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EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE, while Mexico still
claims to hold this territory as part of her do
minions. The adjustment of this question of
boundary is important"


This is all true. If the laws" Of Texas on
the subject were not a mere and sheer nuity so
far they pretend TO establish boundary to which
the State had no color of title, New Mexico east Of
the Rio Grande is as much part of Texas as the
country between the Nueces and the Rio Grande.
But all this territory was alike Mexican. No part
of il was brought within the limits Of the State of
Texas by her revolution, or by right OF conquest.
No part of it, therefore, was or could be conveyed
by Texas to the United States. If it was New
Mexico as the President says it was, how could
it be Texas?


One and the same rule, it is perfectly clear, must
be applicable to all the territory east of the Rio
Grande heretofore belonging to Mexico. 1t is all
either still Mexican, it is Texan. But the Pre-
sident marches an army into one part of il on the
plea ofis being his duty to defend our own soil''-
territory of the United States, derived from Texas
and invades and conquers the other demanding
cession Of it as State of Mexico, and now recon-
mending to Congress to establish a Territorial
Government within it!


"The Commissioner of the United States was
!. authorized says the Message, /" to obtain ces-
" sion to the United States of the Mexican Pro-
" vinces of NetU MeGico and California" &c. The
relation of this province of New Mexico to the two
nations (the' United States and Mexico) was pre-
csey and identicaly the same that of the terri
tory lying between the Nueces and the Rio Grande.
Yet the President made war, under an alleged in
dispensable duty to maintain the title of the United
States to the one, and in that war conquered the
other from Mexico, in order that he might obtain
possession of it an indemnity for the expenses
of the war, into which he says Mexico forced us by
attempting to defend her own territory from inva-
sion. 1t is impossible for the President extricae
himself from the horns of this dilemma


/ From the beginning of his administration up to
this day, the President, animated and impeed, ap-
parently, by ambition to distinguish himself be-
yond his predecessor in the annals of annexation,
has been all in the wrong upon this Mexican ques-
ton. Even in his Inaugural Address, though the
word " Mexico" is not mentioned the source is dis
coverable of all the mischievous proceedings of the
Executive, which, however honestly intended, have
almost undone the country. In that Address is
plainly discernible the germ Of that longing for for
hidden fruit,l that honkerng after the lands of our
neighbors, that determination, per fas am netas
to possess ourselves Of them, which have evidently
influenced and directed the whole policy of the
Executive in regard to Mexico. We refer, o
course, to those passages in which the President
argues the safety to political system of the en-.
largement Of our boundaries. The meaning of the
following sentence, for example, though it attracted
little notice at the time, cannot noW be mistaken
i" TO enlarge its limits the limits of our Union
is to extend the dominions of peace OVER ADDI-
TIoNAL TERRITORIES AND INCREASING MILLIONS. y
This remark could have had reference only to those
territories of Mexico, the annexation of which, as
conquered country, the President proposes in the
Message now before us.


In the first months of his official term, it may be
that the President calculated upon accomplishing
his purposes without with Mexico, though
from the moment of the installation of his conf
dental editor, the idea of War and Conquest, in
some shape or other seemedconinually to haunt his
imagination. Within the first six weeks Of the exist
ence of the official paper, it made quite evident
that there existed disposition to pay any respect
to the law of our own Congress which enjoined the
settlement of the question of boundary by negotia
ton with Mexico. Even before the consummation
of the act of annexaon-before its acceptance by
{ the Government and People of Texas-the line Of
the Rio Grande was repeatedly claimed, and in the
event of Mexico proving obstinate and impractica
bic on that point, additional annexaons " threat
ened and the acquisition of California prophesied
These demonstrations in fact preceded the order tc
Gen. TAYLOR Of the 18th June, lS45, advising him
OF the design eventually to press forward his army
to the east bank of the Rio Grande and, so be
witched was the Official Editor with the enchant
ing prospect which a war with Mexico was ex
pected to unfold TO our country, in opening &c
ii " the road to California and enabling it to
"spread far and wide the great principle of self
government, that there seemed at least willing
ness on his part to permit, if not disposition TO
provoke, state of things from which such glorious
results were anticipated. In September it was
plainly Indicated that more belligerent attitude
1 than was then exhibited On the part of Mexico
would be quite agreeable 10 him. On the 10th
of that month the purpose of moving our army
10 the Rio Grande was disclosed and day or
two after this it stated that our boundary
had been irrevocably planted at the Rio Grande, in
regard TO which "neither the bullets of the Mexi-


