Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-12-15


thattt lie war declared bys EoagFes swith EXTRA
ordinary unaniinity was uujyst and should be
abandoned, AN admission un 5in Fact. and
degrading to the national characte E he terms
of the treaty proposed by the United State were
not oalya lust to Mexice but consfdefing the
charaeter and ahiount of our claims the u1iiusti
fableand sunproyoked corhmencenents hostili-
ties by her, the ex pense Of the var Ms which we
have been subjected and the success aWhIch had
attended our arms, were deemed beof atmost
liberal character. - 355; q
ThetC Commissioner of the United States was
authorized to agrsefto theyestabl lis shhent of the
Rio Srande as the boundary st rom is extension
into the Gulf to its itlteTsectie1fs u south
u 8f as s.
tude about 80 deg, and to obtain accession to the
United States of the province of5New Mexico
and the Cahfornias, and the privilege of the
Right of Way across the Isthmus of Tehaunte-
pee. The boundary of the Rio Grande and the
cession so the United States of NewtMexico and
Upper California, constituted an 1iltmatum
which our Commissioner was under no circum-
stances to yield. e.. e...t.s~......- ~.-.- ,-.-z
That it might be manifest not only to
Mexico, but to all other nations, that the United
States were not disposed to take advantage of a
feeble power by insisting upon wrestling from her
all the other provinces, including many of her
principal towns and cities, which we have con-
quered and held in our military occupations, but
We're willing to conclude a treaty in spirit of
iberality, our commissioner were authorized to
stpulate for the restoration to Mexico of all our
other conquests. -.-
AS the territory to be acquired by the bounda-
ry proposed might be estimated to be of greater
value than fair equivalent for our Just demands.
our commissioner was authorized to stipulate for
the payment of such additional pecuniary con-
Slderation as was deemed reasonable
The terms ola treaty proposed by the Mexi-
can Commissioners were wholly unadmissable
They negotiated as if Mexico were the victori-
Gus and not the varsnlsdsad party they must
have known that the uitlpzAEaa.Tdm would never be
accepted. 1t required the United States to dis
member Texas, by surrendering to Mexico that
part ofthe territory of that State lying between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande, included within
her limits by her laws when she was an independ-
ent republic-and when she was annexed to the
United States, and admitted by Congress as one
of the States of our Union. 1t contained no pro-
vision for the payment by Mexico of the just
claims of our citizens. It required indemnity to
Mexican citizens for injuries they may have
sustained by our troops in the prosecution of the
war. 1t demanded the right of Mexico to levy
and collect the Mexican Tariff of duties on goods
imported into her ports while in our military
occupation during the war, and the owners of
Which had paid to officers of the United States
the Military contributions which had been levied
upon them; and it offered to cede to the United
States for pecuniary consideration that part of
Upper California lying north oflatitude 81 deg
Such were the unreasonable terms proposed by
the Mexican Commissioners.
The cession to the United States by Mexico
of the province of New Mexico and the Califor-
MAS, as proposed by the Commissioner of the
United States, it was belieFedsKpuld be more in
accordance with the convenience and interests
nP Ioth of thapo off
ry which it was probable Mexico would be in
duced to make. . -5- -.-
1t is manifest to all who have observed the ac-
tual condition of the Mexican government for
some years past, and at present. that if these
provinces should be retained by her, she could
not long continue to hold and govern them
Mexico is too feeble power to govern these prov
inces-lying, as they do, at distance of more
than a thousand miles from her capital; and if
attempted to be retained by her, they would con-
stitute but for short time, even nomnaly, a
part of her dominions. This would be especially
the case with Upper California. The sagacity of
powerful European nations has long since direct
ed their attention to the commercial Importance
of that province, and there can be little doubt
that the moment the United States shall relin-
quish their present occupation of it, and their
claim to it as indemnity, an effort will be made
by some foreign power to possess it, either by
conquest or by purchase. limo foreign govern
ment should acquire it, in either Of these NODES
an independent revolutionary government would
probably be established by the inhabitants, and
such foreigners as may remain in or remove to
the country, as soon as it shall be known that
the United States have abandoned it. Such a
government would be too feeble to maintain it's
seperate independent existence, and would final
y become annexed to, or be dependent colony
ofsome more powerful State. 's..
Should any foreign Government attempt to
possess it as a colony, or otherwise to incorpo-
rate it with itself, the principle avowed by Pres
ident Monroe, in 1924, and re affirmed in my first
annual Message, that no Foreign Power would,
with our consent, be permitted to plant or estab-
lish any new colony or dominion on any part of
the North American Continent, must be main-
tanned In maintaining this principle, and in re-
sisting its invasion by any foreign power, we
might be involved in other wars more expensive
and more difficult than that in which we are now
engaged. The provinces of new Mexico and the
Californiasare contiguous to the territory of the
United States, and if brought under the govern
ment OF our laws, their resources, mineral agri-
cultural, and commercial, would soon be develop=
ed. A.. -.- -
Upper California is bounded on the
North by our Oregon possessions, and if
held by the United States would soon be
settled by hardy, enterprising, intelligent
portion of our population. The Bay of
San Francisco, and other harbors along
the California coast, would afford a shelter
for our Navy, for, our numerous whale
ships and other merchant vessels, employ.
ed in the Pacific ocean, and would in a
short period become the rnarts of an exten-
sive and profitable commerce with China
and other countries of the coast. --. ....-
These. ad dvantages, in which the whole
commercial world participate, would at
once be secured to the United States by the
cession of this territory, while it is certain
that so long as it remains part ofthe Mex
ican domains, they can be enjoyed neither by
Mexico herself nor any other portion.
New Mexico is frontier province, and
has never been Of any considerable value
to Mexico. From its locality, it is natu.
rally connected with our western settle
m ents. The territorial limits of the State
of Texas, too, as defined by her laws, be-
fore her admission into our Union, en-.
braced all that portion Of New Mexico w.
ing east Of the Rio Grande, while Mexico
still claims to, hold this territory as part
Of her dominions. This adjustment of this
question of boundary is important.