The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-16

BY abe Congress Of the United States, bat BY ne treaty
making power oithe United Snlss and there greatd
10 Congress and TO the Senate and the President In refer
ring il the Senate she referred 10 body in which, at
that Tune hall q the members hsd interests like those
President and the Senate, she referred II 10 southern
President whose education and ASSOCIATIONS warranted
reliance both o. MS Information and sympathies and
body one-haf OF which was composed OF southern mem.
beers; II u had been referred 10 Congress, her rights
would have been fully under the power Of The North and
ihe consideration might have entered very largely
snc Secctoh OF the Senate and President as umpire
There was this difference, SO far her institutions
were concerned in referring il 10 the treaty making
power ana % the law,maknE power OF this govern
Inc treaty making power being unable to adjust il the
President Of the United States having failed 70 settle The
boundary dispute with Mexico, he then. in conformity
WIN Inc Obligations TO defend the territory OF every State
o. the union resisted the aggression committed by the
inyas,ons OF Mexico on the Boundary OF Texas. The
boundary which was defined by the Congress Of Texas
before the annexation, with which definition the United
States accepted her, was the only boundary the President
could recognise, until anew boundary should be agreed
on by treaty with Mexico
Whatever the United States nigh, have done by treaty
with Mexico as 70 the boundary of the Rio Grande, 1t
was plain that when unable to enter into and settle the
question by treaty. the United States was bound BY every
power the government possessed TO maintain the jurs
dicton Of Texas. which extended the Rio GIande at
the date OF anne xaon The senator from Kentucky well
s ssS that The President s q The United States had
Nor, sir. did that great and good man ever as
sune such powers he but discharged the duties
which devolved on him. as the Chief Executive, to
maintain the boundaries OF the States, and TO defend
the Union against foreign invasion In the discharge OF
this duty and IN the execution Of this high responsibility
resting on him, the Mexican war undertaken for the
defence OF Texas against Mexican INVASION and il result
cd IN the acquisition OF Territories beyond the limits
claimed BY Texas. Then the question arises Shall The
United States after defending The boundaries Of Texas,
engaging IN war to maintain those boundaries and clos
ing that war by acquiring all the territory claimed BY
iexas ana more besides Then present her own claim
opposed 10 the claim Of Texas, and thus fasify the po
siion she assumed when she went to war with Mexico
70 maintain The boundary Of Texas We must come 10
that, admit the boundaries OF Texas as laid down By
her when an independent State, =,
wish also to call attention to another distinction We
dld not acquire Texas as Territory, out OF which a
State or States might be carved Congress refused to
acquire her as Territory and she came in rs State
As State she had sovereign jurisdiction all her
Territory and save under the qualified power granted in
the resolutions of annexation, which must be strictly con.
srued contract between the two soveregnties the
United Sates had no power to touch an foot even
Of her territory leave the senator who sits me,
Mr. RusK, and who SO ably represents tina, State, 10
lay down the limits which she has the right to claim
sovereign jurisdiction, and further maintain Ter title
promised TO be brief, and glad to leave the whole
question in such able hands. M
But the senator IRON Kentucky says we have paid
100000 for the acquisition Of this territory, and
that, therefore, Texas has no right, withou, paying
part Of the purchase money, to claim the entire benefit
Well, am not able to make any distinction be-.
tween Texas being called upon 10 make extraordinary
to pay part Of the purchase money and the
her boundary As sovereign State Of the Union, she
pays through the revenue mPoss her quota towards The
a s % se
settle the question between the govenments-not the
purchase OF claim 70 be set up against our own citizens,
nor State OF the Union but ii enumerated among the
war debts it goes in with all other expenditures incur
red in the prosecution of the war Texas with no more
right can be called on in an extraordinary 10 fur.
senator refers 10 the liberay Of his proposition to give
to Texas the boundary between the Nueces and the Rio
Grande; and. strangely enough that little strip of coun.
tory Of Texas east Of the Nueces and OF New Mexico
presume he meant oil the province OF Texas as she ex-
listed under the Mexican government Well, SIR, have
province OF Texas;
Texas, within her ancien, lims had an area In
6etween the Nueces and Rio Grande has 52,Ols
North OF Ensenado and east of kio Grande, being
the part claimed as being in New Mexico I2i 933
Aggregate sa5,5ao
The country west OF The Nueces being less than half
mol much more than third Of the size Of the old State OF
Texas.
ALI this is proposed to be ,aken-beng TT o5 square
mllesand leaving s569 square miles for the State OF
iexas that Is to say, more than onehalf Of the terri
tory she comprises Is to be ken and this is called lib.
eral concession. But the territory held out as great
boon granted to Texashat between the Nueces and the
mo SIa n the very deser! once so eloqaenty de-
i
as the country through which the dividing line between
the United States and Mexico should be drawn And
now believe that line drawn through that country
would be better boundary than the Rio Grande The
boundary desired the mountain barrier south OF the
kio Grande wanted all the country drained by the Rio
Grande, and have regretted from the time that amend
men to the treaty failed TO the present day. that we did
not propose to amend the treaty BY taking from Mexico
that portion OF her northern possessions which, inhabited
by restless population, object of
and infested by rowing bands OF Indians useless
her, and might have been highly beneficial TO us
But, sur, the boundary of old Texas the senator from
Kentucky think, once admitted TO be the Rio Grande
think he once commended that the title To that boundary
was ~ complete that 10 the island OF Orleans when
was claimed y part OF Louisiana but now, when he
refe's 10 the acquisitions OF territory which the United
rates Louisiana and Texas, and Florida all oil which he
says Injured 70 the benefit OF the southern States the
amount above the line OF % deg. 80 min Now, sir
think the senator in discussing the question of the
acquisition OF Florida, opposed il the ground that we
gave away the vast domain OF Texas extended and
valuable than the Territory Of Florida think also that
the acquisition OF that Territory not southern meas
ure and that Mr. Monroe called upon 10 defend him
sell before southern men for that treaty. II
onda, and were willing 10 pay fair price for H. They
mad long looked forward to the day when she would
ai into our hands, they believed sooner or later she
would but they did not wish acquire il at the expend-
Iiure requisite at the time it was obtained. Texas,
hereore should not be enumerated again for she was
included IN The old territory OF Louisiana and from which
she was separated by contract unavoabe to the South
Leaving these things-stores twice told and which are
moi necessary to repeatle take the question AS II
stands lei US take the territories north and south of the
line 80 deg 30 min and then see where the balance of
acqu,siilon has gone. shall refer to pamphlet very