Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-08-22
1D Dolttttal.'
SPEECH OF
Thomas II. Benton,
OF MISS0U RI,
THE COMPROMISE BTLL..

Delivered in the Senate of the United saes July 49, 1885,
Mr.. BENTON offered the following amend
ment to the bill:
Strike out Of proposition "frst" of section 80,
after the word "beginnng" these words: sat
the point On the Rio del Norte, commonly call
ed FL Paso, and running up that river twenty
miles, measured by straight line thereon. and
thence eastwardly to a point where Tie IOOth
degree Of west Iungitnde crosses Red rsvAg he.
ing the southwest angle Id the line ssi a. co
lsssEweaT tie United States and Mexioo, oui the
same angle in the line Of territory set apart for
I the Indians by the United States" and insert
after the said word "beginnlng" these words
at the point in the middle of the deepest chan
mel in the Rio Grande del Norte, where the
same is crossed by the 1921 degree Of long-
tude west from the meridian Of Greenwich;
thence north, along that longitude to the 34th
degree of north latitude thence eastwardly to
the point at which the Tooth degree Of west lon
gitude crosses the Red river.
The amendment being stated blythe Chair,
] Mr.. BENTON said The motion is to strike
out and nsert-to strike out tn, committees
line for the western boundary of Texas, and to
insert different one in place of it. The com
mttee's line begins twenty miles, on a straight
line, above Ell Paso, and runs enthusiastically
to the point al which the Red river is crossed by
the one hudreth degree o west longitude
z The line propose begins in the middle of the
channel of the Rio Grande del Norte, where it
is crossed by the one hundred and second de-
e gree of west longitude, about three hundred
, miles, on a straight line, below El Paso, and
4 runs north with that longitude to the thirty fourth
~ parallel of north latitude, where it strikes the
committees line and thence, with that line, to
|. its termination at the Intersection of the Red
- river by the one hundredth degree Of west lon
gtude. These are the two lines and the differ.
ence between then is difference of seventy
l. thousand square miles cut of from New Mexico
n and given to Texas.
n My objection to the committees proposed line
were stated in former speech, and nothing
- which was then said will be repeated now
l. The point of those objections was, that that
Of hne was dismemberment of New Mexico, cut
ting off seventy thousand square miles of its
territory, and giving ii to Texas Ny reasons
T. for the line | propose were also stated in the
It. same speech, and will not be repeated now.-
Their point was, that line along the one hun
- dred and second degree of west longitude
would be the proper boundary between New
Mexico and TeXas-the one that would con-
g form TO the actual possessions OF both countries
e to their civil and geographical divisions. With
s. out repeating arguments formerly used, my de-
y sign is to rise higher, and establish the same
is points by new and closer evidence, drawn as
The rbetorlclans express it, er UiSceribuS cduSG-
from the bowels of the case-that is to say
Z from the bill and report OF the committee itself
! and from the authentic map Of the State OF
n, Texas.
begin with the committees BILL and show
from it that cession of a part of New Mexico
to Texas, and not the ascertainment of the true
el line between them, was the object of the com.
n mittee; and that in fact they make cession Of
to one-half of New Mexico to Texas, and then ac-
= cept cesson of the other half from ner, and
" then propose to pay her large sum of money
y besides. Here is the ceding clause in the com
ny mittee's bill:
lis "Second. The United States cede to the State
of Texas all right, claim, and title, which the,
4, have to any territory lying south of the lin,
J. aforesaid. And the said state of Texns cedes t,
'o the United States any right, claim, and title
mt which 1t has to any territory lying north of tn,
e. said line"
m, These are the words of the committees bill
-, IA cession-a mutual cession of territory from
each to the other and in terms which mpl,
N title in each. The United States cede to Tex
'ill as all the territory that lies south of the com
mittee's line; Texas edes to the United State
,,n all the territory that lies north of it. 1t is tn
: act of the owners acting independently of eacl
oL other, and making an exchange of land, and il
ly. terms which imply equality of title in the re
of spective cessions. Upon the words of thi
no clause, then, this transfer to Texas is a cesso,
VI from the United Staes, and conveys 10 Texa
ler the right, title, aud claim OF the United State
to all the territory ceded. Another palt of tn
as bill is equally explicit in treating this transfe
no as cession. The sixth clause is in thes
NJ words:
"ISirth. If the said State of Texas shall re
ne fuse or decline TO accede to the preceding arti
sk cles, they shall become null and uoid, and tn
United States shall be remiaed back to all thei
n territorial rights in the same state and condition
= as if these articles of compact had never beel
Of rendered to the acceptance of the State of Tex
as"