Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-12-21


perity of the two countries.
The Germanic Association of Customs
and Commerce, which. since its estab
| lishment in 1883, has been steadily
growing in power and Importance, and
consists at this time of more than twenty
German States ard embraces a popula
ton of 100000 of people united fol
all the purposes of commercial inter.
course with each other and with foreign
states, offers to the latter the most valu
able exchanges on principles more libe
raj than are offered in the fiscal system o.
any other European power. From its
origin. the Importance of the German
Union has never been lost sight of by the
United States.3 The industry, morality
and other valuable qualities of the Ger
man nation. have always been we'll known
and appreciated. On this subject in
vite the attention of Congress to the re
port of the Secretary of State, from which
it will be seen that while our cotton is
admitted free of duty, and the duty on
rice has been much reduced, which has
already led to a greatly increased con-
sumption, a strong disposition has been
recently evinced by that great body to
reduce, upon certain conditions, their
present duty upon tobacco. This being
the first intimation of a concession on
this interesting subject ever made by any
European power, cannot but regard it
as we'll calculated to remove the only
impeachment which has so far existed to
the most liberal commercial intercourse
between US and them. In this view, our
Minister at Berlin, who has heretofore
lndustriously pursued the subject, has
been instructed to enter upon the nego-
tiation of commercial treaty, which.
while it will open new advantages to the
agricultural interests of the U. States,
and more free and expanded field for
commercial operations, will affect injuri-
ously no existing interest of the Union.
Should the negotiation be crowned with
success, its results will be communica-
ted to both Houses of Congress.
[ communicate herewith certain de-
spatches received from our Minister at
Mexico, and also correspondence which
has recently occurred between the En-
voy from that Republic and the secreta-
ry of State. 1t must be regarded as not
little extraordinary that the Govern
ment of Mexico, in anticipation of pub
lie discussion, which it has been pleased
to infer from newspaper publications, as
likely to take place in Congress, relating
to the annexation of Texas to the United
States, should have so far anticipated the
result of such discussion as to have an
nounced its determination to visit any
such anticipated decision by formal
declaration of war against the United
States. lfdesigned to prevent Congress
from introducing that question, as tit
subject for its calm deliberation and final
judgment, the Executive has no reason
to doubt that it will entirely fail of its
object. The Representatives of brave
and patriotic people will suffer no appre-
hension of future consequences to en-
barrass them in the course of their pro-
posed deliberations. Nor will the Ex-
ecutive Department of the Government
fail, for any such cause, to discharge its
whole duty to the country.
ne WdI WulCu has cAlSleU IOt 81 iuLS
time between Mexico and Texas has,
since the battle of San Jacinto, consist
ed for the most part of predatory incur
sions, which, while they have been atten-
ded with much of suffering to iEdivdu-
ais, and have kept the borders of the two
countries in state of constant alarm,
have failed to approach to any definitive
result. Mexico has fitted out no formi-
dable armament by land or by sea for the
subjugation of Texas. Eight years have
now elapsed since Texas declared her
independence of Mexico, and during that
time she has been recognized as sovcr-
eign power by several of the principal
civilized states. Mexico, nevertheless.
perseveres in her plans of reconquest
and refuses to recognize her indepen-
dence. The predatory incursions to
which have alluded, have been attend
ed, IN one instance, with the breaking up
of the courts of justice by the Selling
upon the persons of the judges, jury, and
officers of the court, and dragging them
along with unarmed, and therefore non
combatant citizens, into cruel and OPP
pressive bondage, thus leaving crime to
go UNPUBLISHED and immortality to pass I'M
reproved. A border warfare is evermore
to be deprecated, and such war as has
existed for SO many years between these
two States, humanity has had great cause
to lament. Nor is such condition of
things to be deplored only because of the
individual suffering attendant upon it.
The effects are far more extensive. The
Creator of the Universe has given man
the Earth for his resting place, and its
fruits for his subsistence. Whatever,
therefore, shall make the first or any part
of it a scene of desolation, affects inju-
riously his heritage, and may be regard
ed as general calamity. Wars may
sometimes be necessary; but all nations
nave common interest in bringing them
to close. The United States have an
immediate interest in seeing an end put
to the state Of hostiIities existing be-