the writings-2-第7章

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tells　us　it　went　beyond　the　Nueces；　but　he　does　not　tell　us　it

went　to　the　Rio　Grande。　He　tells　us　jurisdiction　was　exercised

between　the　two　rivers；　but　he　does　not　tell　us　it　was　exercised

over　all　the　territory　between　them。　　Some　simple…minded　people

think　it　is　possible　to　cross　one　river　and　go　beyond　it　without

going　all　the　way　to　the　next；　that　jurisdiction　may　be　exercised

between　two　rivers　without　covering　all　the　country　between　them。

I　know　a　man；　not　very　unlike　myself；　who　exercises　jurisdiction

over　a　piece　of　land　between　the　Wabash　and　the　Mississippi；　and

yet　so　far　is　this　from　being　all　there　is　between　those　rivers

that　it　is　just　one　hundred　and　fifty…two　feet　long　by　fifty　feet

wide；　and　no　part　of　it　much　within　a　hundred　miles　of　either。　He

has　a　neighbor　between　him　and　the　Mississippithat　is；　just

across　the　street；　in　that　directionwhom　I　am　sure　he　could

neither　persuade　nor　force　to　give　up　his　habitation；　but　which

nevertheless　he　could　certainly　annex；　if　it　were　to　be　done　by

merely　standing　on　his　own　side　of　the　street　and　claiming　it；　or

even　sitting　down　and　writing　a　deed　for　it。



But　next　the　President　tells　us　the　Congress　of　the　United　States

understood　the　State　of　Texas　they　admitted　into　the　Union　to

extend　beyond　the　Nueces。　　Well；　I　suppose　they　did。　　I　certainly

so　understood　it。　　But　how　far　beyond？　　That　Congress　did　not

understand　it　to　extend　clear　to　the　Rio　Grande　is　quite　certain；

by　the　fact　of　their　joint　resolutions　for　admission　expressly

leaving　all　questions　of　boundary　to　future　adjustment。　　And　it

may　be　added　that　Texas　herself　is　proven　to　have　had　the　same

understanding　of　it　that　our　Congress　had；　by　the　fact　of　the

exact　conformity　of　her　new　constitution　to　those　resolutions。



I　am　now　through　the　whole　of　the　President's　evidence；　and　it　is

a　singular　fact　that　if　any　one　should　declare　the　President　sent

the　army　into　the　midst　of　a　settlement　of　Mexican　people　who　had

never　submitted；　by　consent　or　by　force；　to　the　authority　of

Texas　or　of　the　United　States；　and　that　there　and　thereby　the

first　blood　of　the　war　was　shed；　there　is　not　one　word　in　all　the

which　would　either　admit　or　deny　the　declaration。　　This　strange

omission　it　does　seem　to　me　could　not　have　occurred　but　by

design。　　My　way　of　living　leads　me　to　be　about　the　courts　of

justice；　and　there　I　have　sometimes　seen　a　good　lawyer；

struggling　for　his　client's　neck　in　a　desperate　case；　employing

every　artifice　to　work　round；　befog；　and　cover　up　with　many　words

some　point　arising　in　the　case　which　he　dared　not　admit　and　yet

could　not　deny。　　Party　bias　may　help　to　make　it　appear　so；　but

with　all　the　allowance　I　can　make　for　such　bias；　it　still　does

appear　to　me　that　just　such；　and　from　just　such　necessity；　is　the

President's　struggle　in　this　case。



Sometime　after　my　colleague　＇Mr。　Richardson＇　introduced　the

resolutions　I　have　mentioned；　I　introduced　a　preamble；

resolution；　and　interrogations；　intended　to　draw　the　President

out；　if　possible；　on　this　hitherto　untrodden　ground。　　To　show

their　relevancy；　I　propose　to　state　my　understanding　of　the　true

rule　for　ascertaining　the　boundary　between　Texas　and　Mexico。　　It

is　that　wherever　Texas　was　exercising　jurisdiction　was　hers；　and

wherever　Mexico　was　exercising　jurisdiction　was　hers；　and　that

whatever　separated　the　actual　exercise　of　jurisdiction　of　the　one

from　that　of　the　other　was　the　true　boundary　between　them。　　If；

as　is　probably　true；　Texas　was　exercising　jurisdiction　along　the

western　bank　of　the　Nueces；　and　Mexico　was　exercising　it　along

the　eastern　bank　of　the　Rio　Grande；　then　neither　river　was　the

boundary：　but　the　uninhabited　country　between　the　two　was。　　The

extent　of　our　territory　in　that　region　depended　not　on　any

treaty…fixed　boundary　（for　no　treaty　had　attempted　it）；　but　on

revolution。　　Any　people　anywhere　being　inclined　and　having　the

power　have　the　right　to　rise　up　and　shake　off　the　existing

