The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-19
gas, Gallinas, Tccolote Abaio cuesta. Pecos, San

Miguel, Anton Chico, Salinas, Gran Quivira are
0 all upon It, Some OF these towns date their origin
far back the first conquest of the Taos Indiana
about the year 1000; and some have an historical
interest, and special relation to the question o
I title between New Mexico and Texas. Pecos is the
old village of the Indians OF that name, famous for
the sacred fire so long kept burning there for the
return of Montezuma. Gran Quivira was q con
siderable mining town under the Spanards before
the year 1850, when il was broken up in the grea
Indian revolt of that year DIR. Wislizenus thu
speaks of il, (June, 1876 }
"Withn the last few years several Americans
and Frenchmcn have visited the place, and although
they have not found the reputed treasure, they GER
tfy al least TO the existence of aqueduct, about
ten miles in length, TO the still standing walls OF
several churches, the sculpture of the Spanish coat
OF arms aud to many spacious pits, supposed to be
silver mines. 1t was no doubt Spanish mining
town; and il ID not unlikely that il was destroyed
in 1850, in the general and successful insurrecton
of the Indians in New Mexico against the Span
| iards."
Las Salinas are the salt lakes in the valley of the
Puerco, about one hundred miles southeast from
Santa Fe, and where the people of New Mexico
have obtained their SALT from the settlement of the
country TO the present day. This is what DIR. Wis
lizenus says of these places:
"About four days travelling (probably one hun
dred miles) south southeast Of Santa F@, are some
| extensive salt lakes, or Salinas from which all
the salt used in New Mexico is procured. Large
caravans go there every year from Santa Fe, in the
dry season, and return with much as they can
transport They exchange, generally, one bushe
of salt for one of Indian corn, or sell it for one, and
| even two dollars Il bushel."
| Mr. President. am salt man! have an al
most mystical reverence for salt II is the conser
| vative principle OF nature. The life of man and
beast requires it, God has bestowed it and let all
| keep it, to whom he has given it. No taxing, or
taking any peoples salt
San Miguel, twenty miles from Santa Fe, is the
place where the Texan expedition, under Colonel
Cooke, were taken prisoners in lS4l
| To all these evidences of New Mexican posses
sion of the Rio Puerco and its valley, is to be
added the further evidence resulting from acts Of
ownership in grants Of land made upon its upper
part, as in New Mexico, by the superior Spanish
authorities before the revolution, and by the New
Mexican local authorities since. The lower half
was ungranted, and leaves much vacant land, and
the best in the country, to the United States.
| The great pastoral lands of New Mexico are in
the valley Of the Puerco, where millions of sheep
were formerly pastured, now reduced to but two
hundred thousand by the depreciation of the In
dians. The New Mexican inhabitants of the Del
Norte send their hocks there to be herded by shep
herds, on shares; and in this way, and by taking
their salt there, and in addition to their towns and
settlements, and grants of lands, the New MeL-
have had possession of the Puerco and its val
ley since the year l600-that is to say. for about
hundred years before the shipwreck of La Sale,
in the bay of San Bernardo. revealed the name Of
Texas to Europe and America.
These are the actual possessions of New Mexico
on the Rio Puerco On the Rio del Norte, as cut
off by the committees bill, there are, the little
town Of Frontera, ten miles above Ell Paso, town
begun opposite FL Paso, San Eleazario. twenty
miles below, and some houses lower down opposite
EsleaZarlO
is the most considerable, having a population OF
some four thousand souls once town Of New Bis
cay, now of New Mexico, and now the property of
the United States by avulsion. II is island and
the main river, formerly on the north and now on
the south of the island, leaves it in New Mexico.
