Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-08-15
TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO.
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT
stst t7o FILLMORE.
IN RELATION TO THE TEXAN BouNn,pv
DANIEL WEBSrER'S REPLY TO GOV
+ BELL OFTEXAS.

IN RELATION TO THE TEXAN BOUNDARY
DANIEL WEBSrER'S REPLY TO GOV
BELL OFTEXAS.
To The Senate and House Of Representatives.:
herewith transmit TO the TWO Housss q,
Congress letter from his Excelency the Gov
ernor of Texas, dsted on the lilh day IF Tr'.
last, addressed to the late President Of the Uri
ed States, which not having been answe,efb,
him, came TO NY hands on his death; and | a.,
transmit copy of the answer have tho1vb, !.
10 be my duty to be caused to be made to m;
com nunicaiion.
| Congress will perceive Tint the Governor #
Texas oticIilly states, that by the authority of
the legislature OF that Siaie he despatched 4 sns.
cial cou missioner, with full power and inss,re.
tons to extend the civil jurisdiction Of the Ss,s
oyer The unorgauzsd Counties of Ell aso. Wosb
Preside, and Santa Fe, situated on II, No-,b.
western limits.
He proceeds to say, thqt the Cunln;ssro1s-
had reported to him IN ali official form. that lie
military Offices employed IN the service cite
United States, stationed at Santa Fe. in:erpoei
adversely, with the inhabitants, to the fu ilue1,
of his object, IN favor of the establishment of 4
separate State government, cas-, If the kn
Grarde, and within the rightful limits o. he
State OF Texas
| These four counties which Texas proposes q,
establish and organize, "a beng wi hin ner uwl
Jurisdiction, extend over the whsle Of the ,era
Io.y east O. The Rio Grande, viii n his herein.
| fore been regarded as an esseHtia, and laic,ial
| oa.t o; tie department OF New Mex Co, and &C.
| tually governed anG pcs essed b. her peooe,
until corqnered and severed from tn reDnaii,
OF Mexico by the American arms.
The Legislators OF Tex IS has been called TO.
ge,ner by tie Governor, for the purpcss as $
understood, of inaliiiaInug hor clam t. the .er-
ritogy east Of the RIO Grande, and OF establishing
over il her osn jurisdiction and her own laws,
by force.
These proceedings of Texas may well arrest
the attention. OF AL branches of tie govern neat
of tie United aies, and | rejoce tia tier &C.
cur while the Congress IS Yet IN s.ss.ln. |. s
fear, far foui being imp ssh that, va canss-
ruence of these pro, eedinss Of Texas cuss
nav he brought OIL winch sinai. suiHnun ihs $50
Houses of Cong ess and still more eIHpiaiiea-
ly the IKE. uiive GOveraueni- 10 an Iamsd,-
att. readiness for the performance OF then r.
speciivc duties
By the Constitution OF the United SAFES, lie
President Is constituted conIuiander-ln-chIef Of
the army and navy, and o! the militia ofihe sss-
eral States, wbea called mo The actual service
of the United States.
The Constitution declares also. that he shall
take care that the laws be faithfully execaea,
and that he shall to n lime to time, give to re
Congress Information OF the state OF the Ul0l.
Congress has pnwer, by The Cons itutiuu, 10
provide for calling forth The nlluia To exssu,s
the laws OF the Tn on; and suitable and aqafl-
pirate acts OF Congress have been passs'd. as
we'll for providing tur calling firth Tie marll,
as for p aring other suitable and efficient
leans IN the hands OF the Prrsiden', to enable
him TO discharge The constitutional iuncuJas II
his office.
the second section of the act Of the 25;h Of
February, 1905, declares that whenever ihs
laws IF The United s a.es shall be opposed or
their execution obsIructed, IN any state by CON-
bina'ions 100 powerful TO be Suppressed By the
ordinary course Of judicial proceedings, or The
power vested III the narshnis, tie President my
cali forth the miilia. so far as nay BE- uec SD
nv, to suppress sach combinations, acd 10 cause
The laws 10 be duly executed.
By the act of march 81, 1907, 1t is provided
that 10 all cases of obstruction the laws, eIiaer
Of the U oited S,ales or any Individual s ale OK
territory, where 1t Is lawful for the Pfesll-ni u
call iurth the militia for the purpose, OF e1nslas
The laws TO be duly executed, II shall &c ii~ilI
for him to employ, 10; the same purposes sueh 9a'
of the land or naval force OF The United Salssas
shall be judged necessary.
Thes. several enactmcnts are now n bal
force; so that it the laws OF the United States
are opposed or obstrucied, 10 any State OF ief-'
rtory, hy combinations too powerful to be sup
pressed 10y the ju ieial OF civil authorities ! De-
c'Ines Case IN which 1t IS The duty Vt the r,s7-
ident, either 10 cali out the militia, or 10 enaiY
The military and naval free Of the Unlel
Staes, or 10 do both, # in his Judgment the eA-
gency OF the occasion so require, for The iu'p0s'
of suppressng such combination.
The Constitutional duty OF the President l,
plain aud perenpiory; and the authority se'l1
IN him bylaw Tor us performance, clear ana amp
Texas Is state authorized to MAINTAIN ho1
own laws, SO far as they are not rePusnaA
the Constitution, laws AMI tresties OF tue uI".
ed States, to suppress Instructions agalssl y,
authority, and to punish those who may conn.,, ~
treason against the State, according 10 ~.
forms provided by her own constitution ana III
own laws.
But all his pc yer is local, and confined en''s.
ly within the limits Of Texas herself. She e1i
possibly confer no authority which can iA"''"!
be exercised beyond her own horndAr'es.
All this is pliin and hardly needs as-uneni o.
CiuCiuutiOu. ~ tNtit ufitlttds
into any territory OF the United ) ates, t',,e y
enforce or execute any law or laws III lea,
they bec1me at that momeat trespasssisi '
are no longer under the protection Of any l11iS'
authority, and are to be regarded merely az ~
trudcrs; and II within such state or territory ny
ubsruci aSy law Of the United Stats, eilHei y
power of arms or mere power Of uuhoer'' ",
stitutng such a combInlrio as Is too po~en1'
to be suppressed BY The cvi! auteori'y, ihe re- !.
ident ofIhe United States has no optidr 'ei. y
him, but is bound To obey the solemn iiilul1eoA
of the Constitution, and exercise tie hIsn P','
ers vested III bin by lLat instrument, AMI py "''
acts Of Congress-
Or. if any civil posse, armed or unarnea' en-.
into any TERRITORY OF the United States, unuei
the protection OF the laws there Il, with in'en' "
seize individuals to be carried elsewhere iol a..
legged offences, aud this posse be too poSefiul "
be resisted by the local and civil authoiihss'
such seizure or attempt to seize Is TO be p,esensI
ed or resisted by the authority OF the on''eu
States. r-
The grave and important question now af'se'
whether there be in the territory OF New 'aeA.-
co any existing Law OF the United States, oppos'i,
ton to which, or the obstruction OF whicn, wou'u
constitute case calling for the in.erp-s'tlon o'
the authority vested 10 the President.
The constitution Of the United States declares
that, this Constitution. aud the laws OF the
Uniaa3 Ssaten = hirb snail be made in purSu3fco