Speech #480009768

It not only is the Mexican law. which we were bound to fulfill. but we have the superadded obligation which comes to all legislators to deal with questions in the spirit of the day in which they live. The Mexicans themselves have shown you that they did not intend the vague grant to be concluded by a sweep of the hand or a glance of the eye. or a description as to a range of hills or mountains in the far distance. They did not intend that such vagueness should apply when they came to deliver absolute dominion of that land to the person whom they had permitted in the furtherance of a policy to induce and favor immigration to go upon it and occupy it in a manner that should not be injurious to the public but beneficial. and which always. however. was subject to the conditions of the Mexican law. It was intended not only that it should be measured before the delivery of juridical possession should be made (and for want of which parties claimant have been turned out of the Supreme Court of the United States. as in the case of Graham vs. The United States that I readjust now). but that it should be within the limitation m to extent imposed by the Mexican law to prevent the aggregation of vast bodies of property in a single hand and destroy the principle of equal division of land among the inhabitants.