The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-13
REPORT.

The Committee Naval A fairs 10 soiom toas refer
red the memorial Of the officers Of the late 7sras nary,
praying 10 be admitted into the navy Of the United
Sfates, report thai
The claims Of the memorialists TO be admitted
into the navy upon equal footing with the Off
of their respective grades, is asserted mat
ter of right To them, and of fair obligation the
part Of the United States, under the terms Of the
resolutions OF annexation which furm the compact
Of union between this Government and Texas. BY
her assent TO those resolutions Texas agreed to cede
To the United States ''ail public cdfces, fortiica
tons, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and navy
| yards, docks, magazines, arms and armanents,
and all other property and means pertaining TO the
public defence, belonging to the said Republic OF
Texas"
The argument in support Of the construction put
upon this clause by the ncmoriaIists is very lu-
cidy and succinctly stated by his Exceiency r.
H. Bell, the present Governor OF Texas. in the fol
lowing pdssage of his recent message to the egsls
turc Of that State:
.'It is contended by many, and with much ap-
pearance OF reason, that the term navy, used in
the above rccted clause, was intended to include
and docs include not only the vessels of belong
ing 10 Texas at the time the were ceded, but
also the officers and men then In commission and
employed on such vessels that the proper meaning
os m The Teed and
various acts Of Congress, comprehends both ships
and men; and, therefore, that the contracting par
tics must be presumed to have used in that
II this position be correct III the officers and men
in the Texas navy can be properly regarded
of the means pertaining 10 the public defence OF
Texas contemplated by the joint resolutions, then
IL is clear that in either event, legal obligation
was imposed the Government of the United
States 10 incorporate such officers and men with
her navy.
"But, however little may be the weight TO which
arguments in support Of this position may be emit
tied in legal point of view, one, it seems TO me,
can doubt that moral obi legation exists on the part
of the Government Of the United States To ma ke
just provision for the officers in question
-. tbaN .s.f
the conditions Of her admission into the Union, the
United States placed IL beyond the power Of Texas
10 continue these officers longer in service As
State of the Union, she no longer possesses the right
or power To keep and maintain navy.
ait is not To be supposed that Texas, In agreeing
10 make this ccssion intended or expected that the
gallant officers OF her navy, who had done 90 much
10 secure and maintain her Independence, and 10
elevate the character Of their country at home and
abroad were ~ be put shore. deprived OF their
commissions, and u the means Of earning an hon
orable livelihood by their professions 10 presume
this would be charge her with the grossest inus
tcc and ingratitude. But Texas did expect that
the United States would not permit these ocers To
suffer by the transfer Of her navy That IN receiv
ing the vessels she would also receive the officers,
and provide for the attached 10 the same; and
In Justice 10 the Government Of the United States
1 ! am unwilling to believe she would have required
! the one without intending 60 do the other.
sBut there is another view OF the subject derived
from the relative condition Of the two contracting
parties, which, in my estimation, places the equit-
able claims Of these individuals on st higher
ground. The proposition for snncrs ton proceeded
from the United States TO Texss-from wealthy
and powerful nation to comparatively poor and
weak II came, too, from our 'Fstberland,' and
was naturally regarded by the people Of Texas in
the light Of an invitation from parent TO child
to Become once more an inmate Of the family. IL
is true that some of the conditions attending the
overture were Justly regarded as hard, and had
they been offered by another government would
most certainly have been rejected. hut the attach
ment felt by the people Of Texas for the land OF their
BIRTH their pride in its institutions, and their conf
dcnce in the justice OF the government, caused
them to accept the same without hesitation. This
they did with the full belief and confding trust
that whatever ofhardshipor injustice was contained