The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-19
THE TERRITORIAL ISSUE ONCE
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purpose Of conquest. Starting from this po nj
! there can be no acquisition Of territory from
the enemy 10 become the property OF the Uni
ted States. The last territory acquired by the
United States from foreign powers was Florida,
Texas was not acquired as the property OF the
United States. She was admitted into tie
Union Of the existing States as part and par
Gel of the same with all her laws and insliiu>
tons untouched aud unchanged Conquest Of
territory from another power implies property
in the territory acquired. Had Texas been &C
quirtl as the properly of the United States, il
is evident, The several proprielors in Congress
assembled would have had the 'power 10 dis
pose Of, and make all needfu rules and regu>
lalions respecting" said territory. Under this
clause, The opponents OF negro slavery might
have insisted upon the condition Of the Viii
mot Provso being applied TO the territory of
Texas before acquiring il as the property OF the
United States, and the friends of negro slavery
might have held the contrary. IL this question
OF jurisdiction could be safely and properly
avoided in the matter OF Texas, there is no
difficulty in avoiding il in the extension Of the
power Of the Federal Government over other
Mexican States.
Let there be peace, therefore, to morrow, and
let the treaty stipulale as may for the surren
der by the Central Government Of Mexico Of
lis power over distant States Of that conledera-
cy. the States thus abandoned will not be treat
ed by our Government as conquered territory
OF States, but as independent sovereign States,
masters Of their fate and fortune, and whose
sovereignty and independence will be recsg
nisei by the United States. On no o,Lsy ground,
is it believed, can treaty Of peace be ratified,
which shall slipulate for the abandonment by
the Central Government of its power over any
one or more of the Mexican States To cede
to the United States any one or more Of The
Mexican Sales, the Government oil Mexico
has no power whatever. We cannot therefore
acquire territory by a treaty Of cession. We
will not acquire it by conquest--for such is the
universal sentiment Of the coun'ry.-The
most that the government of Mexico can
do, is 10 absolve such and such States from
their bonds of Union with the States, whose
Central Government shall make peace with us
If indeed any such treaty be ever made, Of
which we have our doub,s--and TO declare thai
the Genital Government will exercise no longer
any control over the absolved States. These
absolved or abandoned States will then be free
10 act as they please, except by the terms Of the
treaty, to go back 10 their old Union. The re.
suit OF the war, in that event, would be to dis
solve forever The Mexican Union. The boun-
Diary between The United States and Mexico,
would be the country occupied by the States
cut off by the uealy Of peace from the Central
Government OF Mexico with which discovered
States we should necessarily establish new re.
lations. They might occupy an Independent,
relation to us as Texas did for several years,
and then apply for admission into our Union.
Perhaps this would be the natural result oil
such a state Of things. They might form a
Constitution, establish a republican form Of
Government, and apply forthwith for admis-
sion. In either event, the question Of admis,
sion could not be made be TO turn upon the
Wilmot Provso principle or its contrary
The Mexican States all have their peculiar
institutions. One of them is the Peonic law,
or law Of voluntary slavery. This inS,itu-
ton is no more adverse 10 liberty aud rcpub.
lean form Of government than the law of
slavery or the white vagrant law Of Missouri,
or the law of imprisonment Tor debt, or any
other law which abridges in whole or IN part
the natural liberty Of man or any class of men,
The question of admitting any Of the Mexican
States severed by the result of this war from
The mother government Of Mexico, would b.
one Of the highes, order Of political questions.
1t would be one involving the extension of the
| American system of Union whose p,oudest
boast is, that il leaves each sovereignty COM
posing it, master oil its internal institutions.
But what, if the Central Government Of
Mexico will not make peace with the United
States We return TO our starting point and
that is,-The war is not waged Tor conquest.
1t is waged TO obtain peace, 10 get satisfaction
for the past and security for the future. In
pursuit Of this object, we are already masters
of nearly the whole Of the Mexican States and
If the Central Government continues 10 refuse
TO make peace, to grant what we ask, we shall
asa matter of course, be in possession OF every
Stale Of this nominal republic. When that
comes TO pass, and come to pass il will. if her
rulers persist in their course of hostility, the
Central Government will be at an end and we
shall be free TO treat for peace with the Sc, era
States, to recognize their independence of us
and of each other, 10 leave them at liberty 10
form new Union in whole or in part. or to
remain independent, or to ask for admission
into our Union--our military occupation of
them either separately or collectively ccasing,
so soon as circumstances shall justify it.
Ii is with more than ordinary satisfaction
al. - l. ~ Il = .