The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-01
THE NATIONAL ERA.
SPEECH OF THOMAS H. BENTON, OF MISSOURI,
THE COMPROMISE BILL.
Delivered in the Senate Of the United States July 5 Is

vord beginning these words at the poiAt on the RIO
ls Norte commonly called ~ PSsO, and running up that
river twenty miles measured by straight line thereon
and thence eastwardly T. point where the Oh degree OF
gitude crosses Red river being the uthwest angle,
~ ,b i dsgnatsd betUe.n the United States and Mex.
leo and the in the line OF the territory set apart
r the Indians by the United States and insert after the
aid word beginning these words at the point In the
middle Of the deepest channel in the Rio Grande del Norte
the same by the 1924 degree Of longitude
vest from the meridian Of Greenwich thence north along
longitude to the 3ih degree Of north latitude thence
satwsrdy 10 the point which the Tooth degree OF west
longitude crosses the Red river
The amendment being stated by the Chair,
Mr.. BENTON said The motion is TO strike |
out and insert-to strike out the committees pro-
posed line for the western boundary Of Texas, |
and to insert different one 10 place of it. The
committees line begins twenty miles, on straight
line above Ell Paso, and runs enthusiastically
10 the point at which the Red river is crossed by
the one hundredth degree Of west longitude. The
line propose begins in the middle OF the channel
Of the Rio Grande del Norte, where it is crossed
- 80 enc > - - -~~~-3 49," - -v~1'
longitude, about three hundred miles, on seraIgnt
line, below Ell PasO, aud runs north with that lon
gtude to the thirty fourth parallel of north lati
tude, where it strikes the committees line; and
thence, with that line, to its termination at the
intersection of the Red river by the one hun
dredth degree of west longitude. These are the
two lines, and the difference between them is
difference of seventy thousand square miles cut
off from New Mexico and given to Texas.
My objections to the committees proposed line
were stated in a former speech, and nothing which
was then said will be repeated now. The point
Of those objections was, that that line was a dis
memberment of New Mexico, cutting of seventy
thousand square miles of its territory, and giving
it to Texas. My reasons for the line propose
were also stated in the same speech, and will not
be repeated now Their point was, that line
along the one hundred and second degree Of west
Longitude would be the proper boundary between
New Mexico and Texas-the one that would con-
form 10 the actual possessions Of both countries,
to their civil and geographical divisions With
ont repeating arguments formerly USED, my de-
sign is to rise higher and establish the same points
by new and closer evidence, drawn, as the rheto-
ricians express il, er UisceriLus cauS0-frOm the
bowels Of the case-that is to saw from the bill
and report OF the committees ICsen ana from che
authentic map of the State of Texas.
~ Il Ar-ia Wikh the committees bill and show from
it that cession of part of New Mexico TO Texas,
and not the ascertainment of the true line be-
tween them, was the object Of the committee; and
that in fact they make scession of one-half of
New Mexico to Texas, and then accept cession
of the other half from her, and then propose to
pay her large sum of money besides. Here is
the ceding clause in the committees bill:
Second The United States cede to the State Of Texas
all right claim aud TITLE which they have to any territory
Texas ds to the United States any right claim and title
which any territory lying north Of the said line"
These are the words of the committees bill-s
cession-a mutual cesson Of territory from each
to the other, and in terms which imply title in
each. The United States cede TO Texas all the
territory that lies south Of the committees line
Texas cedes to the United States all the territory
that lies north of it, 1t is the act of two owners
acting independently of each other, and making
an exchange of land, and in terms which imply an
equality of title in the respective cessions Upon
the words Of this clause, then, this transfer tC
Texas is cession from the United States, and
conveys to Texas the right, title, and claim, of the
United States to all the territory coded Another
part of the bill is equally explicit in treating thi
transfer as a cession The sixth clause is in these
words
HSirt II the said State Of Texas shall refuse decln
accede TO the preceding articles they shall become nrt
and pod and the United States shall he Temied back t.
