The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-12


whole iorce sent. Thus began and thus ended all
the connection Texas had with any part of New
Mexico. The people of that loyal province never as
much as had any association with the laws or peo-
pie oil The revolving State. They ever had an utter
adherence Of both. They have lived under the
same laws since Mexico became an independent
nation.
There is another item of evidence | will produce,
and am done with this branch of subject. In 1899
the disafiected of the Mexican provinces of Tamau
hpas, Coahuila, Durango New Mexico, and such
others as might Join them attempted 10 form an IN
dependent Republic, TO be called the Republic oi
| the Rio Granje. General Canales took the com
mand of this movement and was elected Presi-
dent of the new Republic, in which capacity he en-
| tered into an agreement with the Government OF
| Texas, as follows:
lst. The President Of the Republic Of the Rio Grande
pledges himself to are the Republic Rio Grande, aud
10 declare and establish the State aud Constitution OF S%
| 50 he shall have established his headquarters
within the limits OF the territory claimed by the sad IKE
"2,I That the Republic Of the RIO Grande shall. imme.
daely after the said declaration Of independence recognise
| the independence Of Texas.
3D. The RRpuHLIc OF Texas pledges herself 10 AID me
tedeTGi.iS q me Rio GTdnde IN her struggle Tor 'h,ph
ence directly her independence srecognlsed by The KuO
lie of the Rio Grande"
Under this agreement, Texas co-operated with
General Canales, who took possession OF the town
| of Laredo in Tamaulpas which he held tor snort
period, when he was attacked by General Arsta' IN
| command of Mexican army and obliged TO escape
into Texas ThVs segau and ended she Republic OF
| the Rio Grande. -.
Ifanything could make the claim Of Texas to this
this transaction does SO. Texas was then an indie
| pendent Republic, and had been for several years
There is no pretence she ever acquired any territory
after her independence and here she rs oy tis agree
ment agreeing 10 aid and assist revolt OF this same
country from Mexico with the view OF ITS forming
new ami independent Government and she actually
sent her forces for that purpose inns was even aier
| Texas had claimed on pdpcr-We only cam Sle ereT
| yl,fs- all between
| States on the north. ,en
| No mpartial man can examine these facts and ail
to to the conclusion That lcAas mas no SliuuJ
! of claim to any part of this country In me reSoiI-
ons ofannrXalion the United States carefully guard
ed against assuming any pretended claim Oh ieAas 10
any territory she din not really own, ana over "nlch
she had no control. The terms Oh the RESOLUTIONS
are follow:
. Rcsr,d That Congress doth consent that the territory
properly included within, and rghtully belonging 10. the
Republic Of Texas may pc % h t1 a ssn, 10
Given mon The following conditons First Said |
state formed subec ko the adJusimentby this Gov
eminent OF all questions OF boundary with other Govern.
After the surrender of independent sovereignty on |
terms like these, thus Having il exclusively TO this
Government to say what is and what is not Texas,
and after all the other facts have stated it is diff
cult 80 SSiSAIsow any man talk ct the claim
of that State TO New Mexico how any man can vote
TO surrender than thirty millions of acres of our
public lands, and fhy-Sir thousand square miles Of
=
tended claim OF Texas.
Ii is claimed on the part of Texas, that the United
States conquered New Mexico for her benefit to the
extent of her pretended claim; THAI whether her
claim was good or bad as against Mexico after the
conquest il became good against this Government.
As extraordinary this doctrine may appear in the
face of the facts and of the resolutions of annexation,
Il is strenuousy urged by the advocates of Texas and
slavery The doctrine is more nor less than this
Texas never had and never could conquer New Mex
co The United States could and did conquer it, and
after they had done So Texas shall have the right to
take the country as her own, because she had once
put in false and fabulous claim that she never had
any power to enforce, never did enforce never had
any right TO enforce. Was barefaced mpudence
IN claiming what belongs TO another ever more ap-
parent?