government；　and　form　a　new　one　that　suits　them　better。　　This　is　a

most　valuable；　a　most　sacred　righta　right　which　we　hope　and

believe　is　to　liberate　the　world。　　Nor　is　this　right　confined　to

cases　in　which　the　whole　people　of　an　existing　government　may

choose　to　exercise　it。　　Any　portion　of　such　people　that　can　may

revolutionize　and　make　their　own　of　so　much　of　the　territory　as

they　inhabit。　　More　than　this；　a　majority　of　any　portion　of　such

people　may　revolutionize；　putting　down　a　minority；　intermingled

with　or　near　about　them；　who　may　oppose　this　movement。　　Such

minority　was　precisely　the　case　of　the　Tories　of　our　own

revolution。　　It　is　a　quality　of　revolutions　not　to　go　by　old

lines　or　old　laws；　but　to　break　up　both；　and　make　new　ones。



As　to　the　country　now　in　question；　we　bought　it　of　France　in

1803；　and　sold　it　to　Spain　in　1819；　according　to　the　President's

statements。　　After　this；　all　Mexico；　including　Texas；

revolutionized　against　Spain；　and　still　later　Texas

revolutionized　against　Mexico。　　In　my　view；　just　so　far　as　she

carried　her　resolution　by　obtaining　the　actual；　willing　or

unwilling；　submission　of　the　people；　so　far　the　country　was　hers；

and　no　farther。　　Now；　sir；　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining　the　very

best　evidence　as　to　whether　Texas　had　actually　carried　her

revolution　to　the　place　where　the　hostilities　of　the　present　war

commenced；　let　the　President　answer　the　interrogatories　I

proposed；　as　before　mentioned；　or　some　other　similar　ones。　Let

him　answer　fully；　fairly；　and　candidly。　Let　him　answer　with　facts

and　not　with　arguments。　　Let　him　remember　he　sits　where

Washington　sat；　and　so　remembering；　let　him　answer　as　Washington

would　answer。　　As　a　nation　should　not；　and　the　Almighty　will　not；

be　evaded；　so　let　him　attempt　no　evasionno　equivocation。　　And

if；　so　answering；　he　can　show　that　the　soil　was　ours　where　the

first　blood　of　the　war　was　shed；that　it　was　not　within　an

inhabited　country；　or；　if　within　such；　that　the　inhabitants　had

submitted　themselves　to　the　civil　authority　of　Texas　or　of　the

United　States；　and　that　the　same　is　true　of　the　site　of　Fort

Brown；　then　I　am　with　him　for　his　justification。　　In　that　case　I

shall　be　most　happy　to　reverse　the　vote　I　gave　the　other　day。　　I

have　a　selfish　motive　for　desiring　that　the　President　may　do　this

I　expect　to　gain　some　votes；　in　connection　with　the　war；　which；

without　his　so　doing；　will　be　of　doubtful　propriety　in　my　own

judgment；　but　which　will　be　free　from　the　doubt　if　he　does　so。

But　if　he　can　not　or　will　not　do　this；if　on　any　pretence　or　no

pretence　he　shall　refuse　or　omit　it　then　I　shall　be　fully

convinced　of　what　I　more　than　suspect　already　that　he　is　deeply

conscious　of　being　in　the　wrong；　that　he　feels　the　blood　of　this

war；　like　the　blood　of　Abel；　is　crying　to　heaven　against　him；

that　originally　having　some　strong　motivewhat；　I　will　not　stop

now　to　give　my　opinion　concerning　to　involve　the　two　countries　in

a　war；　and　trusting　to　escape　scrutiny　by　fixing　the　public　gaze

upon　the　exceeding　brightness　of　military　glory；that　attractive

rainbow　that　rises　in　showers　of　blood；　that　serpent's　eye　that

charms　to　destroy；he　plunged　into　it；　and　was　swept　on　and　on

till；　disappointed　in　his　calculation　of　the　ease　with　which

Mexico　might　be　subdued；　he　now　finds　himself　he　knows　not　where。

How　like　the　half　insane　mumbling　of　a　fever　dream　is　the　whole

war　part　of　his　late　message！　　At　one　time　telling　us　that　Mexico

has　nothing　whatever　that　we　can　getbut　territory；　at　another

showing　us　how　we　can　support　the　war　by　levying　contributions　on

Mexico。　　At　one　time　urging　the　national　honor；　the　security　of

the　future；　the　prevention　of　foreign　interference；　and　even　the

good　of　Mexico　herself　as　among　the　objects　of　the　war；　at

another　telling　us　that　〃to　reject　indemnity；　by　refusing　to

accept　a　cession　of　territory；　would　be　to　abandon　all　our　just

demands；　and　to　wage　the　war；　bearing　all　its　expenses；　without　a