went to with Mex
ico io the purpose of vindcatng the little OF Texas,
OF the United States in the right Of Texas this entire
teiuoIy, IN tat the government oil
The UnIed States may be esoped by that from setting
up any ntle IN herself in her right, to the territory
30 acquired Not sir, that the Executive, any Of the
subordinate officers OF the United States have the power
to duplicate this government by the admission that this
acquisition was made Tor the benefit OF Texas OF any
other State whatever But II the government of the
United States, II the legislative department of this gov
erDment-which alone Is competent to do so-have de-
Giafed war Tor the purpose OF yndicatng the title of
Texas TO New Mexico then il will present the question
Of estoppel that has been urged by senators who have
discussed the subject OF that title
What then, are The facts, sir When Texas nego-
tated for admission into this Union, it was well known
that she had asserted claim to jurisdiction up the
sources OF the Rio Grande But did the resolutions OF
anne alton admit that claim Not at all, sir Nothing
could be carefully worded TO exclude any such pre-
ence than the language of the joint resolutions 1t
provided that the territory properly included within and
rghtilliy belonging TO Texas might be erected into
new State" Why territory properly Included within
and righfuy belonging Texas" ii il was intended by
the United States that Texas should come ia with the
boundaries which she had thought proper to claim The
language used the joint resolution shows that although
Congress-, when they passed it, had notice OF the
OF the claims OF Texas they intended limit to such
boundaries as she had actually acquired and
March, ls45, when the joint resolution passed.
What else done sir +! Congress, when they
proposed the admission of Texas, not Who'll
ly unmndiul OF the great fundamental principle upon
which this government is based They unmnd-
fu that this is founded upon and maintained
by the assent OF the people, and that the people cannot
consistently with the theory OF our institutions be con-
strained to submit to any form of government which
they have not freely assented When, therefore, Con-
in l545 proposed Texas into the Unon
what did they propose That she should come in with her
ghiiul boundaries and with republican form Of gov
ernmtnt TO be adopted by the people of Mat republic
Who were ~the people cf that repubr. We're tho peo
pie OF New Mexico, comprising population OF 10000,
portion Of the people OF Texas al that tmel If they
were, why, SIR was that constitution presented 10 Con-
gress as constitution adoped by the people OF Texas
when the whole OF the people of New Mexico
ciuded from any participation in lis adoption should
like to hear explanation upon that point How is it
tha, We had presented here in December ls43. doc
IN hnVn hnu QAn All hV fhp N
the republic OF Texas IN convention, when 10000 Of
those who are now claimed to have constituted portion
formation Is thus the repubcanism OF the 10Th century
Ii thus the manner in which States and people be
brought INTO this Unon Is this, indeed, the manner IN
which the Congress OF the United States who passed the
olAt resolutions OF isi3, had right TO suppose they
would be treated by Texasl Did they expect 10 have
palmed upon them under the petext of constitution
adopted by the people OF Texas document under which
the people OF New Mexico brought into this Union.
aud with no participation whatsoever in the ACT BY which
they thus transferred from jurisdiction to anoth
err IL thai be then, Ell, have people, who have
lived under their laws for centuries before Texas
came into existence brought into This Union, without
their assent mere appendages to Texas and without
any opportunity being afforded Them OF saying yea nay
10 the ac, by which their allegiance Transferred TO
forelgn government
No. SIR Texas well knew al ,ha, time that no par, OF
New Mexico rghtiully included in her limits; and
therefore II that she drl not notify the people OF New
Mexico TO participate in the formation OF her constitution
preparatory TO Ter admission into tue Union. will not
dsSenbe, to conceal from the Congress OF the United
Siales, when they brought their oonsu on here for ap
prevail wlth proof OF It's adoption by the people OF that
republic" the fact that the people OF New Mexico, the
larger portion OF the republic had not saed
been invited to operate, IN its adoption
Well, ar, II Texas when she into the Union
it, when she adopted her constitution in lS43, Texas did
not embrace New Mexico, how has she since had the
power OF adding acquisitions TO her domain Tex
after she into this Union had no power to
qure territory by treaty nor had she any longer the
power OF waKng independent State. ior ts ac
QUESTION. The war and treaty which ensued were the
war and the treaty of the government OF the United
States. The blood that spIl, in the acquisition of
the Territories OF New Mexico and Caliiorna was the
blood Of the people of the United States. The money
which was expended. pursuance Of the stpulai'ons OF
that treaty. purchasing the cesron OF those Territories
was drawn from the common treasury What preience
OF right is there then If Texas did not own this territory
when she accepted the proposal rendered by the JOINT res
oluions, for her present claim She has done nothing
by which she could have acquired il since That tern
lory II not owned by her then, could come to her only
by treaty conquest She could have obtained II herself
in neither OF these ways and the United States had
power if the territory did not belong Texas, to wage
of conquest acquire it for her. But sir, Il has
been stated the OF this discussion by the honor
able senator from Virginia. whom ] do not now see IN
his seat but who usually sits nearest TO me- Mr. HUN
TERI that 1t understood by the Executive OF The
United States, when Texas admitted, that her urs
dcton included the territory claimed BY her the Upper
well on the Lower Rio Grande, and he said that the
Gated the opinion. Sir these instructions indicate
the very Mr. Slidell did claim, and he was
authorized by The President OF the United States TO
claim the President himself asserted in his message
to Congress, that Texas extended TO the Lower Rio
Grande, comprehending the territory below Paso del