The southern press., 1850-09-02

pose Of establishing ihe Girl jurisdiction Of The
State orer this territory" and requiring from the
military authorities under his command, a rigid
Don-nterference with him in the exercise of his
functions This order and the course which it
indicated as the one to be pursued by the au-
thorities Of the United States, was all that he
demanded. 1t is true it was not all that he had
a right to expect from the justice and liberality
Of the General Government, but it would have
been sufficient to have enabled MIN to accomplish
the object he had undertaken, had it been OBJ
served in good faith. | regret To be compelled
to state however, that it was not observed in
good faith--ycry far from it. ts
Your honorable body will perceive from the
report Of the commissioner and accompanying
documents COPIES of which are herewith sub
mitted, marked Al that on his arrival at Santa
Fe, he not only met with every encouragement
on the part of the individual exercising the au-
thority of civil and military governor, but it was
distinctly intimated to him, that if he succeeded
in holding his elections, and in qualifying the
officers elected, the jur sdiction of Texas would
not be recognized Superadded to this, he was
threatened by jud holdidg a commission
from the President of the United States with
imprisonment, if he attempted to enforce the
laws of the State over that territory. Appeals
were made by the same Judge to the populace
to resist the authority of the State. Public
meetings were called and held with the same
object, which were presided over and comprised
principally of the officers and other persons in
the pay and employment of the United States
Goyernment--and all this under the immediate
eye and observation of the commanding officer,
who, If not the protector OF these proceedings,
unquestionably yielded his assent to them, and
subsequently, adopted them, by issuing his proc
lamation calling convention to form govern
ment adverse to, and independent of our own.
This course of conduct on the part of Colonel
Monroe would seem strange after his order Of
March l2ih We're we not able to account for it
by n belief which scarcely admits doubt, that
subsequent to the date Of the order, he received
instructions to repudiate the rights and authority
of Texas in that territory. That he received
what he regarded as equivalent to such instruc-
tions, there can exist no doubt If the tone and
import of the message sent by the President of
the United States to the Senate, on the 18th
June, were not sufficient to satisfy the mind on
this subject, the letter of the Hon. Voney p.
Howard, Of July 4th, addressed to the editors
Of the Southern Press, with confirmatory evi-
dence from other quarters, places it beyond
question Copies of these documents are sub
mitted herewith, marked b, with the request
that they may receive the consideration which
they merit. - rf
AS soon rs it was practicable to prepare the
documents after receiving the report of the COM
missioner, ] transmitted them to our Senators
and Representatives in Congress, in order that
they might be fully advised in an official shape
of the actual state of things at Santa Fe. 81
Lalso addressed letter to the President OF
the United States, accompanied with copy OF
Col. Munrocs proclamation calling a convention
to form a State Government in New Mexico,
and most respectfully asked him to say whether
or not he recognized and sanctioned the acts OF
Colonel Munroe, so far as they affected the rights
Of Texas. At the same time addressed a letter
to Hon. Volney L. Howard covering protest
against the unlawful usurpation by the Federal
authorities of our rights at Santa Fe; and re-
quested him to lay it before the President in the
event of his ExcelIency 8 declining TO dsavow the
acts Of his military subordinates in that terri
tory.
Copies of my letters to the President, to Mr..
Howard, to the delegation in Congress, and of
the Protest, are herewith submitted, marked G.
Although the proceedings referred to no longer
permitted me to indulge the hope intimated in
the communication which had the honor to lay
before you, shortly after entering upon my official
duties, " that the difficulties encountered in our
efforts to extend the jurisdiction of the State
over that portion of her territory may have re-
suited from tardness Of action on the part of
the Federal Authorities rather than a deliberate
design to do us wrong y yet, was anxious that
the President should have one more opportu-
nuity Of disclaiining such design, and hence it
was, that requested our Delegation in Congress
to have an interview with him on the subject
previous to the delivery of the protest No
such disclaimer however has been received, and
facts which have since come to my knowledge,
indicate most clearly that none such was made
or intended to be made.
Having thus, gentlemen, placed before you, in
a very plain and brief manner, the most promi-
nent facts and circumstances connected with our
relations with Santa Fe, as they have recently
been developed, and having called your attention
to the unwarrantable assumption of power by
the Executive branch of the Federal Govern
ment in its direct interference with the muni-
cipal and internal affairs Of a sovereign State,
the question at once presents itself-what tcourse
does duty, honor, patriotism and just appre-
ciation of our solemn obligations to the country
require us to adopt! 4#
lam fully sensible, that this is a question in
volving the most serious considerations, and in
its contemplation there is comingled much of
hope and apprehension. But who will falter in
the pathway of duty though the wrong-doer be
there powerful and mighty? On the one hand
our devotion to the Union-a devotion mani
tested in the confdng spirit with which we
yielded many of the most important attributes
of sovereignty for connection with it-repders
us averse to the adoption of measures, which,
might seem by possibility to contemplate col
lsion with any of its constituted authorities !;
while on the other hand, a just sense of what is
due to ourselves, will not permit us to submit
to outrages and wrong from any quarter. So
long as we We're permitted to cherish the hope,
that there existed no fixed or premeditated de-
uion fo danriya no of orr rncknowedppd and es-
sential, rights, our language was that of entrea-
ty and supplication-our course that of fOrbear-
ancc and moderation, but with the undeniable
evidence now before us of settled determine
tion to despoil us, regardless of compacts and
constitutional guarantees, ofat least one third of
our territory-a continuance of such language
and such course, would be degradation and
shame.
Difficult and embarrassing, then, as the ques-
ton undoubtedly is, and however frapght its
contemplation with painful solietude, we have