The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-01

ed Deg them 10 taKe Wnat say In the sense
intend it. In their place should do as they will
do-vote for or against the bill, and all its
measures, according to the amount Of money to
20 into the blank-and with the same senti-
ment Of profound humiliation which they must
feel And this shows the enormity of such un-
natural copjunctions Of discordant measures. And
here will use an argument but lately come to
hand, but which ought to have its weight on this
occasion l allude TO the new Constitution of Ken
lucky and its salutary provision against the ruin
Gus practice of "log-roling" In section thirty
seven Of article two of that instrument, there is
this provision EVERY BILL SHALL CONTAIN BUT ONE
SUBJECT, AND THAT SHALL BE CLEARLY EXPLAINED
IN THE TITLE This is the sentiment Of Kentucky
on the fatal practice Of lacking incongruous bills
together. She has pointed her constitutional can
non against it, True weare not bound by the pro-
visions of her constitution; but We are bound to
respect the principle Of morality in which it is
founded, and Of course to condemn aud repudiate
this omnibus bill, freighted with many subjects,
and dependent for its passage on the amount OF
money TO be voted out Of the public Treasury to
the State of Texas.
Sir, l have myself, in bill now before the SEN
Element OF her W estern oouuaary out proposel
no mutual cessions-po exchange of territory
no dismemberment of New Mexico-no purchase
of the Santa Fe country-no giving away our
own territory, and paying Texas to ,akeit. My
proposals steer clear Of all that folly and blum
der This is what proposed
"ARr The State Of Texas cedes the United States
all her territory exterior to the limits 10 which she reduces
| herself by the first article OF this compact"
And the limits then proposed by me for her re-
| duction were the same as now proposed-lO2o OF
west longitude, and "a Of north latitude This
is all the cession that my bill proposed-a cession
from Texas only--and not of all the territory
but of all her territory exterior to her reduced
limits. This avoided the consequences Of a cession
from her of the whole country, including New
Mexico as q part of Texas. Ii avoided the con-
sequence of holding the Santa Fe country as
a purchase from Texas IL avoided the cOnse-
quenoe Of admitting all that country to have been
a part OF the State of Texas. IL avoided all the
serious and disturbing consequences in which the
committees bill would involve US. For such
line as proposed TO Texas, ceding no territory
to her, accepting no title to New Mexico from
her, leaving New Mexico intact, and conforming
to ancient title and present sctusn possession,
$780,. 49,: - -. ,g4,z . - ssy such
line as the committee propose, not copper
The committee can End no excuse IN my offer
for theirs And here address myself most es-
pecially 20 that member of the committee VsdF..
Cooper, Of Pennsylvania) who seems to have be-
come its organ at this point; and say to him. and
through him to the committee, there is nothing In
the one to justify the other. The two offers are
different as the two extracts from that sarsapa-
rilla root" Heapn mide apart, and infinitely DIS
similar, and NOT alike any t'uo particulars and haU
ing no tho qualities ia eommoa0 One begins twen-
ty miles in a straight line above Ell Paso-the
other three hundred miles in a straight line below
IL. One is latitudinsl-the other longitudinal.
One runs east-the other north One cuts New
Mexico in two-the other goes round her. One
cedes seventy thousand square miles of New Mex
co to Texas--the other cedes nothing to her. One
accepts the remainder of New Mexico as a cession
from Texas--the other holds her as a cession from
the Republic Of Mexico. One conforms to the
ancient title, present possession, and geographical
afinities-the other violates all these conditions
One raises the slave question, and in its double
aspect of actual extension Of slavery into half
of New Mexico, and it's implied legal existence III
the other half-the other avoids both these qus-
tons by leaving both New Mexico and Texas inst
as they are One admits the Texan laws and
Constitution to be in force in all New Mexico
east of the Rio Grande--the other asserts the
Mexican law to be in force there. These are
some Of the points of difference between my offer
and the committees, and which will thank the
Senator from Pennsylvania Mr.. Cooper torecol-
lect the next time he speaks on the subject, and
credit the differences on the right side OF the
account. But there is another difference and
of another kind, between the two offers, and
which may be fully developed when we come
to the work Of filing up that coy and SEN
sitive blank, upon which the committee are
so dumb, and the knowing ones so knowing. My
offer affects no other bill or measure IL is in q
bill by itself 1t lisa Texas BILL and confined
to Texas The money it proposes carries no in
huence, good or bad, to any other measure-has
no effect on the life or death of California, or the
two Territories 1t carries no vops for or against
them-excites no ock.jobbing interest, for or
against them 1t lisa parliamentary BILL confined |
to its own subject, unmixed with any question, |
claiming decision on its own msits alone and |
leaving all other bills to be decided in like man
ner, upon their own merits. This is particular
difference between the committees bill and mine, |
in addition to all the other differences between them
and which, at the proper time, shall more fully |
develop; and, in the mean time, must remind the |
Senator from Pennsylvania not tdoverlook these |
differences when he comes again {, fortify his in
tended vote for sacrificing New Mtxico, by ref
erence to my bill for saving her
The committee as Justification for ceding the |
one half Of New Mexico to Texas and then pur-
chasing the other half from her, argue that it is the
only way to prevent Texas from Swallowing her |
all up This was a great mistake in law, and |
further mistake in fact in surprising that the |
President-the then President General Taylor |
would not do his duty. There we e three ways |
to save New Mexico without gvnk up any part |
of her to Texas First for the United States to |
occupy her as she was on the day of her cession
by the Republic Of Mexico; secotdly, by suit |
in the Supreme Court thirdly, by offering fair |
compact, based upon the true boundary. By
either Of these three ways New Mlxico could be
saved and the late President in hessage before
his death, let US know that he woulI do his duty
and maintain the possession until tie question of
title should be decided by the COMPETENT author
ity. This is his message:
have already in message relrred to the fact
that the boundary between Texas and N Mexico is dis
nnted have now 10 state that nformati, h,s hsen 20
Gently received that ain Robert Nkghb rs styling
himself commit soner Of the State of Tex preceded
Santa Re with the view Of organizing ounties in that
district under the authority OF Texas. While have no
to decide the question Of boundary md desire
the pos esion of the territory into which appears that
Mr. Nsghbors has TINS gone sctuy scqnred by the
United States from Mexico and has syce teen held by the
United States and, In my opinion, ought ITO remain until
the question boundary shall have determined nv
competent authority Meanwhile think there IL no
reason for s'riOnsiy apprshendng r. Texas yin pac
csy interfere with the possession Of the United Sttes
This is the message of the late President. and
il is the law and the prophets, brief and simple
but true and wise, and putting to fight the main
argument for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of New Mexico.
He tells you that he will maintain the possession
such as it was when the United States received it,
until the question of boundary should be decided
by the competent authorities. This is enough
for us. We are IN possession, and have only to
retain It, These were the resolves of the late
President, and there is no dispute about them
He spoke for himself and his words will stand,
a monument to his memory monument TO his
judgment to see the right, and to his frmness in
n. Il.
symbol Of his character-brief, plain, honest,
WISE firm, and to the point. 1t was worthy to be
the last message Of General Taylor and will 20
into the heads and hearts of the people, and will
remain on the memory Of his country longer than
craven words can remain upon stone or brass.