The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-18
For the Southern Press,
The President and Texas.
No. q.

w.,
United States, the claim of Texas to the Rio Grande
as her Western boundary, well founded and cer-
tain. And here the speech of MIR. Stephens of
Georgia, has saved us much trouble. We recon-
mend 1t TO the attentive perusai of every man,
North and South, who has not read it, Ii will be |
our business to confirm his position, and to de-
fend him az inst the attacks which have been
made upon him.
On the 10Th December, 1886, Texas, by an act
Of her Congress, declared the Rio Grande to be
her Western boundary. Ia this way, or some
other less authoritative, is the boundary of every
nation upon the face of the globe established.
This way of testing a nations title by the techni-
cal rules of the action Of eectnent-of limiting her
claims TO the actual pes possessio of her citizens
and setting up an adverse title against her, by vr
tue OF a possession no better defined than her
own, and subsistng but two years against nine,
is certainly one of the grandest discoveries Of the
age. am exceedingly happy that the honor of it
belongs to the President of the United States, and
his Secretary Of State; and not to any one Of the
benighted sons of the South. And yet when con-
slider how the kings of Europe acquired title to all
North and South America-how stood the title Of
every State in the Union Immediately after the
revolution, especially Of New York, Virginia,
North Carolina, and Georgia, am little afraid
that this new key to international law will unlock
the vault Of some awfuly pestiferous claims which
will come FORTH like the ghost of Samuel, to petri
fy the FREE-soiiers of the country. However, it
was obviously only made to fit Texas; and that is
enough for the South to know. Under the statute
Just referred to, Texas lived in the exercise of all
the functions of sovereign and independent
State, until she was annexed to the United States.
No nation upon earth claimed the right Of ques-
toning her boundary, but Mexico; and Mexico
questioned her right, not merely to the land Dor
dering on the Del Norte, but to every foot Of land
between that river and the Sabine. Thus stood
the parties when Texas surrendered her right
to make good her claim against Mexico, to the
United States, either by arms or treaty. BY the
mere fact OF annexation, what obligations de-
volved upon the United States First, to hold the
act Of the Texan Congress, establishing her boun-
daries, as indisputable by any State in the Union,
and OF course by all united. The Constitution
itself declares that " full faith and credit shall be
given in each State, to the public acts, records,
&C, - or every other State. That is to say, no
State can gainsay a law Of another State, which is
not unconstitutional; whether that law be good or
bad, reasonable or unreasonable, just or unjust.
No citizen of Texas could be heard to say that the
State did not reach to the Rio Grande, that is
clear case and what no citizen of the State could
do, no citizen, number Of citizens, out Of it,
could do.
Secondly. By the surrender of her powers to
declare war, and make treaties, Texas became
entitled to the exercise Of these powers in her be-
half, by the United States, in all cases in which
she herself would have exercised them. This is
claiming no more for her, than is accorded to every
other State in the Union. "The common defence"
is one of the avowed objects of the Union. As
Texas would have been, had she conquered Mex
leo, so is she now that her brother has conquered
her.
Thirdly. In receiving her into the Union, the
United States were bound to recognize her as having
some western boundary. She was State, was
treated with, as State, was adopted as a State,
was to be represented in Congress as State, was
| to be visited by Federal authorities, whose iurs-
diction depended upon her limits, and to cast her
votes for President and Vice President as State.
A State without boundary, is an absurdity in
terms (orwas, until the California Minerva popped
full grown, and overgrown, from the thigh Of Cen
eral Iaylor) and, Texas had no boundary West,
If the Rio Grande was not that boundary. The
river Nueces fixed upon by Mr.. Benton and some
others as her Western boundary, she never claimed
nor thought of nor could those who assigned it to
her, ever tell which way the line ran from that
river. The United States then, even in the absence
of any express recognition of the fact must, from
the very nature of the Union, have acknowledged
| the Rio Grande as her boundary, and assumed
| the maintenance of it, until it should be changed
| by treaty.
alton, the United States had bought up the claim
Of Mexico to Texas, and by virtue Of the pur-
chase, had set up claim to every foot of territory
in Texas to which she could not show an actual
possession or an ability to defend; what would the
civilized world think Of such conduct Would
not every honest man in the nation shoulder his
musket to defend the State Of Texas from such
foul injusices But suppose the President Of the
| United States upon his own mere motion, should
do all this scatter his agents through the unset
tied parts of Texas, North, South, East and West,
bid them proclaim that they held so much in
this quarter, and so much in that for the United
States, and order them to shoot down any Texan
who came to run County-lines, or administer JUS
tce within the usurped limits, what would be
thought Of that'
And yet this is precisely the case of Fillmore
against the State of Texas. Nay, the case sup
posed is infinitely better than the in progress,
as we shall presently see. And yet this matter is
looked upon by the uncontamnated, as a very COM
mon place sort of an affair. Indeed, their "senti-
neis upon the .catch-toper If LIBERTY regard these
things as good omens, and cry call g well )" while
the deacons of the reform church in the two wings
OF the Capitol, read homIlies to the people upon
the orthodoxy and consultations Of Filirnoreism
Even at the South, some Of those master minds
which constitute the corps editorial, and some of
those meek spirits who delight to endure, when
scourged in love by the negro's friend, and
charmed with the new light poured out from the
vatican upon their fathers text book, in melt
ing humility breathe out, "why Texas, will you
spill blood, and sunder the ties Of brotherly love
before your confirmation" Verify, it seems to
me, that Il Heaven-sent palsy has come upon the
moral energies Of our people-a Babel visitation
upon the eye, as well as the tongue. We call evil
good, and good evil. We see band of sef-infuri-
ated foes marching upon US, with the battle cry Of
down with savery-no quarter to the slave
holder" and we hail them as brethren. They Sc
duce our slaves from US, and when we attemp pit to
reclaim them, they pursue us like blood hounds,
imprIson US upon fiImsy pretences, and encourage
blacks to murder US and hardly complain.
They swear to support the Constitution openly
violate it, boast Of the perjury and plead Heaven
law in Justification oft; and we express no amaze
ment at such things. They steal our property,
fire on the officers Of justice who would recapture
it, laud the thief, vote him silver service, raise
hundreds Of dollars to defend him, call him a
martyr, and proclaim him their candidate for the
Presidency; and we calmly smile at such infatua-
ton. They have stormed the Capitol, and set all
its machinery to work against us, and when one
Of their clan speaks kind word for us, we sound
his praises through the Southern valley of dry
bones, louder than his town thunder, /" and exut-
ingly exclaim, call will soon be right now-our
cause is safe in the giants hands" Masters of
our citadel, they put the thumb-screws upon our
watchmen one groans, and they call it threat
another protests, and they call it challenge; an
other talks of resistance, and they call it treason
and we, good easy souls, look upon these things
L.. a..