When Pike went through it, il the most north
ern town, and the frontier garrison of New Bscay;
and there the then lieutenant governor Of New
Mexico, who had escorted him from FL Paso,
turned him TO the authorities Of a new pre-
vince. IL is now the most southern town of New
Mexico, without having changed its place, but the
river which disappeared from its channel in that
place, in 1852, has changed il to the south Of
the island. Humboldt thus describes this phe-
nomenon
served the memory Of very extraordinary event
which took place in the year 1852. They saw all
| at once the bed Of the river dry thirty leagues
above, and more than twenty leagues below the
Paso the water of the river threw tself into a Gre
vase newly formed and did not issue again until
near the Presidio of San Eeazario. This loss of
the Rio del Nortc continued a considerable time
The beautiful fields which surround the Paso, and
which are travrrsed by little canals of irrigation
remained without watering; the inhabitants dug
wells In the sand with which the bed Of the river Il
hllcd. Finally, after several weeks they saw the
water take its ancient course, without doubt be-
cause the crevasse and the subterranean conduits
had filled themselves."- -Essay on Nero Spain, col
l. p. 304.
reterate, am not arguing title; I am only
showing possession, which is a right 70 remain in
possession until title is decided. The argument of
title has often been introduced into this question:
and letter from President Polk, through Secreta-
ry Buchanan, has often been read on the Texan
side Now, what have TO say OF that letter SO
frequently referred TO, and considered so conclu-
sive IS this that, however potent may have been
in inducing annexation or bow much soever il
may be entitled 10 consideration in fixing the
amount TO be paid 10 Texas for her Mexican claim
yet, evidence of title, should nav no more
regard 10 IL than TO a chapter from the life and ad
ventures Of Robinson Crusoe. Congress and the
Judiciary are the authorities to decide such claims
TO titles, and not Presidents and Secretaries.
rest upon the position, then that the Rio Puerco.
and its valley, is and n New Mexican posses
sion, well as the left bank Of the Del Nor,e from
above Fl Peso to below the mouth Of the Puerco;
and that this possession cannot be disturbed with
out raising the double question, 6rst of actual e,
tension of slavery; and. secondly, OF the present
gal existence Of slavery in all New Mexico east Of
the Rio Grande as part of Texas These are the
questions which the proposed line of the committee
raise, and force US to face, They not questions
Of my seeking but shall not avoid them Il il not
new question with me, this extension Of slavery in
that quarter. met IL in ls44, before the annexa-
ton of Texas. On the 10th day Of June of that
year, and part of hill for a compact with Texas
and to settle all questions with her-the very once
which now PerPie1 1s-,before she was annexed.
proposed, as article v in the projected compact
AR. o. "Tho existence Of slavery To be forever
prohibited in that part Of the annexed territory
which lies west of the hundrcdth degree Of Iongi-
tude west from the meridian of Greenwich"
This is what proposed six years ago, and as one
IN series OF propositions to be offered Texas and
Mexico ior settling all questions growing out Of the
projected annexation beforehand. They were not
adopted. Immediate annexation, without regard
10 consequences, was the cry; and all temperate
counsels were set down 10 British Traitors AboIi-
tionists, and Wings. well We have 70 regard
consequences now-several consequences; one Of
which IL this large extension Of slavery which the
report and congiomerate bills of the COMMITTEE of
Thirteen force us 10 face. l did so six years ago.
and heard no outbreak against my opinions ihon
But my opposition to the extension of slavery
dates further back than lS44-forty years further
back; and as this ia n suitable time for general
declaration, and sort Of general conscience de
nvery, Will say that my opposition to il dates
from loO4 when was a student at law in the State
oil Tennessee, and studied the subject of African
slavery In American book-a Virginia book
fuckers edition Of Blackstonc's Commentaries.
And here IL is, (hoding up volume and reading
from the title pagc) "Biaeksfons's Commenfayies
,oh notes of reference 10 the Consfitufior and Io,cs
Of the Federal Government " The United States, and
ef hs Commonwealth Of Puginia, IN foe volup,es
icith an appendix 10 each poi,sms Containing short
tracts, appeared necessary 10 form a connected
rie,D @ TIE ia'os " pirginia member of the