all their territorial rights in the same state and condition
these articles Of compact had never been rendered
the acceptance Of the state OF Texas"
This Is confirmation both Of the cesson and OF
the title of the United States. Ii makes pr0vi-
sion for resuming the title Of the United States
if the exchange is not agreed TO by Texas. 1t
RENTS the title-sends 10 baek-t0 the United
States if Texas does not accept! and to give more
emphatic meaning to this remission, as return
to its former owner the expletive "backD is su.
peradded-a redundancy of phrase which could
only be justified by the extreme desire of saving
the title of the United States if the committed
cannot succeed in giving it away.
The report of the committee, in explanation
and support of their bill, fully accords with thes
two clauses of the bill itself 1t treats the lint
they propose as making cession of United State
territory TO Texas and carefully reclaims tn
title, if the cession is not accepted Thus
"If this boundary be assented by Texas she will
uueted 10 that extent In her title And may suppos
that consideration of this by the United Slater
she might without any other equivalent, reinqush
claim she has beyond the proposed boundary that u.s.
claim 70 any part Of NsD MercO But under the intuenc
Of sentiment Of Justice great beralty the bill PR
poses Texas for her REIMBURSEMENT Of any such claim
large pecuniary equivalent
And again;
alt cannot be anticipated that Texas will decline
oede these liberal propositions hut If she should IL is
be distinctly understood that the title of the United State
70 any territory acquired from MerCO east OF the III
Graude will remain uniDpared and in the same conditio
the proposals Of adjustment now offered bad never bee
mAde.p
Here are two distinct combinations Of tn
meaning expressed in the committees bill, an
shows that the import of the words employed b.
them was duly and cautiously considered. "Con
cession" is the term they apply to it, which is tn
equivalent of cessOn, which is itself equivalent I
the word grant "Unimpairedp is to be the stat
of the United States title if the concession is no
accepted by Texas; and as an acquisition iron
posed to be held The words all imply cessol
and acquisition and in that, the bill and repor
are right IL is cession of seventy thousan,
square miles Of New Mexico to Texas for nothing
with proposal to purchase the remaining part Q
New Mexico from her at q greater pricel TIL
whole crowned by bunglng salvo to save GU
title "unimpaired,' if Texas cannot be induce
to accept these fine terms-terms which give he
both our land and our money. Thus the repol
sccords with the bill, and sustains my propos
ton.
now proceed to other evidence.
Here is map the title, contents date, su
verihcation Of which are vital to this inquiry.
is entitled A Mar OF THE STATE OF TEXAS,
CoRDovA; and il declares itself TO be compile
from the records Of the General Land Office of Il
State, and is dated in the spring Of ls4s al
processes TO give every county, every town, laI
district, river, and stream, in the State; and
verified Ivy the signatures of the Senators al
Representatives Of the State 10 Congress, by d
Commissioner Of the General Land Office, and Il
attestation of the Governor, and Of the Secreta,
of State. 1t must be assumed to be an authen,
map Of the State, such as IL was at the time
its ompilation-spring of ls4s-and will not
questioned by Texas, and is the sole evidence
which the United States viii have occasion
maintaining the possession of all New Mex
until the question Of title shall be competent
disposed Of 1t shows the possession Of Texas
1t stood at the time that the United States scquir
New Mexico. IL is the map of possession-t
map of the State as possessed-at that identit
moment, vital to this question; 1t extends FRI
the Sabine to 1920 Of west longitude And he
is a reduced map in the corner of the large OF
embracing the country from the Mississippi riV
to the Pacific ocean, and showing the whole G
tent Of the claim Of Texas | will explain the
duCed map first. Here it is, holding it upl T
blue color represents the whole claim of Tex
extending to the head Of the Del Norte, a
thence to north latitude 400, where It corne
with Oregon and California, having Santa
county, written upon H. near San Miguel-t