The Arkansas banner., 1845-03-26
Elom Me N.. o. LYeelc1u Brlletin.

been ill progress between SANTA ANNA ant the British Minister in Mexico, fer ces- sion to Great Britain of the territory of Cali 1 fornia. which was alluded to in very confident
 terms by our correspondent i'll New Y ork III his letter published on the 18th ult., and which has since obtained universal currency
 we may say, in comoboration, that in con fdential letter from Washington (Texas) VIC were assured, as early as in May last, that the new British Minister (Mr. BANKHEAD,) then recently arrived in Mexico, had certainly taken out instructions to open negotiation to the effect alluded 10, and also to obtain for Great Britain sright of way,o Chat is, a military road) through some portion of the fc ocean. In the state of the public mind which existed at that time, we did not deem it expedient to make the disclosure public; and. indeed, notwithstanding the confidence of oGr correspondent, who had received his information from the capitol of Mexico, we were not entirely satisfied of the accuracy ol the intimation. We do not profess to be now free from doubts on the subject, though so respectable an authority as the .N r JoWnG2 of Comm9rce vouches positively that such information has been received by our Gov ernment, in a shape to command belief
 We can readily perceive that the posses sion of the fertile and salubrious peninsula of the Californias, including the admirable har- bor of San Francisco, lone of the best on the Pacific Coast,) would be extremely desirable 10 Great Britain, and do not know any req sons, except motives of prudence, which a British Ministry rarely forget, that would be likely to restrain immediate efforts 10 secure so valuable an acquisition The chief con tlngency, however, as 1t seems to us, against which the United States will be called on 10 guard, in consummatng the proposed exten- sion of the Federal Unlon to the Rio del Norte, is that Great Britain may avail herself of that pretext to seize the island of Cuba. That she will not lack encouragement and apologsts in this country, is plain enough from the demonstrations that have been made by such American patriots as JOHN QuINcY ADAMS, who has already, indeed, iatimated in plain terms that, according to his doc trnes, the acquisition by the United States of the sovereignty of Texas will deprive our Government of any right to object to the transfer of Cuba to the possession of Great Britain The Gallacv of the reasoning on which this suggestion is based, is so plain as not to need argument. The incorporation of Texas into our Union cannot in any wise affect the security of England or of any of her colonies; nor does 1t rightlulIy concern her, as we can discover, in the remotest degree. It leaves the general principles on which the United States have hitherto based their policy with regard to Cuba entirely unaffected; unless, indeed, as our defences must then cover much larger extent of the Gulf coast, our Government shall have ae- qnired an additional motive and an additional
 right to guard the entrances to that sea.
 We do not doubt, however, that the proba- bility of such ruse being in contemplation, especially as there is considerable faction m our own country ready to aid and abet it's contamination, has entered into the calcula- tons ot our Government, and the line of pol Icy pursued been shaped accordingly. That was contingency to be looked for from the start. II the reports now current, imputing to Great Britain designs on the integrity ol the western coast of Mexico, are well founded. 1t IS to be presumed that an understandinr of the facts has not now, for the first time. come to the knowledge of our Government and that proper steps have already been taken in the premises. There is no question that the country would infinitely prefer to bring all the issues that are involved at once 10 the arhltrament oi arms, rather than acquiesce in the lnsolent assumption that we are anenable 10 European States for the conduct of affairs ln the Western Hemisphere, or that the peace able and lawful occupation of territory by our Government, in quarters where the rights ot others are not affected, may be made a pretext for investing our borders with hostile colonies. The United States, in extending their jurisdiction over the Republic of Texas, with the consent of that people, may chal- lenge the world to show wherein they do violence to any principle of equity. of justice, or of public law. Doing themselves, then. no wrong, they will not suffer their proceed lngs to be made pretext for encroachments on their own limits, nor on territories adla- cent where their welfare or their security may be endangered.