Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-16

J just liabilities. BY snch treaty. our citizens
who hold just demands against her, would hat
no remedy either against Mexico or their owl
government. Our duty to these citizens mus
forever prevent such peace, and ITO treat,
which does not provide ample means of dis
charging these demands can receive my sane
ton.
A treaty of peace should settle all existing
difficulties between the two countries If al
adequate cession Of territory should be made by
such a treaty, the U. States should release
Mexico from all her liabilities. and assume
their payment TO her own citizens. If. instead
of this. the U. ). were TO consent to a tttaty
by which Mexico should again engage TO pay
the heavy amount of Indebtedness which just
indemnity for our government and our citizens
| would impose on her. it is notorious that she
does not possess the means for such an under
taking. From such treaty no result could be
anticipated, but the same irritating disappoint-
| ments which have heretofore attended the vio-
| lauons at similar treaty stipnlations on the
part of Mexico. Such treaty would be but a
I temporary cessation Of hostilties, without the
restoration of the friendshipand good understan-
ding which should characterlse the future inter
course between the two countries.
That Congress contemplated the acquisition
of territorial indemnity when that body made
provision for the prosecution of the wal, is OBJ
vious. Congress could not have meant-when.
in May, 1886, :hey appropriated ten millions
| Of dollars, and authorised the President to en-
ploy the militia and naval and military forces
of the United States. and to accept the servi-
ces of fifty thousand volunteers, to enable him
to prosecute the war; and when. at their last
session, and after our army had invaded Mexi
CO, they made additional appropriations, and
; authorised the raising of additional troops for
| the same purpose-that no indemnity was to
be obtained from Mexico at the conclusion of
the war; and vet it was certain that, if no
Mexican territory was acquired, no indemnify
could be obtained.
1t is further manifest that Congress contem-
plated territorial indemnity, from the fact that,
at their last session IAN act was passed upon the
Executive recommendation. appropriatng 3d.
DOC. 900 with that express object. This appro-
pration was made 'to enable the President to
conclude treaty of peace limits land boundaries
with the republic of Mexico, to be used by him
in the event that said treaty. when signed by
! the authorised agents Of the two governments,
! and duly ratified by Mexico, shall call for the
expenditure of the same, or any part thereof"
The object Of asking this appropriation was
distinctly stated in the several messages on the
subject which | communicate to Congress-
Similar appropriations made in 1903 and 1906,
| which were referred to, were intended to be
applied in part consideration for the cession of
Louisiana and the Flordas. In like manner
it was anticipated that. in settling the terms of
'limits and boundaries" with Mexico, a cession
Of territory estimated to be greater value than
the amount of our demands against her might
be obtained and that the prompt payment OF
| this sum-in part consideration for the territory
on the conclusion of trerty, and its ratifea-
| ton on her part, might be an inducement with
her to make such session of territory as would
/ be satisfactory to the United States. And al
| though failure to conclude such treaty has
rendered it unnecessary to use any of the So
0GO, 600 appropriated by that act, and the en-
tire sum remains in the treasury, it is still APP
plicable to that object, should the contingency
occur making such application proper.
( The doctrine of no territory is the doctrine Of
no indemnity; and, if sanctioned, would be q
public acknowledgment that our country was
! wrong, and that the war declared by Congress
with extraordinary unanimity, was unjust, and
should be abandoned an admission unfounded
in fact, and degrading to the national character
/ The terms of the treaty proposed by the U
States were not only just to Mexico, but. con
: sidering the character and amount of our claims
the unjustifable and unprovoked commence
ment of hostili,ies by her, the expenses of the
war to which we have been subjected, and the
success which had attended our arms, were
:! deemed to be of most liberal character.
I The commissioner of the United States was
authorised to treat for the establishment of the
Ric Grande as the boundary, from its entrance
intothe Gulfto its intersection with the southern
boundary of New Mexico, in n. lat about s.
degrees. and to obtain cession to the U. S. o
New Mexico and the CALIFORNIA;, and the pri
vilege of the right Of way across the Isthmu.
of Tehuantepec. The boundary Of the Ri
Grande, and the cesson to the U. States O
New Mexico and Upper California, constitute,
an ultimatum which our commissioner was, un
der no circumstances, to yield.
4 That it might be manifested, not only t
Mexico, but to all other nations. that the Uni
ted States were not disposed to take advantage
Off feeble power, by insisting upon wrestin:
from her all the other provinces. including ma
ny of her principal towns and cities, which w
had conquered and held in our military occupa
ton, but were willing to conclude treaty in
spirit of liberality, our commissioned was auth
orised to treat for the restoration to Mexico q
all our other cOnquess.
5 As the territory to be acquired by the boun
t dairy proposed might be estimated to be of grea
ter value than fair equiva lent for our just de
3 mands, our commissioner was authorised t
stipulate for the payment Of such additional pc
f cuniary consideration as was deemed reasona
BILE. m
The terms of atreaty proposed by the Mex
can commissioners were wholly inadmissible
] They negotiated as if Mexico wefe the victo
rous, and not the vanquished party. The
' must have known that their ultmatum coul
, never be. accepted. 1t required the U. State
$ to dismeinber Texas. by surrendering to Mex
leo that part of the territory of that State lynn
r between the Nueces and the Rio Grande. in
cluded within her limits by her laws when sh
, was an independent republic, and when sh
: was annexed to the u. S. and admitted b
Congress- one of the States eff our Union.
contained no provision for the payment b
Mexico of the just claims Of our citizens.
required indemnity to Mexican citizens for in
: juries they may have sustained by our troop
in the prosecution of the war. 1t demande