The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-21
For The Southern, Press.
TEE PRESIDENT AND TEXAS.
No. 3

M& N n..a- NO. o.
The Texas question is settled. My theme has
therefore lost much of its interest, but none or Its
instruction. The cancer has been removed, but
its roots remain; and the quackery Of the opera
ton insures its speedy return, with Increased ma
Lightly and offensyeness. The patient, however,
thinks himself well, and so do many doctors OF
the Richie school; and so thought they thirty
years ago, when this quackery began upon MIS-
souri,; and so will they think, until the patient IS
in commissions, simply because they wish to think
so.
Let us finish our subject, since we have pro
crossed thus far with it, even at the hazard OF
being tedious. Perhaps the momentary calm which
succeeds the tumult through which we have
passed, may be propitious to a candid view or the
perils OF the South, even by the Union idolaters;
and truth may now be heard, which little while
ago would have been drowned by shout like that
of the mob in Ephesus, " Great is the shade OF
the Union" -. ..... ......
We have shown that from the nature of the
connection between the United States and Texas,
the former was bound to admit, that the State OF
Texas reached to the Rio Grande. We proceed
to show that she did expressly admit il; that she
went to war to make Mexico admit it; that she
never denied it; and that no one ever thought OF
denying it until Mr.. Fillmore yentured to do so.
And here we beg leave to remark, that we shall
not take much trouble to show that Congress did
all this. Among the many other crotchets that
we have got in our brain in this distracted age
and generation, is the runous one, that Congress
is the only representative Of the United States, or
rather that Congress is the United States. The
President, in the exercise OF his constitutional
powers, is fully the representative of the Union
as Congress is. He is not even responsible to
Congress for his acts much less is he subordinate
to that branch of the Government in any respect.
Is Congress chosen by the people? So is he. Is
he restricted in his power? So is Congress Must
he have their concurrence In some things! Ihey
must have his, in all things. He has the command OF
the army and nayy-not Congress. II Is with him
that all treaties must begin, and without him can
no treaty be made. The Senate must assent to his
treaties before they become operative; but the
Senate cannot make treaties, and the other branch
of the legislature cannot even have voice in them
In the exercise of these prerogatives, he is the
United States, so long as he heeps within the pale
Of his duty. Now Texas came into the Union
by treaty; her domain was defended by the army
and navy of the United States Mexico was con-
quered by the President through his under Off
GERS; and the fruits OF war were secured by a
treaty made by the President. | shall be at no
pains, therefore, to ascertain what Congress
thought or knew Of his dealings in these matters,
except, perhaps, in warning to the people, against
its arrogance, instability, and Inconsistency.
would further premise, that what the President
does in the exercise Of his constitutional powers,
is final and conclusive. No subsequent President
can unseue what he has settled, or give version
10 MS SllplldllOitS, VI All W his
measures, different from the version which he
gave, and the intent which he expires sed. Let us
Inquire, then, what President Polk though Of the
boundary OF Texas, from the beginning of his
negotiations with her, to the end of his negotia-
tons with Mexico. Upon this head we had col
Iected many extracts from his orders, dispatches,
and messages, but we now discard all but few
Of the most important.
We shall, of course, use the statements of Mr..
Folks secretaries and subordinate officers, made
upon his authority, as equivalent to his owns but
we shall be brief. Mr.. Marcy, in his letter TO
General Taylor, under date Of July 30, 1845,
says: " It is expected that in selecting the estab-
llshment for your troops, you will approach as
near the boundary Nne-ths Rio Grande-as pru-
dence will dictate, With this view, the President
desires that your position for part Of your
forces, at least, should be ,oest Of The rper .Nteces"
Thus begin the movements Of the land forces.
Let us see how the naval forces set in motion.
Mr.. Bancroft, in his letter to Commodore Con-
ner, July IL, 1915, says: That you may know
precisely what is meant by the aggression which
you are instructed to avoid, will add, that while
the annexation of Texas extends our boundary TO
the Del Nortc, the President reserves the vndca-
ton Of our boundary, if possible, to methods of
peace"
But let us hear the President himself In his
message of December 9Th, 1916, he says: Texas,
us coded to the United States by France in 1893,
has been always claimed as extending to the Rio
Grande This fact is established by the authority
OF our most eminent statesmen, &c. The Texas
which was coded to Spain by the Florida treaty in
1919, embraced all the country now claimed by
the State of Texas, between the Nueces and the
Rio Grande.
The Republic Of 7eras alscays claimed this rirer
as her ,cestern boundary; and in her treaty with
Santa Anna, in May, 1896, he recognized it as
such. The Congress Of Texas, on the 10Th CT De-
cember, 1886, passed "An act to define the bound
aries of the Republic of Texas, " in which they
declared the Rio Grnnde, from its mouth to its
source, to be the boundary; &nd by the same net,
they extended their " civil and political jursdic-
ton" over the country up to that boundary"
Here Mr.. Polk enumerates many acts of sover-
eighty which Texas exercised over the territory
west Of the Nueces, and proceeds: "This was
the Texas, which, by the act OF our Congress,
Doth December, lS45, was admitted as one Of the
States Of our Union" elm my annual message
of December last, informed Congress that, BY the
imitation Of both the Congress and Contention Of
1tras, had deemed it proper to order strong
squadron to the coast Of Mexico, and to concen-
trate efficient military force on the aoeStern trom-
tier Of IeraS.'
Thus it appears that the first movement Of our
forces towards the Rio Grande, was upon the
suggestion of Teras herself when as yet she was
an independent Republic; and they were made by
President cognIzant OF her declared boundary,
and with intent to maintain it, in the event of the
annexation which had now become certain. The
President proceeds:
"Whilst occupying his (Tayor's) position on
the east bank of the Rio Gronde within the limits
of Texas, then recently admitted, as one Of the
States of our Union, the Commanding General of
the Mexican forces, crossed the river inpadcd our
territory, and comm need hosties, &C." This
brings us to the commencement Of the war; though
in order to reach it, we skip over at least twenty
like acknowledged to be found in MIR. Folks
messages and dispatches. We pause here for a
moment to inquire whether there is man upon
the face Of the earth, but Eee-soiier, who, under
these circumstances would justly claim on the
part OF the United States against Texas, to one
foot of land on the east of the Rio Grande?
Let us hear what the President says after the
war. In his message Of July 6, 1913, he holds this
language: :" New Mexico and Upper California
have been coded to the United States, and now
constitute a part of our country, embracing
nearly ten degrees of latitude, lying adjacent to
the Oregon Territory, and extending from the
Pacific TO the Rio Grande." Thus the man who
dictated the terms of the treaty, declares plainly
that he considered the United States as gaining no