The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-25
No. 81.

! bly,, and with due regard to its reputation TO
honor and justice, do soi object to the connec
ton Of the Texas boundary with the question o
slavery, whether on the part of the North or thu
South. appeal to something higher than mer
considerations of party or sections in this matter
l am surrounded by honorable men, selected from
their respective States, because oftheir high repu
tation, acting under the solemnty Of an oath; ant
ask nothing from the feelings or prejudices o
any particular Senator, but appeal solely to tn,
ideas of strict Justice implanted by the Creator il
the mind of every man, to take this question be
fore that tribunal, and settle it without reference
| to the question of extension or nOn-extensiOn 81
slavery. And think | have the right to make
this appeal, 80 far MS Texas is concerned; and
feel that have right to see it respected, for the
say for magnanimity. No such power was granted
to the United States by Texas in relation to this
boundary, as is claimed by the Senator. III
| The honorable Senator from Kentucky thought
proper to say that the boundary was cnixed and
unsettled, and that It was for now to settle IT,
Now, take issHc with him here, ana fiYHy a
is fixed and settled, and that this Government can
not unsettle it. Shortly after the annexation was
consummated, as all well remember, Mr.. Slidell
was sent TO Mexico by the President, to adjust
this boundary difficulty between Texas and
Mexico and this, sir, was the first step taken
for the purpose of adjusting these matters Here
allow me to read an extract from the instructions
Of the President, under which he went out b
Mr. Buchanan's instructions TO Mr.. SIdel, dated
| November 10, 1915.
"This question of boundary NAV, therefore
be adjusted IN such a manner between the two
Republics, as to cast the burden OF the debt due
| to American claimants, upon their own Govern
ment, while 1t will do no injury to Mexico.
/" In order to arrive at lust conclusion mon
this subject, it will be necessary briefly TO state
what at present. are the territorial rights of the
parties. s4gs gss. ,.I g 1T}' 800
"The Congress Of Texas, by the act of Decem.
Der 10, 1896, have declared the Rio del Norte.
from its mouth to its source, to be boundary of
that Republic. 9aI.I. s.'I :" = =
SIN regard to the right of Texas to the boun-
dairy of Del Norte from its mouth to the Paso.
there cannot, tits apprehended be any very serious
doubt u would be easy to establish, by the
authority OF our most eminent statesmen-at a
time too, when question of the boundary of the
province OF Louisiana was better understood than
IT is at present-that, to this extent at least Del
Norte was it's western limit. Messrs. Monroe
and Pinckney, IN their commandments Janu-
airy %, 1905, to Don Pedro Cevallos, then the
Spanish Minister of Foreign Relations, assert. in
the strongest terms, that the boundaries of that
province ARE the river Perdido to the east. and
the Rio Bravo to the west They saw. the facts
and principles which justify this conclusion. are
so satisfactory to our Government as to convince
1t that the United States have not better right to
iot,iiN VI ANSW OTlcsUS, u0uer the ceSSlOn
ferred to Chat Of louisiana than thew have TO
the whole district Of territory which is above de-
scribed. Mr.. Jefferson was at that time Presi-
dent, and Mr.. Madison Secretary Of State and
you well know how to appreciate their authority.
IN the subsequent negotiation with Mr.. Cevallas
Messrs. Monroe and Pinckney conclusvely vim
Dictated the right Of the United States as far west
| as Del Norte. Down to the very conclusion of
the Florida treaty, the United States asserted their
right to this extent, not by words only, but by
deeds. In 1878, this Government having learned
that number of adventurers--chiefy Frenchmen
had landed at Galveston, with the Fvowed par
pose OF forming settlement in that vicinity, de-
spatched George Graham, Esq, with instructions
to warn them to desist. The following is an ex-
tract from these instructions dated June g. 1918 |:
"The President wishes you to proceed with all
convenient speed to that place, (Galyeston) unless
as is not improbable, you should, in the pro-
gress of the journey, learn that they have aban-
doned or been driven from it. Should they have
removed to Matagorda, or any other place north Of
the Rio Bravo, and within the territory claimed
by the United States, you will repair thither,
without, however exposing yourself to be cap
| tured by any Spanish military force When ar
rived, you will IN suitable manner, make known
to the chief or leader Of the expedition, your au-
thorty from Che Government of the United States
and express surprise with which the President
has seen possession thus taken, without authority
from the United States, of a place within their ter
ritorlal limits, and upon which no lawful settle-
ment can be made without their sanction You
will call upon him explicitly to avow under what
national authority they profess to act, and take
that the place is within the United States, who
will suffer no permanent settlement to be made
there under any authority other than their own"
1t cannot be denied, however, that the Florida
treaty, of February %, 1919, ceded to Spain
all that part OF ancient Louisiana within the pre-
can limit IF Al ~. ~.
inquiry now is, what is the extent of the terrific
rial rights which Texas has acquired by the sword
in righteous resistance to Mexico, In your ne
gotiations with Mexico, the independence Of
Texas, must be considered settled fact, and is
not to be called in question: sana nG
'Texas achieved her independence on the plains
of San Jacnto, In April 1886, by one of the most
decisive and memorable victories recorded in his
tory. She then convinced the world, by her cour-
age and her conduct, that she deserved to rank
as an independent nation. To use the language
of Mr.. Webster, Secretary of State, in dispatch
to our Minister in Mexico, dated 9Th July, l842
sFrom the time of the battle of San Jacinto, in
April, 1886, to the present moment, Texas had
exhibited the same external signs of national in
dependence as Mexico herself, and with quite as
much stability of government. Practically free
and independent; acknowledged as a political
sovereignty by the principal powers of the world
mo hostile foot finding rest within her territory
framing, for all that period, from any further at
tempt to re-establish her own authority over that
territory, &C., &C. att
'sFinay, on the 29th March, 1S45, Mexico
consented, in the most solemn form, through the
Intervention Of the British and French govern
ments, to acknowledge the independence Of Texas
provided she would stipulate not to annex herself
or become subject to any country whatever.
sit may, however he contended on the part of
Mexico, that the Neuces, and not the Rio del
Norte, is the true western boundary of Texas. /
need not furnish you arguments to controvert this
position. You have been perfectly familiar with
the subject, from the beginning, and know that
the jurisdiction of Texas has been extended be-
yond that river, and that representatives from the
country between it and the Rio del Norte, have
participated in the deliberations of both her Con
gress and her convention. Besides, this portion
Of the territory was embraced within the limits
Of ancient Louisiana. gg
These, Mr.. President, were the instructions un-
der which Mr.. Slidell went out to Mexico to
settle the questions between Texas and Mexico.
Ii is known that his mission failed War upon
this subject broke out between Mexico and the