Mexican war whether il arose-as sta ed by Pres-
tent Polk in his message TO Congress of 9Th of De-
,ember 1886 because we had ample cause of war
against Mexico long before the breaking out of hos,
liies causes which existed
long before the annexation of Texas 10 the American
Union - from spirit of aggression, or to maintain
the claim of Texas to the country between the
Nueces and Rio Grande whether the people OF this
country believe these, any OF these causes, orig-
mated the war or not venture the assertion there
is not a citizen of the Republic who believes that war
was begun or carried TO maintain any claim OF
Texas TO New Mexico. The thing was never heard
of. California and Utah were as much conquered
for Texas as New Mexico.
|
to possession of one loot of that country; never
had civil officer there nor soldier, except to be
conquered, defeated, and carried into captivity.
ID. The whole country has been for ages, and
is now, under the government Of its own laws, de-
rived from Mexico and from our provisional Gov
eminent.
3D. The limits of Texas were well known and es-
tablished long anterior to her revolt from Mexico.
They never included any part of New Mexico,
Of the ffty-six thousand square miles this bill
gives away.
4th Texas revolted New Mexico never did.
Texas became independent New Mexico remained
a loyal State of Mexico.
9th. The United States conquered and bought the
county this bill cedes 10 Texas.
9th The United States by conquest and pur-
chase succeeded to all the rights titles possession
sovereignty, and control of Mexico over every part
Of this territory, and Texas has no claim thereto
whatever.
now come to my second proposition that this
territory is now
FREE TERRITORY.
1t is hardly necessary to spend time in proof OF
this proposition. 1t is so universally understood, so
well established in the public mind that it would be
little else than waste of time TO offer further proof in
its support. ] shall, therefore, content myself by
saying, that all this country, being part OF the Next
can Republic, up to the time OF its acquisition by
this Government, was under her laws, and came to
us subject to their authority. That among those
laws was law prohibiting slavery or involuntary
seryudea law that had been in full force for twenty
years. slavery was aOOlsIle0 IN MEXICO IN 1879, |
by the decree of the Chief Executive, Guerrero, which
decree was affirmed by the Mexican Congress in
1887, which decree and act OF Congress were as
follow
MExIcO-ToTAL ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
The President Of the Mexican United States to the
hablaus Of the Republic, greeting
Desiring signaze the year 1929, the anniversary of
independence by act Of national justice aud benef
that may to the advancement of so important
result that may CONSOLIDATE more and more public tran
qull that may cooperate TO the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the
ty
habanis those rights which they hold from nature, and
that people protect by wise aud equitable laws, in
lormily with the ;ph article OF the constituve act,
Making of the extraordinary faculties which have
been granted TO the Executive, thus decree:
LIST. Slavery is forever abolished in the Republic.
III Consequently all those individuals who until this
day looked upon themselves as slaves are free
When the financial condition OF the Republic admits,
the propreors of slaves shall be unidentified aud the in
Identification regulated by law
"And IN order that the present decree may have It's full
aud entire execution, order TO be printed published,
aud circulated to all those whose obligation il is to have it
fulfilled
Gwen in the Federal Palace OF Mexico, the 18th of
September, lS29 YiNCENTE GUERRERO.
LAURENZO DE ZAVALA."
An acte the Mericdn Congress, aJolishing sarery
EXTRACT.
"ARrIcLE / Slavery, without any exception. is and
shall remain abolished throughout the entire Republic
| " Passed April 8, lsH."
We received this country, then, as free from sla-
very the State of Massachusetts, and we are "a
much bound to keep that people-who have rid
themselves of that evil repudiated and abandoned
that system of injustice and representation being
again dragged into il, against their will, as We
would be To keep the people of Minnesota from
being forced into bondage by the State of Mis-
| souri,
by the law of nations well Us the law of neces-
sity the people of any country who are transferred
| from one sovereignty 10 another, remain under the
law that has governed them until the new sovereign
power governs them by laws of its own, passed for
that purpose. If the rule otherwise, they would
be LETT without laws, would, in fact, not be transfer
red at all. For il is idle to say apeoplc belong to
| 4, i, Ia,