The southern press., 1850-07-29

consent Of the existing government did adopt a
constitution and erect seso Stpte with republican
fbrm," &C. ssTherefars,"
Resolved, THAT the State Of Isras shall be one,
and is hereby declared 70 be one of the United
States Of America, and admitted into the Union
on equal footing with the original States in all
respects whatever"
subsequent act extended the laws of the
Union the new State Of Texas, which were
declared "to have full force and effect toithin the
State Of Teras admitted, at the present session of
Congress into the confederacy and Union Of the
United States - $50
Now what do these acts prove
They affirm the fact of Texas selfexistent
Statehood, SO to speak; and acknowledge that it
was IN pursuance Of the agreement and compact
Of March l845. They notice the action of Texas
upon the question of her boundaries assumed
upon the act Of 1886, and then admit the State of
Texas into the Union, and if to clinch this re-
cognition of her boundaries, they extend to, and
make operative within the said State, the laws of
the United States. a6
ask, now, what Texas was admitted what
State of Texas? where 'and within what limits
was United States law operative under the act Of
Congress' Was it Texas without boundaries,
or with them' Was United States law operative,
but where or upon whom unknown to the gov
ernmenti Was Texas by the act Of admission, a
giant pigmyi Was she a sovereign with or
without domain? afa ~
These questions conclusively point to one an
swer, and but one Texas was State, defined
in her boundaries, and fixed in her jurisdiction
by her own sovereign act; as such she became
State OF the Union in December, 1S45; Congress
thus giving its sanction to that act Of Texas.
United States law was binding upon every citizen
within the boundaries fixed by the law of 1886,
and what was still better, the obligations Of the
Federal Constitution rested upon, and its guaran-
Confederacy. 5 * rs
hold then, that by the act Of admission, Texas
with the boundary assumed by her in 1896, be-
came a member of this Union, emitted to the pro-
lection within that boundary which it is the high
est duty Of the Federal Government to afford, as
well as the most prominent object of its estab-
lishment. And what course was pursued by the
Government, 4 at ea
! answer, that Mr.. Polk, true to the duty which
was imposed upon him, gave the famous orders to
General Taylor to approach nearer to the Rio
Gra,sde, the limit Of Texas, and to repel all at
tempts to pass the river on the part of Mexican
troops. This order was given after the admission
Of Texas in january, 1916. FIN
Mexican troops passed the river-skirmishes
cnsued--blood was spilled; and the country was
startled from apathy to arms by the announce
ment that !" American blood had been shed upon
American soil. = Congress responsive to the ear
nest recommendation of the Executive, almost
unanimously declared that the g war existed by
the act of Mexico" will dispute with any one
about the propriety Of the act Of Congress- and
the haste which characterised it; let these points
be waived. One thing is certain. No one denied,
or but few, the warm proposition upon which the
declaration of war was justifed-the inpasion Of
Ieras. s- g{lt5 4s, af i3s VII
/ say then, that the recognition of boundary by
the United States in the admission of Texas, was
reasserted and maintained by the arms Of the
Union in the war declared against Mexico.
Previous to the declaration of war, Mr.. Polk
had rendered negotiation as a means of adjusting
the conflict of boundaries. This was done under
AScSA'oeich =" JOiit ACcOiutOHo cduy
ticed Mexico having refused, and even assumed
to invade,war became the medium of adjustment,
and finally brought it in the treaty of Guadalupe
Hida'go, afterwards confirmed by the Senate.
need not refer to the instructions Of Mr..
Buchanan to strengthen my position; in which
the ground that the act of Texas in 1886 settled
the question of her boundary in coming into the
IInon yaS fI,r IL. a.
it would have in the negotiation, which was on
part to be directed to sustaining the rights of
Texas. come to the main point. M #
The 5th article of the treaty, in defining the
boundary between the United States and Mexico,
points out line, which includes within the terri
tory of our Union vast extent of country, part
of which is the uhole Of the territory in dispute be-
tween Texas and Mexico at the time of the admis-
sion of the former. @ u a fi
Twill now show that the rights of Texas asserted
by the act of 1886, are maintainabe by the adjust
ment of the treaty. 'i&3a i@
In order to show how far its terms bear me out
in this, refer to the 5h article the treaty where
the boundary line is set out. 1t fixes the Rio del
Norte as the boundary from the sea ssto the point
where it strikes the southern boundary of New
Mexico thence ,cesi,Oardly along the WHOLE south
ern boundary Of Ns,o .Merico (Which runs north of
the town called Paso) to its western termina
tion = &c.
The article, afterwards, has this reference: ssThe
southern and western limits Of New Mexico men |
toned in this article, are those laid down in the
map entitled" &c. . ''of which map a copy is
added to this treaty, bearing the signatures and
seals of the undersigned plenipotentiaries
This map have not seen. But it has been cred |
IDLY stated in Congress-, and not denied as far as
have seen, that the boundary of Texas upon that
map, is the Rio Grande from its mouth to its
source.
Now what do the facts shows They show dis
tinctly that the map recognizing the Rio Grande /
as the western limit Of Texas, from its mouth to
its source, before both Of the negotiating par
ties that they gave it the sanction Of afixing it
to the treaty, authenticated a part thereof by
the negotiators that upon that map New Mexico
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