49
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON~ 1848
Texas and Mexico had not changed. Before they were presented to the Texan government, the recognition of Texas independence by Mexico had arrived at the capital of Texas; and that recognition was to take effect upon condition that Texas was not to become .annexed to the United States. She was recognized according to her declared boundary. It had been defined by her statutes; and Mexico acknowledged Texas as she claimed to exist, as a govern- ment, conceding to her everything by the act of her recognition, on condition that she should not become annexed to the United States. By the acceptance on the part of Texas of this recognition, there was no cause of war existing_between the two countries. But, if she did not accept the terms of Mexico, and eschew annexa- tion, it left the two nations in the same condition in which they had been for eight years previously. Texas rejected the proposed recognition by Mexico, and accepted the terms of annexation proposed by the United States. The moment that the resolutions were accepted by Texas, by that very act she had claim upon the protection of the United States. If Texas had not become a part of the United States, would she have had a claim upon their protection? Or would there have been any necessity for the troops of the United States to have passed into her territory? If annexation had not taken place, would the troops of the United States have been within the terri- tory of Texas? If you strike annexation from the record, you remove all cause of war between the two countries. Congress concurred in the removal of the troops into the territory of Texas. After this concurrence in, and sanction of, the acts of the Presi- dent, the troops of Mexico passed the boundary of Texas, and attacked the troops of the United States, thus continuing the war which had existed with Texas, and incorporated by annexation into the national affairs of the United States. The occupancy of Texan soil by American troops,. was no cause of war on their part, but it afforded an opportunity to Mexico of putting her reiterated threats into execution. No~objection was ever made, or any question raised as to the propriety of the course adopted and pursued by the President. This must be the conclusion, that it not only met the sanction of Congress, but the approval of every friend of annexation. It is insisted by the honorable gentle- man, ·[Mr. Calhoun,] that Congress alone has the power to declare war. In this case it was useless. War had never ceased between Texas and Mexico, and Texas had then become a part of the United States, so that the war existing with one State of the Union, must, of necessity, involve the whole Union. It was not
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