532
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 18tn ·
occupy the territory as far as the Rio Grande. That territory had been understood to belong to Texas. Texas had understood it to belong to her. She assumed that her limits extended to the Rio Grande; and in 1836, when she defined her boundaries more particularly, she claimed the Rio Grande to be her boundary. This was before the recognition of her independence. She was entitled to that boundary, and she had assumed and declared it to be as much her territory as the land lying between the Sabine and the Nueces. But who had now set up this assumption of right to the country lying between the Nueces and the Rio Grande? Was it Mexico? Mexico never fixed the boundaries at the Nueces. Mexico con- tended for no division of the territory; with her it was either all Mexican or none. If Texas did not belong to the United States to the Rio Grande, no territory belonged to her beyond the Sabine. Gentlemen had said an intimation had been given that if our army was not marched beyond the Nueces, she would not consider it an aggression on her rights. Why, the quarrel was about annexa- tion. Mexico insisted on her right as far as the Sabine, while Texas, by the right of conquest and independence, claimed from the Sabine to the Rio Grande. Texas preserved her independence. Texas exercised her jurisdiction; and that jurisdiction was recog- nized by England; for people of that country appealed to Texas to recognize the grants made to them to the Rio Grande, on which settlements had been made, but had been broken up by the revo- lution and the disturbed state of the country. They made applica- tion through the Minister of Great Britain to the Government of Texas to receive them, and allow them to resume the possession of their lands; and this was agreed to on the part of Texas with- out stipulation. This, then, would show that England regarded Texas as entitled to that portion of country lying between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and England recognized the inde- pendence of Texas as described by the law of 1836. After annexa- tion took place, if the President had neglected to comply with the obligation to send a force for the protection of Texas-the· functions of its own government having ceased; if he had neg- lected to give them that protection which, as an independent people, they could have given themselves-he would have been recreant to his duty. Mr. Sevier interposed to ask the honorable Senator from Texas, if, after the recognition of the independence of Texas, General F. Huston did not keep possession of the country between the Nueces and the Rio Grande with one hundred or two hundred men?
Powered by FlippingBook