The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-24
sntez, zuni, Acoma, and Rito. County seat,


Lentez, Zuni, Acoma, and Rito County seat
Valencia.
"This decree shall be made known to the go
vernon, that he may carry it into execution.
i "JESUS MARIA GALLEGAS, President,
II "JuAE BArrIsrA VIGIL MARs, Secretary.
SPY virtue Of the premises, that this act bt
published, circulated, and made knownto all WHOM
it may concerns for its most active observance and
fulflment.
"Palace of the Government, Santa Fe.
i ssMARIANO MARTINEZ.
4 "JosE FELIX JUBIA, Secretary.
''June II, 1874 b
i Now the most southern of these towns on tn.
east bank of the Rio Grande, Parida, is placed on
the accurate map OF Albert north Of degree "a, and
1 the most southern on the west side, Luis Lopez
a few miles south of that line. All south OF thai
is left out Of the jurisdiction of New Mexico, for
the plain reason that this department had no clam
4 to il under the Mexican organization. This de-
cree, although not binding on Texas, would DC
conclusive without any thing further upon the
people of New Mexico; but in their plan OF ter
ritorial government, they have expressly ratIiied
4 il, and do not set up any claim beyond IT. They
say; ,y.,u .,.u;.,.,;, ,,,,,..u o,h.,,r;.,
direct, the territory of New Mexico shall retain
the division Of counties and districts established
4 by thedecree of the department Of New Mexico, OF
June 18th, l849." (l844.)
This showsthatthe people of New Mexico not
only have no possess0n but assert no claim
below the 34th. And yet the Senator claims all
below as far as 29A degrees, as the present terrific
ry and possessions of New Mexico. Mr.. Ben
jamin L. Edwards, lawyer and excellent Spanish
scholar, residing in San Antonio, who examined
this subject in the archives at Ell Paso writes thus
in relation to the boundary of New Mexico.
sIf it should be decided that New Mexico is
entitled to separate existence, either under q
| torr nfha nm Mt ann
will no doubt be made to establish her southern
boundary somewhere in the vicinity Of III Paso
as it has been laid down on almost all the maps
published in the United States, and tacity recog-
Missed by Mexico in the treaty of Guadalupe,
where reference is made to Disturnell's map as a
correct authority. This, however, is far from
being the true boundary of New Mexico, as can
be shown by documents in existence in the
| archieves Of Chihuahua and FL PasO. BY these,
il appears that the line crosses leaves the east
bank of the Rio Grande at a point in front of the
mountain designated as one of the landmarks)
which forms the southern limit of the "Jornada
del Muerto." Thence it runs in a direction q
little north or east TO the 'Cerro Redondo, re-
markable dome-shaped mountain; thence, almost
in the same direction, to the 'iSierra Capital OF
"Cerro Blanco, which, as its name signifies, is
the most prominent peak in that region ofcountry;
thence, so far as | could discover, due east to
the Pecos From the Sierra Capital, / could not
|
mark, though it is probable, if could have pur-
sued my Investigations further, some such would
| have come to light, as the Mexicans seem to have
pursued the same system in public as in private
affairs, of making natural objects the indications OF
boundary to land or territory. ! have in my pos
session copy of a grant Of land made within the
jurisdiction Of the State of chihuahua in the time
of the Emperor, under the colonization law Of the
sJunta Constitutional" of 1923. This land lies
! some distance above the line claimed by New
Mexico, and has always been acknowledged as
belonging to chihuahua.
The people of New Mexico, in their plan of a
territorial government or rather instructions to
their delegate, Mr. Smith, have declared that they
are bounded on the east by the State Of Texas.
Col. Benton admits, that Texas owns territory
there which is not in dispute, but says it is narrow
strip, New Mexico extending to the lOl parallel
Of longitude, and again cites Humboldt, and again
his author contradicts him, and shows that New
Mexico is the na'3,oio strip According TO Black 1
translation, Humboldt says of New Mexico
"This province is from south to north It's leagues
in length and from east to west from 30 to leagues
in BREADTH and in its territorial extent therefore,
much less than people of no great information in
| geographical matters are apt to suppose even in
that country" And he might have added, much
less than some persons in this country of grea
pretensions to geographical knowledge "arc apt tc
suppose.
latitude and longitude, he followed the Spanish
geographers, whom our own engineers of the army
on observation found to be extremely inaccurate
| For instance, they place Santa Fe on their maps
\ north of 36o 30, whereas Col Emory shows thai
it is nearly degree south.
Muehlenport, German, who was 8 years in
Mexico, and published his work in Hanover in
1874, gives the 1850 81, as the eastern boundary
Of New Mexico. This would extend far beyond
the actually inhabited part in the most prosperous
| Il oFt ha md 10
the Spaniards, as general thing, did not extend
the bounds of their provinces much beyond the
line Of their settlements Although the authors
disagree about the latitude and longitude of the
boundaries of this province, they all concur that il
was narrow territory, confined to the valleys OF
the Rio Grande and the Pecos. But the Missouri
Senator seems to reject superauous all law since
fuckers Blackstone, which he produced, -four
ished aloft and read the title to the Senate, and
all geography since Humboldt, which he said he
had in French, but would not exhibit in open
Senate out Of pure mercy to Mr.. Clay.
The objects of Col. Benton, in this misrepre-
sentation of history and geography, are quite
transparent. He wishes to recommend himself
to his new allies, the Freesoers, by proving against
the fact that this slave territory is within what
was, ut the close Of the war, free province, and
urge upon the Government to retain the possession
in oppositionto Texas. He also desires to deprive
Texas of the Ell Paso country for another motive
The attitudes returned by Col. Fremont, in his
survey Of railroad by the way Of the frozen
regions to the Pacific, prove that by that route the
stationary power will be so great that his avorite
route is altogether impractcable. The road must
come south, and leave the Rio Grande in the neigh
borhood of Ell Paso, which is in the United States
the overland key to the Paciic--a southern key
which Texas will never place in feesoil hands, not
even in the grasp of the Senator from Missouri The
truth is, that so long Texas holds her territory
she can dictate the locality Of the railroad to the
Pacific. This, Col. Benton sees clear enough, and
therefore offers Is millions for the territory enbrac
ing Ell Paso. But this road is worth more to Texas
not only than Is, but fifty millions. If properly
located it will be her road to wealth, greatness,
and power.
THE TITLE OF TEXAS.
1t is not my purpose to enter again into the ar
gument as to the title of Texas to the source of
the Rio Grande. shall content myself with re-
peating, briefly, some of the most prominent facts
in the history of the title. 1t rests, l. On the
treaty with Santa Anna, in 1896, which is good
treaty, because ratified by his generals, who were
not prisoners of war and Filisola had power TO
treat by express authority of his government and
Mexico having taken the benefits of the treaty,