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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
submit without a struggle 7 and is it in the nature of things for their countrymen, their t'elations and friends, to view that struggle with indifference, or with folded arms? The events connected with that co1mtry have cons6q_ue11tly been the result of circumstances imforseen, and unavoidable to them, and to •UIS. It is in vain to talk to people of what is reasonable, just, or discreet, when they are in the very midst of the whirlwind. There _is no resemblance between this ca e and that of France, when an attempt was made to involve us in a war, in spite of the existence of the most friendly feeling between the nations so situated in an idle and causeless war, again t their wishes and inclinations. I rejoiced at our e cape, and so did almost every American, and I should heartily rejoice that we may avoid a war with :Mexico; b1tt it is an outrage on conmio11, sense to suppose that our individual fellow citizerns u•l.'ll sta11d by and take no part u:ith their friends and relatives, i1,,Jven such atrocities have been wit11essed in Texas. Harsh things may be said of them; base motives imputed; and the same might have been imputed to La Fayette and hi a o- -ciates. And if this neutrality of individual Americans were ob- erved, it w<>uld be a thousand tinies nwre disgraceful to them, than the violation of any treaties or laws. But in my humble opinion, no treaties have been violated, and no laws have been broken. As a government, we have taken as yet no part in the conte t; we have proclaimed a neutrality, and we have gone farther than we were bound, or had a 1·ight to do, in fortbidd·ing our individual citizens to take a part. I hope no step will be taken by the government to b1·ing on the contest, for it m,1ist come soon enough of itself. i\fexico says we have stipulated by treaty to respect her territory, and that Texas is a part of it. The reply is, that Texas may once have been hers, but is no longer so. '\Y'e have een the Mexican power completely expelled, and an independent government set up in Texas, with complete po session of the whole territory for ome months-we have seen i\fexico return as an invader, and we l1ave seen that invader repelled with the l~s of the chief of her government. :Now who in point of fact is in po se sion of Texas-and I might almost add, who is in possession of the govermnent of l\Iexico 7 But it is the que tion of fact, not of right, that we are to con idcr, and the actual posse .or, _if but for a day, or a month, is politically the owner. '\Ve are reminded of our treaty with l\lexico; and haYe we not a treaty with Spain, in the very ame words, relating to the same country, and why was this disregarded in favor of l\Icxico T The treaty was considered at an end by the £net of l [exico beccming the actual pos!-.cssor ! ·what is auce for the goo e, is sauce for the gander. In acknowledging Texas, we act on the same principle on which we acknowledged l\foxico, notwithstanding a . ubsi ting treaty with pain. This is not the ca~e of a civil war, where two partie occupy dif- ferent portions of the same country, and where individual. of any country may volunteer for either side, ns we cc the con. taut practice in Eul'opc, without implicating the neutrality of their re pccti,·e governments. In feudal countries, where the s11b)cct is nppo cd to he the property of the Sovereign, and may be forbidden to •o abroad, or may be recnllcd nt the pleasure of his master, omething may be
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