Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-10-05
Conauc.t of New MEXICO.

Of New Mexico
We copied Saturday. from the ST. Louis Republican,
that portion Of an interesting Diary OF an oGheer in the Ar
my. under Gen. Kcnrney. which gives an account Of its
unoppescd entrance into Santa Fe. the capital OF New
MEXICO. For other portions Of II. naraung the incidents
at the march. rs the Army approached that city, we regret
that We have not space though the omission Is well sup
piled by the moro condensed narrative. contained IN n let
,t 10 the St Louis Republican, which the reader will hud
m another column.
Gen. Kearney seems TO have adopted a method Of pro-
eeeding very different from that resof,ed to by Gen. Tay-
Tor, in the course pursued towards the Mexican authorities
and people. Passing through several villages on his route,
the General uniformly addressed tho people. assuring them
thst he came rs their friend, 20 give protection alike TO the
poor aud the rich. which ne told them that they had not
enjoyed under Mexican laws, from all farther allegiance to
which no absolved them, and required the municipal 9TH
cors To swear allegiance TO the United States, and to bind
themselves to oppose all our enemies, including Of course
their own counuymon. Some OF these officers, 1t seems,
very eheehuliy took the prescribed oath Enough we may
very well question their sinccrty)-while others eyinced a
decided repugnance 10 the singular ceremony, TO which how
ever, they were finally compelled to submit. The people
seemed to be highly delighted with their transfer from the
dominion OF Mexico TO the protection of the United States.
a. soon rs they were satisfied that Gen. kearney would
pay them for every thing he might require them to furnish
for the use Of the army-that their religion would be re-
speeted-and that, while they should continue peaeeable,
they should suffer no injury in person or property.
That portion OF Gen. Kcurney's policy which strikes US
rs novel in its character, Is the cxaction from the munich
raj authorities, and, through them, from the people at large,
of rn oath OF fidelity to the United States, and their abso-
luton from oil allegiance to the government OF Mexico
accompanied by the declaration that, IT they shorld offer
any resistance 10 The arms Of the u. States, they should be
punished "As rRAIroRs!" ltseems to us that the people Of
Mexico are, by this singular, If not unprecedented course,
placed in an awkward dilemma. Will the Mexican gov
crnment, for example, admit Gen. kcarney's right TO alb
solve its citizens from the allegiance due to the government
under which they were born7 And, in the event OF a res
tora;ion Of the conquered territory, on the conclusion OF a
treaty Of peace, would they not incur the hazard Of being
punished as TRAITORS by her laws, as the consequence Of
having thus. while holding Mexican commissions, renOun-
ced their allegiance. and pledged their fidelity to another
and n hostile poweTl
But, looking beyond its possible effect upon those per.
SONS who have been thus summarily converted, by the ad-
ministradon of an oath, from Mexican into American Cit
zens, may we not infer, from the course Of Gen. keArney,
what is the design Of our own government in undertaking
this expcduon-,hat is TO say, if Gen. kearney has acted
under instructions, aud not upon mis- individual responsible
lity1 Like many others, we have been At a loss to com.
prehenG the real purpose of the movemen towards Santa
Fe. until this revelation of Gen. Keaney's course towards
the Mexican authorities and people, so different from that
pursued towards the cities and villages west OF the Rio
Grande by Gen. Taylor, lifted an edge of the curtain. ltis
now, We think, obvious that the province of New Mexico
IL TO be anne ed Tor "rc-annCNeu, prOOaOly,-tOr, as COl.
Benton used to say, there is great virtue in that little pre-
fix. "re."-) to the United States, "ROlHs pOlus." That
the ACQUISITION Of this Province has been determined upon,
from the beginning OF the war, Is = condition Of the restora.
ton Of peace, Is now most apparent The vastregion ofcoun.
try. east Of the Rio Grande, from It's source TO Its mouth. as
well as that portion OF II west OF that river embraced within
the limits i New Mexico, is d deemed necessary TO round Of
our frontier in that direction, as Texas was, ior q similar
purpose, uesrei the Gulf. New Mexico and California and
L.. T.l fr-, ths Sfafrs rF T-rnauIrnaa EHlhuabua and
Cuohuta, are 10 become parts Of this great occan-bound
COME 5eracy. WeI-we must fulfil our " desuny!"-
which, Ne arc told, points 10 tile occupation Of the entire
Continent By Angio-SaXons, at whose approach the mixed
races Of Mexico are gradually TO melt away, as the Abo-
rhymes have done before them. But We may nevertheless
be permitted TO express the opinion, which we hope after
events may coufute, that 1t will be a dear bought aequUsi-
ton. To lie Mexoans. who may remain within the limits
OF The conquered territory, the change will unqueston-
ably be most happy and suspicious. IL will be like the
infusion Of vigorous and healthy blood into a diseased and
superannuated frame. But on the other hand, shall we not
acquire 4 population, whose habits and tone Of feeling
whl rather exert n deieroraung influence upon our
own peoplel Unfit for free government, as the New
MoXicans are, shall we not lose rather than gain
BY their incorporation with q race so dissimilar in all
respecs1 Will # not cost US more, indeed, TO keep
them in subIecuon, than the territory which they occupy is
worth Promptly swearing allegiance to the u. States, in
the presence Of an army which they were too feeble or too
daslardly TO resist, will they not throw of the yoke Of the
conqueror, even though 1t be milder than that to which
they have been accustomed, whenever that army shall be
Withdrawn. or 80 much diminished in number as to invite
IN attempt at It's expulsion We are satisfied that the
addition Of Tins new territory, distant nearly one thousand
miles from The present frontier settlement Of the United
States, will, in the end, cost infinitely more Than 1t will be
worth. For many years, at least, the authority Of the
United States can only be maintained in that distant
region, among a population inscnsiblo 10 the blessings Of
free government, and incapable Of approaching them, by
= standing army Of several thousand men. On the mere
score Of expense, therefore, we question most seriously the
c~Npedicncy Of d~elaching the province Of New Mexico from
she Conicderacy Of which Il has been heretofore a mem.
ber-espOcially as 1t has neither fertility Of soil like Texas,
nor fine ports like California, To Compensate, by its advan-
tages IN those respects, for the expenditure which will be
required to keep is inhabitants IN subsection.
But it is useless, we suppose, to war against Destiny and
Bocofocoism; and we are therefore prepared to submit 10
whatever may bo docrocd by these combined powers