The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGI

The third annual message of Mr. Polk, the President of
the United States, is, as usual, a very voluminous docu-

As might have been expected, the affairs of Mexico are
referred to at great length. More than one-half of the
entire message relates to the past and present position of
the differences between the two republics. Thereis nothing
in the tone of the President which would lead to the an-
ticipation of a speedy cessation of hostilities. After allu-
ding to the prosperity of the country, and stating that
from their abundance they have been enabled to perform
the pleasing duty of furnishing food for the starving mil-
lions of less favoured countries, the message refers to the
" serious causes of complaint" against Mexico—reiterates
that. the United States is the aggrieved nation—that in
self-defence they were compelled to repel the invader—
and " to vindicate national honour and interests" they
.are called on to prosecute the war—although at every
-stage a willingness has been manifested to terminate it by
a "just peace." The President adds, that the war has
been waged not only to redress grievances, but to obtain
indemnity for the future : that Mexico has no indemnity
to give but territory. And until she makes a cession of
territory sufficient to cancel past accounts, and provide for
the future, he recommends that no treaty of peace be
acceptc.i. The boundary of the Rio Grande, and the ces-
sion to the United States of New Mexico and Upper
California, arenamed as the terms upon which negotiations
for a treaty must be founded. The plea for such a require-
ment is, that Mexico is too feeble a power to govern these
provinces ; and that if the United States relinquished
their occupation of it, and their claim to it as an indem-
nity, an effort would be made by some foreign power to
possess it by conquest or by purchase, which the United
States would be bound to resist, as well as any attempt of
European nations to found a monarchy in Mexico. He
-combats the opinion that the American army should be
withdrawn now, or indeed before an honourable peace is
concluded. There is danger, he thinks, in such a step.
" There can (he says) be no doubt that the peaceable
and well-disposed inhabitants of Mexico are convinced
that it is the true interest of their country to conclude
an honourable peace with the United States, but the ap-
prehension of becoming the victims of some military
faction or usurper may have prevented them from mani-
festing their feelings by any public act. The removal of
any such apprehension would probably cause them to
speak their sentiments freely, and to adopt the measures
necessary for the restoration of peace. With a people
distracted and divined by contending factions, and a
government subject to constant changes, by successive
revolutions, the continued successes of our arms may
.fail to secure a satisfactory peace. In such event, it may
become proper for our generals in the field to give encou-
ragement and assurances of protection to the friends of
_peace in Mexico, in the establishment and maintenance of
-a free republic government of their own choice, able and
willing to conclude a peace which would be just to them,
and secure to us the indemnity we demand. This may
become the only mode of obtaining such a peace. Should
such be the result, the wnr which Mexico has forced upon
us would thus be converted into an enduring blessing to
herself. After finding her torn and distracted by factions,
and ruled by military usurpers, we should then leave her
with a republican government, in the enjoyment of real
independence, and domestic peace and security, perform-
ing all her ative duties in the great family of nations,
and promoting her own happiness by wise laws and their
faithful execution."
The President states that about half a million of dol-
lars has been raised by the Customs duties imposed by the
United States forces, on vessels and goods entering the

ports in their possession, and intimates that measures
have been taken to divert for the future the internal re-
venues of Mexico into the coffers of the United States.
On this point he says :
" The policy of levying upon the enemy contributions
in every form, consistently with the laws of nations, which
it may be practicable for our military commanders to
adopt, should, in my judgment be rigidly enforced, arid
orders to this effect have accordingly been given. By
such a policy, at the same time that our treasury will be
relieved from a heavy drain, the Mexican people will be
made to feel the burdens of war, and, consulting their
own interests. may be induced the more readily to require
their rulers to accede to a just peace."

He adds, emphatically, "I am persuaded that the best
means of vindicating the national honour and interest,
and of bringing the war to an honourable close will be to
prosecute it with increased energy and power in the vital
parts of the enemy's country." In the future prosecution
of the war, the enemy " must be made to feel its pressure

more than they have hitherto done." With the view of
continuing the war, he asks authority from Congress for
raising an addition to the regular army and to the volun-
teer regiments. He also asks for a loan to meet the or-
dinary expenses of the government, of $18,500,000, and
should the war with Mexico be continued till June, 1849,
he calculates that a further loan of £20,5110,000 will be
required. The amount of the public debt is now
£'45,659,659, being an increase of $27,870,859 since the
4th of March, 1845. These loans will raise the debt to
$92,030,498 dollars, which is paying dearly for military

Air. Polk speaks favourably of the effects of free trade
as regulated by the laws of the states. He urges the im-
position of moderate duties on tea and coffee, and
suggests several modifications in the laws affecting com-

merce. He urges the need of more war steamers for the
navy, and concludes his message by a reference to the
postages charged by the British Government upon letters
brought here by the American steamers, in respect to
which he states that a fair and just receprocity is all that

is required